WASHINGTON — The

return of the Army units extended

in Iraq in April is on track,

Defense Department officials said

at a Pentagon news conference

July 1. 

In April, the Army extended the

tours of duty for units of the 1st

Armored Division and the 2nd

Armored Cavalry Regiment in

Iraq. The extension allowed thenCombined Joint Task Force 7

(now Multi-National Force-Iraq)

to create a strategic reserve. The

units moved to the south and took

on the militia associated with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr

around Najaf and Karbala. 

Now the units are preparing to

leave Iraq. The units “will begin

moving back during the month of

August and be all home by the

beginning of September,” said

Army Brig. Gen. David

Rodriguez of the Joint Staff. “We

remain on schedule.” 

The forces coming in behind

them also are on schedule.

Rodriguez said the forces are

beginning to flow into the region,

and they are working with the

departing units on the handover. 

Vol. 2, No. 28 Baghdad, Iraq July 9, 2004

SCIMITAR

Former Iraqi President

Saddam Hussein appears

before an Iraqi judge July 1

to be arraigned on charges

that include war crimes and

genocide. The court

appearance took place at

Victory Camp near

Baghdad International

Airport in one of Saddam’s

former palaces. U.S. forces

captured the 67-year-old

former dictator Dec. 13 near

his hometown of Tikrit. See

related story on page 10. 

Karen Ballard

Saddam

in court

Official says extended

units’ return on track

By Jim Garamone

American Forces 

Press Service 

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. Army

Gen. George Casey took charge of the

160,000 U.S. and multinational forces

in Iraq as the Multi-National ForceIraq commander July 1. 

Casey replaced outgoing commander

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who has

been in Iraq since May 15, 2003, and

who served as commander of the multinational forces from June 15, 2003. 

“I am extremely proud to take command of this multinational force and to

have the privilege of leading the sons

and daughters from 34 freedom-loving

nations committed to building a better

life for the Iraqi people,” Casey said

during the change-of-command ceremony at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory,

Iraq.

This was the first change of command in Iraq since sovereignty was

given to the Iraqi people June 28.

Also attending was U.S. Central

Command chief Gen. John Abizaid,

who oversees U.S. operations in the

Middle East, Central Asia and the Horn

of Africa.

“We remain somewhat in awe of the

task ahead of us, yet we know it can be

done,” Abizaid

said during the

ceremeony.

Casey last

served as the

Army’s vice chief

of staff at the

Pentagon.

His awards

include the

Defense

Distinguished

Service Medal

with Oak Leaf

Cluster, the

Distinguished

Service Medal

and the Legion of

Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He

has also earned the Expert Infantryman

Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge

and the Ranger Tab.

Sanchez is slated to return to

Germany, where he maintains his headquarters as commander of the Army’s

5th Corps.

By Marine Sgt. 

Donald P. Bohanner

Multi-National Force-Iraq 

Public Affairs

Casey takes command

Does Uncle Sam owe

you money?

U.S. troops help

preserve Iraqi’s

ancient history

Home is where you 

hang your Kevlar 

Russian emigrant’s a U.S. Soldier

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Page 14 Page 15

Soldiers from the Multi-National ForceIraq and Multi-National Corps-Iraq stand

ready for the MNF-I change-of-command

ceremony at the Al Faw Palace at Camp

Victory, Baghdad July 1.

Sgt. 1st Class Johancharles Van Boers, U.S. Army

From left to right: Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, Gen.

John Abizaid and Gen. George Casey render honors during the change-of-command ceremony July

1 at Camp Victory. 

Pfc. Bryce S. Dubee, U.S. Army
WASHINGTON — Iraq’s interim government may

have taken control of the country, but U.S. forces will

remain for some time, a senior multinational force official

said in Baghdad June 30. 

“I think it will be some time before we see significant

basing changes, significant operational changes, and, for

that matter, significant numerical changes in the size of the

multinational force,” said the official, who spoke to

reporters on background. 

“We don’t see in the near term changing the amount of

soldiers on the ground for months and months,” he said. 

The official also told reporters that no deadline has been

set for the withdrawal of U.S. forces, which he said are

needed to help train Iraqi troops to defend the country, nor

has a target date been set for when Iraqi troops will be able

to take over their own security. 

“We would like it sooner rather than later. We would like

to do it right. We would like to do it quick,” he said. 

“But we are more concerned with doing it right. We don’t

want to stay here one day longer than necessary, but we don’t

want to leave one day sooner than necessary,” he added. 

The official told reporters that as Iraqi forces “get

stronger,” the U.S. presence in Iraq will “get smaller.” 

“We’ve got to be honest,” he said. “It’s not going to be

defined in terms of days and weeks, and it’s going to be

defined in terms of months, and perhaps years.” 

Iraqi security forces will take complete control over

cities as conditions allow, he said. 

“If the government in that city can handle it, if the Iraqi

security forces can handle it, and the conditions on the

ground are not so severe, there will be a gradual pulling

away of the American or ... multinational forces from that

particular city,” the official explained. 

Iraqi police forces would maintain control inside such

cities, with multinational military forces nearby to assist if

needed. 

“The Iraqi security forces, in general, want to handle the

day-to-day threat,” he said. 

“And they feel very confident knowing they can pick up

the ‘hot phone’ and call and get the assistance,” he added.

“It is our intention to release as many people as possible

that aren’t a security threat to the people of Iraq,” he said. 

He added that U.S. troops understand they are operating

inside a sovereign nation, and that their job now is to “build

the confidence of the people of Iraq.”

Page 2 Scimitar July 9, 2004

No near-term change in U.S. troop numbers

By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample

American Force Press Service 

MOSUL, Iraq — Renovations are complete at the

Ibn Alathyr Hospital here.

The hospital, which specializes in maternity and

pediatric care, treats approximately 600 patients each

day and has about 300 beds for inpatient care. Recent

renovations include improvements to the laboratories

and teaching facilities and the installation of air-conditioning.

“We are gradually trying to improve each section of

our hospital, including the wards, the x-ray department

and the labs, to provide better care to our patients,” said

hospital director Abdulridha Al Kazaz.

Ibn Alathyr is the oldest pediatric hospital in

Mosul. The hospital’s 17 doctors and other medical

staff provide care to a large number of residents in

eastern Mosul.

Ibn Alathyr Hospital celebrates

Story and photo by Spc. Blair Larson

139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

WASHINGTON — A tollfree telephone service for

Thrift Savings Plan participants

and beneficiaries began July 1. 

Callers are able to receive

TSP account or transaction

information via the service

daily around the clock. They

will also be able to speak to a

participant service representative at one of two call centers 7

a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time

Monday through Friday.

The retirement savings plan is

for federal employees and similar to the 401(k) plans offered by

many private employers. As of

May 31, TSP assets totaled more

than $135 billion, and retirement

savings accounts were being

maintained for nearly 3.3 million participants. Participants

include federal civilian employees in all branches of government, employees of the U.S.

Postal Service and members of

the uniformed services.

For calls from the United

States, Canada, Puerto Rico

and the Virgin Islands, the primary toll-free number is (877)

968-3778 and the TDD number

for the hearing impaired is

(877) 847-4385. The previous

number, (504) 255-8777, can

be used for all other international calls.

Thrift Savings Plan 

toll-free service available

Submitted by

Thrift Savings Plan

A mother sits with her child in the

Ibn Alathyr Hospital in eastern

Mosul. The hospital, which specializes in pediatric and maternity

care, recently completed renovations on its teaching facilities and

laboratories and received a new

air-conditioning system.

Renovations included

improvements to the labs

and new air-conditioning

WASHINGTON — A firstof-its-kind Army medical report

that queried Afghanistan and

Iraq combat veterans shows that

front-line action has adversely

affected the mental health of

some service members. 

The report, titled “Combat

Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan,

Mental Health Problems and

Barriers to Care” appears in the

July 1 issue of the New England

Journal of Medicine. 

About 6 percent of the

Soldiers and Marines who participated in the anonymous study

say they’ve experienced mental

health problems after combat

tours, Dr. William

Winkenwerder, the assistant secretary of defense for health

affairs, told reporters during a

June 30 Pentagon roundtable. 

However, “the vast majority”

of service members surveyed for

the report, Winkenwerder noted,

“seem not to be having any significant mental-health concerns

or problems.” 

That’s not to say, he pointed

out, that those surveyed didn’t

experience stress during their

tours in Afghanistan or Iraq.

“These are the folks that were in

the most intense types of

(ground) combat situations,”

Winkerwerder noted. 

Army Col. Charles Hoge, a

doctor and a principal author of

the study, accompanied

Winkenwerder at the press conference and said the report contains “no surprises,” but that it

“puts numbers to what we

already knew.” 

Hoge, chief of the department

of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Walter Reed Army

Institute of Research, told

reporters that the new report

shows “those Soldiers and

Marines who had higher levels

of combat exposure – frequency

and intensity of combat – had

higher rates of mental-health

concerns.” 

Winkenwerder said the report

also says some returning combat

veterans suffering from depression, anxiety or post-traumatic

stress disorder aren’t seeking

medical help. 

“We believe,” he said, “that

there are adequate services available” to identify and assist combat veterans experiencing mental-health issues. 

However, Winkenwerder

noted, one main barrier preventing access to those services “is

the perception of stigma that

some individuals have about

coming forward to get that care

and counseling.” Providing more

education about mental health

care, he noted, should help to

persuade more service members

to seek help. 

The report is unique,

Winkenwerder said, because of

its use of near-real-time data.

Combat-stress studies conducted

on the Vietnam War, he pointed

out, used data gathered years

after the conflict.

“There’s a lot of work to be

done,” Winkenwerder acknowledged, in finding ways to enable

service members to better cope

with the stresses of combat. 

Mental-health teams are

embedded in units in

Afghanistan and Iraq to assist

troops, Army Surgeon General

Lt. Gen. James Peake, who participated in the press briefing

with Winkenwerder and Hoge,

noted to reporters. 

Troops experiencing mentalhealth issues can also access

confidential counseling via the

Defense Department’s “Military

One Source” program, the 24-

hour-a-day service for service

members and their families,

when they need quick, professional assistance with any kind

of problem. High-quality training, Peake noted, can help prepare service members for the

realities of combat. 

Army Chief of Staff Gen.

Peter Schoomaker, Peake pointed out, is a special operations 

Report: Combat may degrade mental health

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces 

Press Service 

See MENTAL, Page 10
WASHINGTON — Thousands of

troops who participated in the early

phases of Central Command’s Rest and

Recuperation Program last year may

soon see some extra money in their wallets.

About 32,000 Soldiers who arrived at

the Baltimore-Washington International

Airport in Largo, Md., or the Frankfurt

Airport, in Germany, on daily military

contract flights between Sept. 26 and

Dec. 18 now qualify for reimbursement

of out-of-pocket travel airline costs to and

from their R&R leave addresses.

When the first R&R military contract

flight departed Kuwait City Sept. 25,

about 250 Soldiers traveled free of charge

either to Frankfurt or BWI. However,

they were responsible to pay for “onwardtravel” costs to and from their leave

addresses.

With the urging of Congress, the

Department of Defense approved

implementing instructions to cover

onward travel costs for R&R Soldiers in

early December with an effective date

of Dec. 19. Wording of the implementing instructions did not allow retroactive onward travel reimbursements for

Soldiers who traveled on R&R prior to

Dec. 19. A change to those instructions

to pay back additional travel costs of

the early R&R Soldiers was approved

in mid-June.

Of the $55 million Congress allotted

CENTCOM to use for onward travel,

about $14 million has funded commercial

airline tickets paid directly to the travel

ticketing office for connecting flights or

paid directly to R&R Soldiers who provided the proper documentation for their

travel costs.

Lt. Col. Bobbie Sanders, the deputy

chief for G1’s R&R Task Force, told

reporters in a June 29 Pentagon briefing

that officials estimate R&R reimbursements for the missed group of Soldiers

will cost $13-19 million.

The Army is using a variety of means to

inform Soldiers eligible for the reimbursement about how to apply for it,

including internal and civilian media

news stories, a statement directing R&R

Soldiers to review a G1 Well Being Web

site, an Army Knowledge Online mass email and, in the cases of recently discharged Soldiers, letters to last known

home-of-record addresses.

The Army knows the names of each of

the 32,000 Soldiers eligible for the R&R

travel reimbursement, Sanders said.

Soldiers eligible for reimbursement

should file a claim through their servicing

finance office. Eligible discharged

Soldiers should file a claim directly

through the Defense Finance and

Accounting Service, via e-mail or regular 

July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 3

Travel reimbursement

for 32K R&R troops

By Joe Burlas

Army News Service

BALAD, Iraq — Sixty-three

Soldiers spent the morning of

June 28 learning about expedited citizenship application procedures.

The workshop took place at

the Sustainer Indoor Theater at

Logictics Support Area

Anaconda here.

Representatives from the military police, the legal assistance

office and the personnel services battalion helped the Soldiers

by fingerprinting them and taking their pictures for the application packages. 

The Soldiers were able to verify necessary paperwork, and

they learned what additional

paperwork they will need to get

copies of to become naturalized

citizens of the United States.

Military members on active

duty are eligible for expedited

U.S. citizenship and will soon

be able to take advantage of fee

exemptions and other conveniences in fiscal 2005. 

“I’m more a part of the U.S.

than my own country,” said Sgt.

Fernando Lara, of the 660th

Transportation Company,

explaining why he came to the

class. 

Lara is originally from

Mexico but has been in the U.S.

for a long time. 

He added that it is important

for him to become a citizen. 

After a Soldier completes an

application package, the next

step is submitting the package

to the United States Citizenship

and Immigration Service for

expedited processing. 

Processing should take

approximately four months said

Capt. Marc DeFreyn, a legal

assistance officer from the 81st

Brigade Combat Team.

Soldiers take steps

toward citizenship

Members of the 1st Infantry Division’s Bravo Section, 2nd Brigade Reconnaissance

Troop brace themselves in a security posture after being inserted by a UH-60A

Black Hawk helicopter during a quick-response force weapons-interdiction mission

June 19. The quick-response force responds to immediate-action situations directed by the tactical operations center commander.

Tech. Sgt. Scott Reed, U.S. Air Force

Big Red reaction

WASHINGTON — An interpretation of a government rule may mean

that mobilized National Guard and

Reserve members and their employers

may be in for a refund on some taxes

the employers paid the federal government. 

While researching last year for a

slide presentation on tax rules for

deployed National Guard members

and reservists, retired Army Reserve

Lt. Col. Frank Scattene, a certified

public accountant, stumbled upon an

interesting fact. 

He read on an Internal Revenue

Service Web site about a government

rule stating that Guard and Reserve

service members are exempt from paying taxes on “supplemental income”

used by employers to pay into such

programs as Medicare and Social

Security under the Federal Insurance

Contribution Act and Federal

Unemployment Tax Act. 

According to Scattene, the IRS

doesn’t consider the supplemental

wages as taxable income because they

are not paid for services rendered to

the civilian employer. 

Scattene, who is associated with the

Lehigh Valley Military Affairs

Council, a nonprofit, tax-exempt

Pennsylvania corporation that assists

National Guard and Reserve members,

soon learned of several cases of service members who had employers taking out the tax erroneously. 

“The reservists didn’t know the

rule; neither did the employers,” he

said. 

Although supplemental wages are

not subject to FICA taxes, the payments still are income to the Guard

and Reserve members and are subject

to income tax, he said. 

Wayne Spruell, the principal director for manpower and personnel for

the assistant secretary of defense for

reserve affairs, said Guard and

Reserve members who had FICA taxes

erroneously withheld while on extended active duty should request reimbursement from their employer. 

“Individuals who had an employer

erroneously withhold the FICA tax

cannot receive it back by amending

their tax return,” he said. 

Reservists, Guardsmen

may be eligible for

cash back from FICA

By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample

American Forces Press Service 

See FICA, Page 10

See TRAVEL, Page 10

By Capt. Cathy Wilkinson 

13th Corps Support

Command Public Affairs
Page 4 Scimitar July 9, 2004

I’m appalled at the news as it’s reported from Iraq.

Just as disturbing is the lack of knowledge a lot of

people have about what’s really going on, why we’re

there and what it’s really like. I’d like to set the record

straight.

My job as an environmentalist is primarily the protection of the environment and the disposal of

Department of Defense-generated hazardous wastes. I

volunteered to go to Iraq, and last December I was

selected to set up the first disposal operations in the

forward deployed area.

I have been stationed at Balad Air Base, Logistics

Support Area Anaconda since Dec. 28. On several

occasions, my work has taken me to Baghdad. I

extended my initial tour from 120 days to 155 days,

and June 7 I went back to Baghdad for six more

months.

Ninety-five percent of

the Iraqi people want us

there, and it’s only a

handful of insurgents

with weapons who are

attacking our bases, convoys and troops. The

older generations say

that although they may

never see the freedoms

we’re trying to bring to

their country, they know their children will enjoy the

rights that we take for granted in the United States.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet and speak with day

laborers coming on LSA Anaconda. They are grateful

for the work and pay they receive. Men have taken

my hand with tear-filled eyes and thanked me because

they can now provide for their families -- something

they couldn’t do when Saddam was in power. I’ve met

engineers, pilots and well-educated men who, for the

first time since Saddam took office, are returning

from self-imposed exile to their homeland and are

able to find work on our many U.S. bases.

Before I left Balad, I was

able to coordinate the donation of $3,500 of hospital

disinfectant and dental amalgam to the local hospital

from the DRMS inventory of

excess property. Our Balad

team of doctors and medics

make regular, scheduled visits to the surrounding

communities to provide medical care and assistance

to the people and teach new technologies to Iraqi

medical personnel.

People are being taught field sanitation and handwashing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.

About 400,000 children have now received up-to-date

immunizations. And 100 percent of the existing hospitals are now open and staffed, compared to 35 percent before the war.

On behalf of my organization, the Defense

Logistics Agency, and its partner, Army Materiel

Command, we’re sponsoring a local secondary school.

We’ve received $65,500 of Saddam’s money to completely rebuild the school. Our school is only one of

11 schools being sponsored by different units on LSA

Anaconda. School attendance

is up 80 percent, and, for the

first time, girls are allowed to

attend classes.

Our facility engineers and

U.S. Navy Seabees are

rebuilding outdated sewer

lines and constructing a new

water-treatment plant that

will serve the entire area.

This is being done in every

major city. More than 4.5

million people have clean drinking water for the first

time.

We’re updating and constructing new power plants

throughout the country. Now the entire populace

receives twice the electric power it did before the war.

More than 400,000 people have telephone service for

the first time.

The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can

be off loaded from ships faster. Farmers are being

educated on better methods, and new technologies are

being introduced. Local contractors working on our

bases are, for the first time, able to receive lubricant

oils and hydraulic and

brake fluids for their

equipment.

The newly formed

Iraqi National Guard

trains on LSA Anaconda.

The teams work and

learn side by side with

our soldiers, and they are proud to be learning from

us and eager to help in the battle against the handful

of insurgents making life miserable in Iraq. Every day

our troops are finding buried weapons and chemicals

that must be disposed of. The dangerous chemicals

pose a threat to the environment, health and safety of

not only the Iraqi people but the world if they were to

come into the wrong hands.

I’ve met some wonderful Soldiers serving in Iraq.

As a nation, we should all be proud and supportive of

the mission, Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I believe in my job and my country, and I want my

grandchildren to always be able to enjoy their freedoms. 

That’s why I’m going back.

Commentary by Bonnie Murphy

PERSPECTIVES

The older generations [of Iraqis]

say that although they may never

see the freedoms we're trying to

bring to their country, they know

their children will enjoy the rights

that we take for granted in the

United States.

Most Iraqis appreciate U.S. help

Bonnie Murphy is a Defense

Reutilization and Marketing Service

employee who volunteered to go to Iraq

in December. Prior to her work at Balad

Air Base, LSA Anaconda, Murphy worked

for DRMS out of its headquarters in

Battle Creek, Mich. DRMS is a field

activity of the Defense Logistics Agency.

Murphy was awarded the DLA Employee

of the Second Quarter for the work she

has performed in Iraq. She recently

decided to extend her tour in Iraq until

January. At the time she wrote this commentary, she was home on leave in

Florida attending her daughter's high

school graduation.

They are proud to be learning

from us and eager to help in the

battle against the handful of insurgents making life miserable in Iraq.

DoD employee shares

frustration over news

coverage from Iraq

and points out positive

side of mission

Editor in Chief

Staff Sgt. Christopher Land

Managing Editor

Sgt. Brian Stockhoff

Staff

Spc. Jeffrey Hillery 

Marine Cpl. Craig Stowell

MNF-I Commanding General

Gen. George Casey

MNF-I PAO

Rear Adm. Gregory J. Slavonic

Command Information Chief

Capt. Patrick A. Swan 

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

paper are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the U.S. Government or Department of

Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office of

the Multi-National Force - Iraq. Stars and Stripes newspaper is not affiliated with MNF-I and acts only

as a distributing source for the Scimitar. Questions and comments should be directed to the editor at

cpiccmdinfo@baghdadforum.com.

The Scimitar welcomes columns, commentaries and letters from readers.

Send submissions to

cpiccmdinfo@baghdadforum.com.

We reserve the right to edit for propriety, 

clarity and space.

The Scimitar can also 

be viewed on the web at

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/

coalition-news/publications.htm
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Fifty

Iraqi veterinarians hired by the

5th Brigade Combat Team of

the 1st Cavalry Division began

giving vaccinations to farm

animals during the Al Rashid

District Animal Health Project

here June 20.

The $156,000 project to provide deworming and vaccinations to more than 50,000 animals kicked off in an open

field, where the animal health

team oversaw the first day of

the two-to-three month mission.

“We’re doing this project for

a few reasons,” said 1st Lt.

Chip Cole, the 5 BCT animal

health officer. “There is an

abundance of veterinarians

without jobs. The second thing

is these animals are being eaten

up by internal parasites. The

third is the borders are open

and there are all of these animals coming in with pathogens,

so we started vaccinating them

against common diseases to

sustain the herd that is here.”

Cole, an experienced farmer

with a bachelor's degree in animal science, and Staff Sgt.

Barry Winehart, a high school

agriculture teacher, were tasked

to work with the “Red Team”

as the animal-health team.

“They told me they were

having problems with their irrigation, and I wanted to do

something about it,” Cole said.

“We ended up doing a full

analysis and [found] out what

was wrong and how to fix it.”

While the vaccinations and

irrigation projects are already

underway, there are a number

of other projects the two would

like to start to improve the

farming and agriculture of Al

Rashid.

“We would like to supply

them with some certified seed

to introduce a wider gene pool

of corn, barley and wheat,”

Cole said. “Their seed is so

inbred that it won’t germinate,

and if it does it puts out a very

low yield.”

The narrow gene pool that is

crippling the crop production is

similar to the problem affecting

the livestock in the area, Cole

said.

“Were also looking at a way

to improve the milk production

of the cows, but they are so

inbred they only produce a

quarter of what they should,”

Cole said. “The cheapest and

easiest way to do this is ship

over bull semen and artificially

inseminate the cows.”

These projects, along with

the implementation of herbicides, insecticides and a renovation of a local slaughterhouse

are all future projects that will

improve Iraqi agriculture and

food production, the soldiers

said. They expect the projects

to improve the economy and

improve the quality of life for

the Iraqi people. 

“If you help the people with

their animals, that’s a big portion of their lives,” Winehart

said. “They may have one cow

or they may have four or five,

but they can’t afford to lose

one, so this improves their

home life and the future of

their children.”

July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 5

Story and photo by 

Pfc. Al Barrus

122nd Mobile Public

Affairs Detachment

An Iraqi veterinarian hired by the 5th Brigade Combat Team starts off his first day of

work vaccinating animals in Al Rashid by administering a deworming injection to a

Holstein cow. He is one of 50 veterinarians in the Al Rashid Animal Health Project.

Soldiers, vets give agriculture boost

TUNIS, Iraq — With only days remaining until Iraqi

sovereignty was restored, multinational forces worked

doggedly to ensure that those who took the mantle of

Iraqi security were properly trained.

Working with a platoon of Iraqi National Guard

troops, Soldiers of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 153rd

Infantry, 39th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry

Division conducted a patrol in an area commonly known

as “the fish market” June 20.

“Our mission tonight is twofold,” said 1st Lt. Keith

Wilson, the Company B commander. “First, any mission

we can get the [ING] involved with us gives them an

opportunity to gain experience they normally wouldn’t

have. Plus, it allows Iraqi citizens to see them working

with us and fosters the sense that Iraqis are the ones

patrolling the areas, keeping things safe as we reduce

our footprint. Second, we’re conducting an information

operations campaign. My Soldiers are handing out stickers and comic books to the kids as well as just talking to

the citizens of this area, getting an idea of their views

and opinions.”

During the operation, members of the ING set up

perimeter security and traffic control points.

“Earlier today we had these guys out zeroing their

weapons and going over basic rifle marksmanship,” said

Sgt. Patrick Lemley, a company radio operator, for 3-

153. “Everything we can do to get them ready to run

missions without us we are going to do.”

As their ING counterparts maintained security,

Soldiers of 3-153 walked about the area, mobbed by

children eager for the comic books and stickers the

Soldiers were handing out.

“The kids really love us here,” said Mikal Brooks of

Company B, 3-153. “Basically, this whole area is positive to neutral about the multinational force. Us being

out here, interacting with them, just the face-to-face type

of engagements helps to change their opinion and make

them more positive toward us. Engaging children really

helps, too. Iraqis have a real deep love of their children,

and when they see us giving them stuff and having a

good time with them, it goes a long way.”

Aside from the positive reaction of the children, local

shop owners and residents of the area also received the

joint patrol warmly.

“It’s great to see Iraqis being a part of this,” said one

shopkeeper as he came out to interact with the Soldiers.

“It really gives us hope for the future, seeing Iraqis

doing this.”

After patrolling the area for about an hour, the joint

patrol mounted up and convoyed back to Forward

Operating Base Gunslinger.

“I really think this mission was a big success,” Wilson

said. “We were able to interact with the citizens of the

area and show them their security forces in action.

That’s a win-win situation for all of us.”

Story and photos by Cpl. Benjamin Cossel

122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Joint patrol fosters community relations

1st Lt. Keith Wilson, the commander of Company

B, 3rd Battalion 153rd Infantry, 39th Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division speaks with

residents of the Tunis neighborhood during a

joint patrol with the Iraqi National Guard June 20. 

Soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard and

Company B, 3rd Battalion 153rd Infantry, 39th

Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division perform a joint patrol in an area of Tunis more commonly known as "the fish market" June 20.
Page 6 Scimitar July 9, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Lead elements of

the Iraqi Intervention Force’s 2nd

Battalion began operations here June 25,

in coordination with multinational forces

in an undisclosed area of the city as one

of the first directions of the Iraqi Ministry

of Defense.

The all-volunteer force spent several

months training in counter-insurgency

operations.

The unit will conduct security patrols in

the city as part of the Iraqi security forces'

continuing mission to provide security to

the citizens of Iraq. The balance of the

battalion will join these lead elements in

the next few weeks with the remaining IIF

Brigade forces — another eight battalions

deploying throughout the country in July

and August. Two more battalions will join

the 2nd Battalion in Baghdad.

The battalion is the Iraqi army’s first

deployed and operational battalion. 

“This is a significant step in the security

of this nation,” said Army Col. James

Mulvenna, the chief of staff for the

Coalition Military Assistance Training

Team. “This is the culmination of training

and months of efforts. This unit is proven

— they have been operating successfully

for months and making an impact in their

areas of operation by removing weapons

off the streets, conducting patrols, manning checkpoints and capturing [wanted

individuals].”

CMATT, the military branch of the

Multinational Security Transition

Command-Iraq, is specifically tasked with

training, equipping and mentoring the

Iraqi armed forces.

Advisor support team members of the

multinational force will continue to advise

and assist the unit as well as help coordinate operations with multinational forces.

The unit will be tasked out through its

Iraqi chain-of-command in coordination

with the multinational force.

An Iraqi soldier from the Iraqi Intervention Force trains at Taji Military

Training Base in May. Elements of the IIF have deployed to Baghdad as part

of the Iraqi government's first operational military maneuver. 

By Sgt. Jared Zabaldo

Office of Security Transition 

Public Affairs

First Iraqi army battalion

deploys to Baghdad

Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, U.S. Air Force

Iraqi Intervention Force looks to secure

future with the help of multinational forces

BAGHDAD, Iraq — “Putting

megawatts on the grid” has been the mantra

of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ electrical

infrastructure rebuilding efforts in Iraq,

and that’s what USACE and Iraqis are

doing at the Qudas Power Plant north of

Baghdad.

USACE and representatives of the new

Iraqi government marked the progress of

that effort June 26.

“This is a very important project that will

contribute electricity to Iraq and is another

step forward in rebuilding Iraq and restarting services,” said Prime Minister Ayad

Allawi. “It is a present to the Iraqi people

from the United States executed by the

engineering corps of the U.S. military. We

are very appreciative and [give] thanks for

the efforts that have gone into this project.”

The Qudas project consists of six new

generators which will ultimately add 422

megawatts of new power generation to the

national Iraqi power grid - almost a 10 percent increase to the current level. The first

of these six generators, unit 3, is completing commissioning and punch list processes

and is slated to be online within a few

weeks. The remaining generators are

scheduled to be completed by the end of

August.

The $145 million Qudas project, executed under a contract with Fluor, and using

hundreds of local Iraqi workers, is one of

more than three dozen new generation,

rehabilitated generation, transmission, distribution or switching projects managed by

the Restore Iraqi Electricity Directorate of

the Gulf Region, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers.

Currently the national capacity is near

4800 MW. It reached an all-time peak in

mid-June by surpassing 4900 MW for the

first time in a generatio. However, as

capacity has increased, so has the demand

as more Iraqis purchase air conditioners,

freezers and other appliances as markets

have opened under the liberation. 

Aiham Alsammarae, the minister of electricity, was also on hand to unveil the new

project and touted the continued effort to

improve the electrical capacity of Iraq.

Since September, the RIE effort has

added more than 1300 MW to the national

grid and is on track to add a total of 2000

MW by the end of summer despite attacks

on the infrastructure.

The “forces of evil” in Iraq have been

trying to hurt the infrastructure and civilians, said Allawi. “The forces of evil will

not win,” he said.

“I would like to thank the United States,

the leadership of the United States and

President Bush for help and [providing]

assistance that you can see here in this very

important project,” Allawi said.

Maj. Gen. Ronald Johnson, commander

of the Gulf Region Division, was on hand

at the ceremony to represent the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers in recognition of the

country-wide effort.

By Thomas O'Hara

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Public Affairs

Iraq power grid gets boost

BASRAH, Iraq — Football

pitches will soon start springing

up around Basrah thanks to the

British soldiers of the 1st

Battalion, The Cheshire

Regiment.

Football — or soccer as it is

known in the United States — is

a passion for many children and

young adults in Iraq as it is in

much of the rest of the world

and is followed by most of the

population. 

The celebration following the

Iraqi football team's recent qualification win for the Olympics is

evidence of that.

Soldiers of the regiment have

been working on a project called

"Balls for Basrah" for the last

few months with the goal of

using this interest as a force for

good. 

Maj. Simon Wildgoose is in

charge of the initiative and said

he thinks it will provide an outlet for some of the city's youth.

"The scheme is attempting to

provide a community focus and

foster an attitude of teamwork,

sportsmanship and healthy competition throughout Basrah," he said. 

Forty areas around the city will

have been converted into sand

football pitches. 

These areas, which were originally waste ground, have been

cleared of rubble and rubbish,

graded and then covered with

sand. Goal posts will also be provided. 

To facilitate the use of these

pitches, 600 footballs and 1,100

football strips will be provided

to schools, youth groups and

community organizations.

These have already been purchased and are being printed

with the slogan, "The Future is

in Your Hands."

"Most of the work carried out

in Basrah so far has been directed towards infrastructure,”

Warrant Officer Sped Lydiate,

who is assisting with the provision of the scheme, said. "This

is an opportunity to provide

much needed recreation facilities for the city."

It is hoped that, as has happened so often in the past, the

medium of sport will provide

the common ground to allow

stronger links between multinational forces and the people of

Basrah, organizers said.

By Capt. Stuart Macaulay

1st Mechanized Brigade 

Public Affairs

‘Balls for Basrah’
July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 7

Iraq in Brief

Rockets found in June test negative for chemicals 

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Two rocket rounds found June 16 that

were tested and showed positive for Sarin have been determined to

be left over from the Iran-Iraq War.

An Iraqi civilian led Polish troops to the 122mm rockets he had

found in Al Hillah. 

Because of the deteriorated state of the rounds and the small

quantity of remaining agent, the rounds were determined to have

limited to no impact if used by insurgents against multinational

forces.

The source led Soldiers to 16 more 122mm rockets over a period

from June 23-26. Those 16 rounds were all empty and tested negative for any type of chemicals. 

Iraqi National Guard thwarts suicide attack

TIKRIT, Iraq — Iraqi National Guard personnel manning a

checkpoint in Baqubah Monday thwarted a suicide bomber attack

intended to kill the Soldiers and bystanders.

At approximately 9:50 a.m. two potential suicide bombers wearing vests rigged with explosives approached the checkpoint in a

vehicle threatening to detonate the explosives. The vehicle contained a car bomb.

The ING blocked the checkpoint with one of their vehicles and

engaged the vehicle, killing the suicide bombers before they and

their car bomb could be detonated. As a result of the engagement,

the vehicle caught fire.

The ING retrieved five 105-millimeter rounds from the vehicle

as it burned.

One bystander was injured and taken to the Baqubah General

Hospital for treatment.

Tongans join Marines in Al Anbar Province

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq — Approximately 45 Royal Marines

from the Kingdom of Tonga arrived in Iraq to augment the I

Marine Expeditionary Force in the Al Anbar Province, marking the

first peacekeeping deployment for the Tongan Defense Service

outside of the South Pacific. 

“The 1st Marine Division welcomes the addition of the Tongan

Royal Marines to our forces,” said Col. Stephen Baker, the commanding officer of Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division —

the unit the Tongans will be augmenting. “We are thankful for their

country's commitment to help us bring security and stability to the

Iraqis in the Al Anbar Province and we look forward to working

with them.”

The Royal Marines are members of a ready-reaction force and

will augment existing security for the 1st Marine Division

Headquarters at Camp Blue Diamond Main. The duration of their

deployment is unknown at this time. 

Tonga announced its decision to join in the fight against global

terrorism June 15. 

Soldiers uncover VBIED production site, cache

BAGHDAD, Iraq — 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers recently

uncovered a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device production

site as well as a large weapons cache in southern Baghdad. 

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry Regiment discovered four potential VBIED vehicles in various stages of completion

and three safes containing more than 12 million Iraqi Dinar and

various documents and ledgers. 

The search also turned up five AK-47 rifles, approximately 500

rounds, various timers, computer boards, wires and one sight for a

rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Three individuals were taken in

for questioning. 

Iraqi citizen turns in mines

TIKRIT, Iraq — An Iraqi citizen turned in 110 anti-personnel

mines and two anti-tank mines to the 1st Infantry Division June 26. 

Soldiers secured the mines for destruction. 

Vaccination policies updated

The Department of Defense

announced new policies June

30 about the anthrax and

smallpox vaccination programs

that include selected units within the U. S. Pacific Command,

additional personnel now serving with the U.S. Central

Command and selected other

groups of individuals.

William Winkenwerder Jr., a

physician and the assistant secretary of defense for health

affairs, announced the change.

“The decision to protect

additional personnel with these

vaccines reflects our concern

for their health and safety as

well as the continuity of essential operations,” said

Winkenwerder. “When we

began these vaccination programs, we stated that we would

periodically review them, evaluating the threats to our forces

and vaccine availability. We

recently completed such an

evaluation and determined that

the threat continues. In light of

our successful implementation

of these programs and the

increased quantities of vaccine,

we will include additional

forces in the vaccination programs.”

Vaccination offers an extra

layer of protection, in addition

to antibiotics and other measures, that is needed for members of the armed forces, emergency-essential DoD civilians

and contractor personnel carrying out mission-essential services. 

The program update will continue to include personnel

assigned or deployed to the

selected units for 15 or more

consecutive days. DoD will

offer the vaccinations to family

members in these geographic

areas on a voluntary basis and

will pursue vaccination, subject

to appropriate personnel and

contractor procedures, of emergency-essential civilian

employees and comparable

contractor personnel in those

geographic areas.

DoD continues to reserve a

portion of the vaccine supply

for contingency use by other

federal agencies. The Office of

Homeland Security heads the

planning effort among federal

agencies for use of the vaccine.

Anthrax remains one of the

top biological-warfare threats

to U.S. troops, according to

DoD. Vaccination is the safest

and most reliable way to protect

U. S. Forces from a potential

threat that is highly lethal, even

with early treatment. Since

June 2002, DoD has vaccinated

more than 750,000 service

members with more than 2.2

million doses of anthrax vaccine. Refusals among service

members leading to separations

from the service have been

extremely rare since 2002, with

a rate of four per 100,000 persons vaccinated.

Because of its contagiousness,

smallpox is also considered a top

biological-warfare threat. It can

cause a severe rash covering the

whole body that can leave permanent scars, high fever, severe

headaches or backaches.

Smallpox infection kills about

three out of ten people infected.

This disease, as a bioweapon,

can generate significant consequences and critically interrupt

military operations. Since

December 2002, DoD has vaccinated more than 625,000 service

members.

DoD continues to work with

the Department of Health and

Human Services, using a new

federal coordinating committee

and the Bioshield Legislation to

prioritize and develop new and

better vaccines and other medical countermeasures for biological threats to civilians and

the military.

More information about the

Anthrax Vaccine Immunization

Program is at

http://www.anthrax.mil/.

Information on the Smallpox

Vaccination Program is at

http://www.smallpox.mil.

Submitted by the

Department of Defense

U.S. Marines raise the

American flag at the new

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

June 30.

“It has been 13 years since

the American flag was lowered at the United States

Embassy in Baghdad on a

day as dark as today is

bright,” said the new U.S

Ambassabor to Iraq, John D.

Negroponte, during a brief

ceremony marking the occasion. “This afternoon we

have the honor to once

again see Old Glory back

where she belongs.

Wherever one is able to

reopen an embassy, of

course, it is a high privilege,

but nowhere more so than

here in Iraq.”

‘Old Glory’

in Baghdad

Lt. Col. Dan Epright, U.S. Air Force
Page 8 Scimitar July 9, 2004

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq — U.S.

Sailors and Iraqis with a stake in Iraq’s

future worked together to build a tent city

here.

Naval Construction Battalion 74 and the

Fallujah Brigade recently constructed the

tent camp near Fallujah for the brigade, a

security force made up of Iraqis dedicated

to maintaining security in Fallujah. 

The goal was for the construction battalion team members, or Seabees to execute

the project while the Fallujah Brigade provided security, and then to have a local contractor finish the tent camp. 

Because of a challenging security environment, NMCB 74’s goal was to complete

the project in two weeks. The project called

for 82 tents, three of which were to be used

as shower tents. Nearly one thousand members of the Fallujah Brigade could be quartered there.

While tents and the floors were completed daily, shower tents were also built.

“I think the Iraqis will appreciate having

a nice hot shower,” said Seaman Jeffery

Napier, who helped construct the three

shower tents, each of which included six

sinks and fourteen shower heads.

Besides working in extremely hot conditions, the crew of Seabees had to function

while wearing their protective vests and a

protective helmets. 

“That was a difficult task, but my fellow

Seabees had a great attitude about the

whole subject. Not once did my crew complain. I made sure everybody stayed hydrated, and they took charge and completed

what had to be done,” said Petty Officer 1st

Class Brian Jenkins, one of the project

supervisors.

At first, the Fallujah Brigade troops were

reluctant to get involved in the project.

“By the third day of the project, I think

the Iraqis realized that we weren’t going to

abandon them,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class

Jesus Chalambaga, one of the Seabees on

the project. “We were risking our lives to

build a base camp so they would have a

suitable place to stage their forces and,

before we knew it, some of them were

working side by side learning how to construct the floors and assemble tents. Seeing

that made me realize for the first time that

this country could be different. Iraq could

be a stable country if only the people really

strive for the change.”

Story and photos by

Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Powell

1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Tenting teamwork

Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 and Iraqis

work together to build a tent camp for the Fallujah Brigade in Central Iraq.

Petty Officer First Class Curtis Hust, assigned to Naval Mobile

Construction Battalion 74, drives tent stakes into asphalt with a sledge

hammer. NMCB 74 built a tent camp for the Iraqi Fallujah Brigade in

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. 

Seaman Dustin Kindler cuts two-by-fours for the floor frame of a tent.

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 was tasked with constructing

a tent camp for the Iraqi Fallujah Brigade. 

Iraqis assigned to the Fallujah Brigade stand watch to help secure Naval

Mobile Construction Battalion 74's tent project. NMCB 74 helped construct

the tent camp to house the Fallujah Brigade in central Iraq. 
July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 9

CAMP MAHMUDIYAH,

Iraq — Patrols are a dangerous business in Mahmudiyah,

but they just got safer for

Marines of 2nd Battalion, 2nd

Marine Regiment thanks to a

whole lot of rolling steel.

When the Camp Lejeune,

N.C.-based Marines moved

back here, they brought with

them the 70-ton titans of the

battlefield — M-1A1 Abrams

tanks. 

A detachment from 1st

Tank Battalion's Company B

joined the infantry Marines

for the move. 

“If we can save a Marine's

life by leveling a building so

he doesn't have to go into it,

we’ve done our job,” said 1st

Lt. Matthew A. Stiger, a 25-

year-old tank platoon commander from Colorado

Springs, Colo. “The Army

had a lot of success with

tanks here, so we're using

them hoping to experience

the same results.”

Part of the success of using

tanks in the area comes from

the lasting effects of Saddam

Hussein’s regime, Stiger said.

The regime used its tanks as

symbols of power. The

Abrams tanks have a similar

effect on Iraqi insurgents

today.

“It’s kind of a letdown

when we get called to a firefight,” Stiger said. “When

[opposing forces] see our

tanks, they usually scatter.”

Infantrymen are glad to

have the tanks along, they

said. Bringing a 120-millimeter smoothbore cannon capable of striking the enemy at

4,000 meters makes the tank

a “howitzer with treads.”

“It’s great having them out

here,” said Lance Cpl. Jaime

A Hurtado, a 21-year-old

Company G rifleman from

Queens, N.Y. 

“Instead of waiting to go

through all the channels to

call for a fire mission, we’ve

got the tanks right there with

us,” he said. “The bad guys

know they're about to get

[messed] up when they see

the tanks rolling in. We’re

really glad they’re here to

help us.”

The infantry is focused on

keeping the major supply

route near their camp open.

This allows supplies to make

their way into major cities

like Baghdad and Fallujah.

The tanks are key tools to the

success of that mission

because of their presence,

their firepower and the punishment they can take.

“One day we were

ambushed, and insurgents

shot thirteen rocket-propelled

grenades at one tank,” Stiger

explained. “No one inside the

tank was injured. That’s our

company’s record for the fire

a tank has taken.”

The durability of the tanks

is due to the thick sheet of

armor surrounding the beast.

This makes it a heavy and

dangerous weapon, even from

the inside.

“Anything you do wrong

with a tank could kill you,”

explained Lance Cpl. Victor

F. Lopez, a 21-year-old tank

crewman from Seattle. “The

gun has a 13-inch recoil on it,

so if you're not in the right

spot inside the tank when it

fires, it could take your head

off. It’s a big machine with a

bunch of human parts operating it. We all have to be careful and act as a team at all

times.”

Lopez said he respects the

tank he helps control and

enjoys his work. 

Although temperatures

inside can reach more than

110 degrees on a hot day, the

tankers said they still wouldn’t trade their jobs with the

infantrymen on the ground.

“We have a saying,” Lopez

said. “‘We don’t carry our

weapon, our weapon carries

us.’”

Tank crewmen practice

their trade repeatedly until

they do their jobs in one

smooth movement. Lopez

said they can identify a target, load and fire a round in a

matter of seconds.

Being quick and accurate is

what the infantrymen count

on the tanks to do. The tank

crewmen work hard to be an

asset to the battalion.

“With our heavy machine

guns and tanks, the enemy

would have to be stupid to

mess with us,” Hurtado said.

Lance Cpl. Timothy E. Foshay, a rifleman with Company G,

2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, provides security for

his vehicle during a patrol. He wasn't alone this time,

though. Close by was a 70-ton, M-1A1 Abrams tank.

Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division attached

to the task force to help provide security to the nearby supply route. The tanks are a welcome sight to the Marines who

appreciate the psychological and tactical impact the tanks

have on enemy forces.

Marines roll through Mahmudiyah

with 70-ton titans behind them

Story and photos by 

Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

1st Marine Division 

Public Affairs

An M-1A1 Abrams tank crew settles in for the evening during a patrol. Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division is attached to 2nd

Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment to provide security on a supply route. The tank stands vigil on the side of the road to guard against attacks.

There is a new presence on the roads near Mahmudiyah.

Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division attached

to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment to help protect the

roads and bridges to keep supply lines open. Here an M-1A1

Abrams tank crew posts security on the supply route.
Page 10 Scimitar July 9, 2004

TRAVEL Continued from Page Three

mail. The e-mail address is dfasinrrleave@dfas.mil. The regular mail address

is DFAS-IN, Contingency Travel Operations,

Department 3900, ATTN:R&R Leave, 8899

East 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46249-

3900.

Travel claim documentation should include:

— A completed Department of Defense

Form 1351-2, Travel Voucher.

— A copy of leave documentation

(Department of the Army Form 31 or R&R

leave order) containing a fund cite.

— A copy of the airline ticket, ticket receipt

or airline travel itinerary that shows the

Soldier — not an Army fund cite — paid for

the ticket.

Soldiers who no longer have copies of their

airline ticket or ticket receipt are encouraged

to contact the airlines from which they bought

their onward-travel-connecting flight tickets.

Soldiers who have lost copies and are

unable to get other copies of required documentation can submit a lost documentation

statement with their travel voucher. That

statement must contain the eligible Soldier’s

name, social security number, leave dates, the

name of the onward travel airline used, final

destination airport name and the cost of the

ticket.

For more information on the CENTCOM

R&R Program, visit www.armyg1.army-

.mil/wellbeing/rrleave/index.htm.

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

news and information is online. Check out

www.mnf-iraq.com to stay informed.

FICA

Continued from Page Three

He said employers may

file an amended tax return,

using Form 941 to seek

proper adjustment under

special rules of Section 6413

of the Internal Revenue

Code and Treasury

Regulations 31.6413(a)-2. 

Under this procedure, the

employer would receive not

only the employee’s share of

the erroneously paid FICA

tax, but also the employer’s

share, he explained. 

“Employers should want

to do this, since they would

get their half of the FICA tax

back, as well,” he added. 

However, Spruell further

explained that if the employer declines to reimburse the

FICA, the Guard or Reserve

member may file a refund

claim using IRS Form 843. 

“They will still need to

contact the employer and get

a statement that the employer is not seeking reimbursement of the FICA taxes,” he

said. 

Spruell noted that if the

employer is unable or

unwilling to file the tax

forms, the Guard and

Reserve members can obtain

forms from the IRS. And he

advised that it would also be

helpful to consult a tax

expert. 

“If I had not been

researching this to give the

presentation to make it thorough, I probably would not

have thought about it,”

Scattene said. Refunds could

range from a few hundred

dollars to several thousand,

depending on income, he

added. 

“This appears to be fairly

widespread,” he said.

“There are probably a lot of

people who are not getting

this money in their pockets.” 

Since Sept. 11, 2001,

some 360,000 members of

the National Guard and

Reserve have been mobilized to support the global

war on terrorism, including

operations in Afghanistan

and Iraq. 

WASHINGTON — The sight of

Saddam Hussein facing justice before an

Iraqi court shows Air Force Gen. Richard

B. Myers that the Iraqi people are moving

down the road to democracy. 

Speaking on PBS’ Lehrer Report July

1, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

Staff said the Iraqi people are now in

charge in the country. “The Iraqi government is taking charge of their own affairs;

they have Saddam Hussein, 11 of the senior former regime leaders there all being

arraigned today, and I think ... it’s a great

picture,” Myers said. 

He said he thought the handover has

gone very well, but he is realistic. “I’ve

got to say, though, the challenges are not

over,” he said. “There are people who do

not want Iraq to make any progress.” 

He anticipates “a rocky road” ahead for

the Iraqi government, but said reports

from the country indicate the Iraqis are

“very upbeat, very positive, very optimistic about the future.” 

Security remains the biggest challenge

facing the new government and multinational forces. Myers noted that the multinational forces will provide security and,

more importantly, the training and equipment for Iraqi security forces to take on

the security mission. 

The chairman said that as Iraqi security

forces become more proficient, the status

of multinational forces in Iraq will

change, but that change will be gradual.

“It’s relatively calm (in Iraq) right now,

but that’s probably short term,” he said.

He said there are still threats in the country. 

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – the Jordanian

terrorist affiliated with al Qaeda – and his

group have launched deadly attacks

against the United Nations, the Iraqi government, the multinational forces and the

Iraqi people. “He is not going to give up,”

Myers said. “He’s going to fight this until

the end. 

Myers said the relationship between the

interim government and the multinational

force is now a partnership. The new government has a national security committee

and has liaisons with each level of command. “We see it as a partnership where

we will agree on the security situation in

a particular place, and then we’ll decide

how we’ll act,” Myers said. 

“Obviously the first choice is that Iraqis

take care of the situation themselves, like

they did in Mosul during the unrest in

April. Iraqis did all that with U.S. forces

standing by in case they wanted them, but

it was the ... Mosul government, the

police force there in Mosul, the Iraqi

National Guard that quelled that violence.

So it’ll be a partnership. There will be a

lot of give and take I’m sure.” 

No one has a “veto” over operations,

Myers said. Operations “will be worked

out like it is in Afghanistan, essentially

how we work in Afghanistan today,” he

said. “There are proposals sometimes

from the (President Hamid) Karzai government that U.S. forces do this. And

those become a partnership item that we

work out together.” 

Myers said any change in the status of

U.S. troops in Iraq will be gradual. “This

is not going to be a dramatic moment

where one moment we’re there, the next

moment we’re not,” he said. “This will be

gradual over time as Iraqi forces become

more capable, better equipped, well-led,

with a very good chain of command that

goes all the way up to the political level in

Iraq. 

“Over time, they’ll start to replace U.S.

forces certainly, and we’ll do it by priority, by sector. We worry about Baghdad.

We worry about other cities, the infrastructure, protecting the key personnel in

the interim Iraqi government. All of that

will be taken into account, but it will be

gradual over time.”

Saddam in court 

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service 

Proceedings show Iraq on road to democracy

combat veteran who’s focused

on “the issue of tough, realistic

training” across the force. To

illustrate, Peake described his

recent visit to a medical training

site in San Antonio. 

“We’re putting in a live-fire

range for convoys,” Peake

explained, “so that the medics

and the combat service supporters” get a more realistic feel for

wartime operations. 

“We do want to take care of

our soldiers,” Peake said, noting

combat can occur anywhere on

today’s nonlinear battlefields. 

Citing recent Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention

research, Winkenwerder noted

that some people seem more predisposed to develop depression,

anxiety or post-traumatic stress

disorders as a result of negative

childhood experiences. 

“Is there a point,”

Winkenwerder asked, “at

which one could intervene during late adolescence or during

early accession time into the

armed services to begin to ...

build mental resiliency? We’re

looking at what might be able

to do that.”

MENTAL Continued from Page Two
July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 11

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq

— Green is often called the

color of hope. 

One small patch of it here —

an island in a sea of tan — is

giving some Iraqis and Marines

just that.

Setting itself apart from the

rest of the scenery here with its

lush emerald lawn, a locally

owned and operated market and

restaurant serves as a hangout

for both Iraqis and Americans. 

During the day, it resembles a

traditional Middle Eastern market, called a “souk”. The scent

of Iraqi cooking floats through

the air while vendors bake flat

bread in an outside oven, paint

portraits and sell everything

from bicycles to old money

adorned with Saddam Hussein’s

face.

However, when darkness settles and sight is clouded, the

grass becomes a cushion for

souls. Stores shut their doors

and nightlife emerges.

The area transforms at night

when lights, left unlit during the

day, illuminate the perimeter

with a dazzling array of colors.

For some Marines, the market

is an after-hours hangout. When

work ends for the day, they go

in small groups to relax, drink

tea, play music and catch up

with buddies. For at least a few

hours, they are not in Iraq; they

are in a friend’s backyard having a get-together.

The troops, mostly from the

1st Force Service Support

Group and the 3rd Marine

Aircraft Wing, aren’t the only

ones to enjoy this time off. The

men who work at the market are

also ready to relax at the end of

the day.

Iraqis and Marines often sit

together. They share food,

drinks and as much conversation as the language barrier

allows.

The Marines enjoy the opportunity to soak in the Middle

Eastern culture.

“I think it’s important for all

of us to understand each other a

little better,” said Lance Cpl.

Claude A. Swain. “That way

there is not as much of a mystery.”

Swain, a 29-year-old resident

of Washington, D.C., comes to

the market more often than most

to play a guitar bought there and

chat with locals and friends.

It wasn’t the same when U.S.

troops first moved onto the base

and the workers initially set up

shop. Language and cultural

barriers intimidated both the

Iraqis and the service members.

At that time, neither group trusted the other, said a Marine

Corps translator with the 1st

FSSG.

One worker named Waleed

said that when coalition forces

first entered Iraq last year, he

opposed the invasion. He said

he knew only what the local television news told him — that

imperialistic Americans were

coming to take over.

With time, trust grew and preconceived notions were shattered. 

After he started working on

base, he began to understand

what America’s mission was,

and he started sympathizing

with and caring about the troops

here.

Now the Marines feel like his

family, he said. He has begun to

pick up English and helps to

teach some of the Marines

Arabic.

Paving positive relationships

with Iraq’s young people now

could influence how they view

Americans in years to come and

vice versa.

“This is the young generation,

the future of Iraq,” said Staff

Sgt. Damion C. Martin, 28, a

reservist from Elizabeth City,

N.C., whose frequent visits to

the restaurant helped cultivate a

friendship with Waleed. “I look

at him, and I see my brother,

myself and my friend.”

Despite the positive atmosphere, ghosts of Saddam’s

regime still lurk. Members of

Waleed’s family were killed by

the dictator’s henchmen.

Another worker was a tank gunner in the Iraqi army until he

was thrown in jail for taking a

week off to visit his family.

Former soldiers often come

to work for the Americans,

said Gunnery Sgt. Gregg A.

Smith, 39, the camp operations

chief and a Wahoo, Neb.,

native. Many military jobs

went away when the country’s

army was disbanded.

Like U.S. troops, the workers

are from different parts of their

country. Usually divided,

Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and

Christians all work and live

together here.

The workers live in tents

behind the marketplace and only

leave the base to visit their families every few weeks.

Traveling to and from U.S.

camps is dangerous for Iraqis.

Nevertheless, they still come to

work. The growing bond

between the two cultures represents a sign of hope for both

sides.

“I think in 10 years Iraq will

be — good,” said Waleed, pausing to find the right word in

English.

Other installations in Iraq

may soon see a market like this

pop up in their backyards. 

The manager here, who owns

a prominent restaurant in

Baghdad, is considering opening a souk at Camp Fallujah.

Troops, Iraqis relax

together at native nook

Story and photo by 

Lance Cpl. Samuel 

Bard Valliere

1st Force Service Support

Group Public Affairs

Pvt. Patrick Michalik, 19, a machine-gunner with the

Army's 1462nd Transportation Company, plays chess at

an Iraqi-run restaurant and market at Camp Taqaddum,

Iraq. The eatery serves authentic local cuisine to Marines,

Sailors and Soldiers hungry to learn about the local culture. For some service members, the market is also the

after-hours hot spot. When work ends for the day, they go

in groups to hang out with the locals, relax, drink tea, play

music and catch up with buddies. The manager, who owns

a prominent restaurant in Baghdad, is considering opening similar souk at Camp Fallujah. 

MOSUL, Iraq — The five Soldiers

who make up the fire support team for

Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry

Regiment re-enlisted in the same fashion

they have performed every mission to

date in Iraq: together. On June 20, the

Soldiers raised their right hands in one of

Saddam Hussein’s former palaces in

Mosul and committed to another term of

service.

“In all my years in the Army, I’ve

never seen an entire section re-enlist,”

said Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Peil, the

command sergeant major for the 1st

Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd

Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker

Brigade Combat Team). “They are making the statement that their experiences

in the Army were good and they’re willing to do it all over again.”

The FIST Soldiers have worked

together for two years.

“This unit is like a family to me,” said

Cpl. Robert Walls, a member of the

FIST, Company C. “To re-enlist while in

a combat zone is really special, but I

couldn’t have imagined doing it without

the rest of the guys.”

When they first enlisted, they said,

each Soldier had his own reason for joining. Walls, from Montgomery, Ala.,

joined the Army four years ago because

the military is a family tradition. Staff

Sgt. Cesar Valdez Jr. of Amarillo, Texas,

always wanted to be in the Army. Sgt.

Jason Dalton of Tacoma, Wash., served

in the Marine Corps for eight years

before transferring to the Army because

he just wanted a change. 

Despite their different backgrounds

and reasons for originally joining, the

FIST Soldiers all have one thing in common — their love for the Army. 

“We all had our reasons for re-enlisting, but when it came right down to it,

we all felt like it was the right thing to

do,” Dalton said. 

The Soldiers received signing bonuses

ranging from $8,000 to $10,000, but

Dalton said, “I would have re-upped

even if they didn’t give me a bonus. I

mean, I get paid to stay in shape and our

job is awesome.”

In a linear battlefield, where the

enemy is typically another country’s

army, the FIST Soldiers would provide

and call for indirect fire support for the

infantry units. In this type of unconventional front, the FIST Soldiers take on

different responsibilities than calling

for artillery. In Iraq, they face terrorists

who fire AK-47s and rocket propelled

grenades while hiding in crowds.

Dalton said they primarily control air

assets from the ground, determine the

source of enemy indirect fire and work

with the intelligence section to gather

enemy information.

“Every day, we have something exciting to do that we couldn’t experience

anywhere else,” Dalton said. “When I

think about it, I really love this job.”

Stryker Brigade Soldiers re-enlist as section

By Sgt. Fred Minnick

139th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachmnet
Page 12 Scimitar July 9, 2004

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq — The

Arabic language is an obstacle that many

Soldiers have to overcome to accomplish

their missions here in Iraq.

Contracted translators help ease this

problem by allowing Soldiers to communicate with the Iraqi people.

Spc. Ramy Elmery is sort of a contracted translator. He is able to interpret

the Arabic language, but unlike the typical contracted translator, he was first

contracted by the Army as an infantryman. 

Born in Egypt, Elmery, an infantryman

with Task Force Danger’s Task Force 1-

27 Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,

assists leaders of the task force in their

everyday meetings and humanitarian missions as an infantryman, translator and

cultural advisor.

Lt. Col. Scott Leith, the TF 1-27 Inf.

commander, often has Elmery by his side

during his missions and knows how vital

it is to have one of his Soldiers be able to

speak the local language.

“To have an American Soldier as an

interpreter is an asset that most people

don’t have. [Iraqi people] are more willing to talk to a Soldier than they are to [a

contracted] interpreter, especially if it’s

an interpreter from a different ethnicity,”

Leith said.

Elmery, 34, left Egypt in 1994 and

moved to Los Angeles. Following the

Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he thought it

was his duty to serve the United States

and joined the Army, he said

About a year and a half later, Elmery

was stationed at Schofield Barracks, HI,

where he received deployment orders for

Iraq.

“I loved it,” Elmery said when he first

heard of the deployment. “I had a feeling

that I would be helpful somehow and I

would be able to use my language.

That’s one of the reasons I joined the

Army.”

Maj. Jeff Butler, the TF 1-27 operations officer, found out about Elmery’s

language abilities before deploying and

gave him his first mission as the task

force’s translator.

“He let me put Arabic statements on a

board and teach them to the guys in the

[training and operations] shop,” Elmery

said. “I then made a little card for the

Soldiers that had Arabic words like, good

morning, thank you and please.”

Since then, Elmery has been an invaluable part of the task force as it continues

its missions here.

Elmery recounts one mission with

Alpha Company when he caught a translator interpreting the wrong information.

“One interpreter was lying to Alpha

Company, and he didn’t know I could

speak the language,” Elmery said.

“When I started talking to him in Arabic,

he was surprised and looked at me and

said, ‘You speak Arabic?’”

“I’ve heard the funniest comments,”

Elmery added. 

He said his most memorable mission

was when he traveled by helicopter to

Abu Gharib prison in Baghdad to transport a local sheik back home. The sheik

had been detained from supposedly bad

intelligence by an Iraqi informant seven

months before.

“It made a great impact on him that

somebody is talking in Arabic to him and

telling him, ‘Your family misses you,

and everyone is telling us how important

you are to their community’,” Elmery

reminisced.

Overall, Elmery said, he has enjoyed

his job of being able to speak his first

language and serve his new country at

the same time. 

One of most important messages that

he helps relay to the Iraqi people is the

multinational force’s purpose here.

“I help get the point across that we are

not here as occupiers but as liberators,”

Elmery said.

Leith said he believes it’s less difficult

for Elmery to get this message out to

Iraqi people than it is for other interpreters.

“I think it’s easier for him to be effective because he is seen as an American

Soldier. And I’m not wondering whether

it is translated correctly or not because

he is part of the task force,” Leith said.

Leith also compliments Elmery’s personality. Elmery, who is “a big, friendly

guy”, helps the Iraqi people open up to

Soldier’s native language proves useful 

Story and photo by 

Spc. Sean Kimmons

25th Infantry Division (Light)

Public Affairs

BAGHDAD, Iraq — It wasn’t just another

recruiting day for the Iraqi National Guard at Eagle

Forward Operating Base here — it also marked a

change in how the 306th ING Battalion conducts its

affairs.

Iraqi civilians crowded into a room at the battalion

headquarters June 20 hoping for a chance to join the

thousands of men and women who are already serving their country.

“What’s different about today is that the battalion

personnel office is handling the whole affair,” said

1st Lt. Lael Eason, an ING adviser with the 1st

Cavalry’s Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion, 5th

Cavalry Regiment.

“What we found in the past was that we were

doing a lot of the work,” Eason said. “Today, we are

emphasizing that their leadership play a part in the

recruiting process to help strengthen their battalion.”

Initially, a recruit is required to go through a

screening process. The process includes submitting

both personal background information and a denunciation of the Ba’ath Party.

“After the paperwork has been filled out, they are

called back in about a week and get interviewed by

the battalion commander and staff, and, if they are

accepted, they are then given a medical checkup

before they begin two weeks of basic recruit training,” Eason said.

Recruits said they want to serve in the ING for a

variety of reasons.

“The money is good, but I do this for my family

and my father who died in the war with Iran,” said

one Iraqi volunteer. 

In addition to the opportunity to serve their country, there are monetary incentives.

“The new recruits will receive $150 a month and

free medical care if they are wounded in combat,”

Capt. Darrell Gayle, an ING staff liaison officer for

Headquarters Company, 2-5 Cav. said. “If they get

killed, their spouse receives the equivalent of one

year’s salary plus a monthly stipend.”

Gayle said the battalion commander of the 306th

talked to local sheiks and brought in 50 recruits to

the center. 

“We’ve been trying to recruit from outside Sadr

City as best as possible because the local recruits

have friends and family here and it’s hard to get them

out on missions,” Eason said.

Currently, the 306th ING is actively pursuing volunteers to bring their ranks up to full strength. 

“As a result of both the recruiting methods and

training standards we’ve put in place, the [ING]

are getting better and better,” Eason said. “We get

lots of compliments from the line platoons that

work with them.”

By Sgt. Dan Purcell

122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Iraqi National Guard fills its ranks

Spc. Ramy Elmery, an infantryman with Task Force Danger’s Task Force

1-27, helps his unit by interpreting. Elmery, a native of Egypt, joined the

army following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 13

AL ASAD, Iraq — When it

comes to airborne weapons and

ammunition, Marine Corps

squadrons flying missions over

western Iraq in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom depend

on one squadron.

The “Forerunners” of Marine

Aviation Logistics Squadron 16,

Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd

Marine Aircraft Wing are responsible for the repairs, maintenance

and testing of the group’s aircraft

weaponry as well as the building,

testing and supply of the group’s

ammunition.

Based in multiple locations

across the 3rd MAW area of

operations, MALS-16 provides

ammunition to the Marine

squadrons flying in the Al Anbar

province of Iraq, said Cpl. Tom

Y. Yabe, an ammunition stock

recording clerk, with MALS-16.

“Right now we are playing a

double role,” said the 21-year-old

from Renton, Wash. “Not only do

we issue ammunition to all the

squadrons here, but we also supply all the (forward operating

bases). We are accountable for all

the (Marine) aviation ordnance in

Iraq.”

Gunnery Sgt. Kevin O. Jones,

the assistant ordnance noncommissioned officer in charge for

MALS-16, said the squadron

supplies different kinds of munitions for a wide range of purposes.

“MALS-16 is here to support

all munitions requirements for

the aviation combat elements,

from cartridge-actuated devices

which are used in landing gear,

fire extinguishers and flight suits

to laser-guided missiles and

bombs used as bunker-busters

and tank destroyers,” said the 37-

year-old from Casa Grande, Ariz.

“Everybody thinks that these

bombs are ready-made, but that’s

not how it is,” explained Jones.

“We tailor-make them out here

from 500 pounders to 2000

pounders.”

Assistant maintenance NCOIC

for MALS-16 Sgt. Clyfford

Ashby said the Forerunners are

also qualified to take care of all

Marine aircraft weapon systems

in Iraq.

“Anything that launches

(munitions), fires it or deals with

it, we fix it,” said the 26-year-old

Las Vegas native.

All the maintenance issues

have been smooth and routine so

far, said Cpl. Renoid P. Berthelot

Jr., a collateral duty inspector for

MALS-16.

“We do a lot of routine maintenance — one-year checks, 180-

day checks. After planes fly so

much, parts start to break on

them (such as) electronics (and)

mechanics,” explained the 22-

year-old New Orleans native. 

The work pace was the most

hectic when the squadron first

arrived in Iraq, but has since settled down, said Jones.

“Within 24-hours of getting

here, we built all the bombs and

had everything ready to go,” said

Jones. “Now they give us a call,

and that throws us into gear. We

put together everything they

want. We build it and deliver it to

the squadron.”

Even after the early push to get

set up, day-to-day operations in

Iraq remain more demanding

than in the United States, said

Berthelot.

“Back in the rear, we had more

notice for munitions requests.

Out here when they say they

need it, we have to get it out the

door,” he said.

“We have a bigger workload

and a faster tempo,” added

Ashby.

Marines from squadrons all

over the Marine Corps are handling the heavier workload, said

Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth O. Round,

the NCOIC of the ordnance

maintenance department for

MALS-16.

“We have Marines from seven

different squadrons right now,”

said the 35-year-old from

Sterling, Va. “The reservists are

doing their part. Everyone is carrying his or her load. You can’t

tell the difference between active

and reserve (Marines).” 

Even though the squadron has

Marines coming together from

multiple squadrons and atmospheres, the job still gets done

every day.

“It’s amazing how well these

guys have gelled together. It

looks like the units that sent their

Marines out here sent some of

their best Marines,” said Round.

“They accomplish all the tasks

whether they are given a short

fuse or advanced warning. I’ve

been surprised at how well they

have performed.”

According to Yabe, one of the

other tasks of the MALS-16

Marines is to maintain complete

accountability of all ordnance.

“If something comes up, your

commander will want to know

what he has available and where

it is,” said Yabe.

“When we are out here, we

have to keep track of all our

ammunition. If something is

missing, it could be a danger to

anyone around if we don’t have

that accountability,” he added.

Accountability is of unquestionable importance, no matter

what time it is, emphasized

Jones.

“Our requirements are (to

have) 100 percent accuracy in

inventory. Wartime or peacetime,

we cannot lose one item,” he

explained.

As time progressed, weapons

technology and the Marines who

build those weapons have adjusted to become more tactical and

efficient, said Jones.

“This day and age is a lot different than when I came in 20

years ago. We used to drop dumb

bombs by the hundreds. Now

everything is precision guided.

Instead of hundreds, we might

put together 12, but have similar

results,” he said.

One thing that has not changed

is the emphasis on safety in a

potentially dangerous job field,

said Jones.

“Safety is our number-one concern. I have to trust these guys.

They have to trust themselves

and be able to tell me when

something is wrong,” Jones

explained.

Whatever happens, the

Marines of MALS-16 are prepared to stay for the long haul,

said Berthelot.

“As long as it takes to get the

job done is how long we’ll stay,”

he said.

Story and photo by 

Lance Cpl. 

Matthew Rainey

Marine Aircraft Group 13

‘Forerunners’ outfit Marine aircraft in Iraq

Gunnery Sgt. Kevin O. Jones, the assistant ordnance noncommissioned officer-in-charge for Marine Aviation

Logistics Squadron 16, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd

Marine Aircraft Wing, removes a cover from the lens of an

AGM-65E Maverick Missile. 
Page 14 Scimitar July 9, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — When the 8th

Engineer Battalion arrived in Baghdad,

its focus was to fight the garbage piled

on the Karadah District’s streets.

“We’ve moved almost a quarter million cubic meters — 125,000 tons — of

trash,” Capt. Tony Hearn, the battalion’s

solid-waste coordinator, said. The battalion has spent approximately $11 million

on projects to enhance the Karkh and

Karadah districts’ solid-waste systems.

The 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd

Brigade Combat Team engineers purchased three dump trucks June 28 capable of holding 18 tons of garbage each

and one fuel truck for Karadah District

Solid-Waste

Services.

Abdul Rezak, the

director of solidwaste services, told

Hearn the trucks

were one thing the

service station

needed because

some of their trucks

had been stolen. So

the contract was

written up, the

contractors were notified and the trucks

were delivered.

The new trucks will be used to transport garbage from the residential dump

trucks to the transfer site, where longhaul trucks will transport it to the Abu

Ghraib landfill.

In addition to the trucks, the unit

bought and replaced 716 trash bins and

various parts for the trucks to get them in

working order.

“We’ve repaired 26 trucks that were

nonmission capable when we got here,”

Hearn said.

As a problem that the 1st Armored

Division faced in the past, many of the

large metal trash bins spread throughout

the city were stolen,

but Hearn said he is

trying to prevent that

from happening

again.

“Theft and vandalism are always an

issue,” he said. “We

bought 30 percent

more [trash bins]

than we need. The

Iraqis will place them

on truck routes,

which will be supervised, and, if possible

[the trash bins will be] chained down.”

Hearn said his focus is finding places

to put the garbage. Before the battalion

started cleaning up the area, the garbagetransfer site was overfilled and could not

be used.

“I’ve been focusing on the systems

and not the individual bubble gum wrappers,” he said. “I’ve seen quite an

improvement.”

Story and photo by 

Spc. Bryan Kinkade

1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Engineers battle Baghdad trash

8th Engineer Battalion has removed 125,000 tons of trash from Karadah District streets

and spent $11 million on projects to enhance the area’s solid-waste system

Capt. Tony Hearn, the 8th Engineer Battalion solid-waste coordinator,

pays the contractor cash for trucks delivered June 28.

MOSUL, Iraq — The Iraqi security forces took over

the security operations for Iraq, but Task Force Olympia

Soldiers are still there to support their Iraqi brothers-inarms. 

To ensure a smooth security transition in the Mosul

region, Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry

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

Brigade Combat Team) still conduct patrols and other

combat operations throughout the city with the 106th

Battalion of the Iraqi National Guard.

The 1-23 Soldiers trained the Iraqi National Guard soldiers in the spring and have been working with the 106th

soldiers on real missions since May. According to the 1-

23 Soldiers, the Iraqi National Guard soldiers are honorably and competently accepting their increased responsibility.

“The Iraqi National Guard soldiers are hard-working

family men, just like us, and they want to make a difference in their society,” said Spc. Eric Smith, Company C,

1-23. “Several of them get death threats from terrorists,

but they keep doing their job because they care about

Iraq.”

Smith said the Iraqi National Guard soldiers’ performance has been outstanding. 

In early June, three Iraqi National Guard medics treated

a Task Force Olympia Soldier’s wounds after his convoy

was hit by a roadside bomb. When a car bomb exploded

near the Mosul City Hall June 8, the 106th soldiers

arrived to the scene minutes after the explosion, secured

the area and moved civilians away from the site. On June

24, Iraqi National Guard soldiers helped retake the

Mohammed Al Noory Mosque in southwestern Mosul

after anti-Iraqi forces took it over and began shooting at

Iraqi Police and multinational forces.

“The Iraqi National Guard soldiers in this area have by

far exceeded our expectations,” said Capt. Duane Patin,

the commander of Company C, 1-23. “When we conduct

operations with them, we just observe while they lead the

mission. After a mission is completed, we do an afteraction review and talk about what they should sustain and

what to work on. Basically, we’re just trying to give them

the tools to succeed.”

According to the Iraqi National Guard leaders, the tools

are in place, and they are ready to fight for their country.

“There has been enough blood shed in my country.

With the help of multinational forces, we have been able

to build a strong army to stop the terrorists from committing crimes against the Iraqi people,” said Lt. Col.

Ragheed Mohammed, the commander of the 106th. 

Despite receiving death threats, Mohammed remains

committed to protecting the Iraqi people just as the multinational forces remain loyal to their Iraqi friends.

“To be a soldier in Iraq is taking a risk in itself. They

are stepping up and working toward a new beginning,”

said Lt. Col. Buck James, the commander of the 1-23. “I

have confidence they will prevail, and, if they need help,

we will be here to support them.”

Staff Sgt. Phillip Dudley talks to an Iraqi

National Guard sergeant during a patrol in

Mosul, Iraq. Although security operations

were passed on to Iraqi security forces, multinational forces continue to work with their

Iraqi brothers-in-arms. As a member of the 1st

Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Dudley conducts security operations with soldiers from

the 106th Battalion of the ING throughout the

Mosul region.

Multinational forces continue

support of Iraqi security forces

Story and photo by Sgt. Fred Minnick

139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

“We’ve repaired 26

trucks that were

nonmission capable

when we got here.”

Capt. Tony Hearn
July 9, 2004 Scimitar Page 15

MOSUL, Iraq — Home.

It can be an abstract concept

for military members who travel

the world in service to their

country, but one Russian emigrant is sure where his home is.

Spc. Denis Brouchtchenko

immigrated to the United States

from Russia when he was 16.

His family qualified to move to

America through a program

sponsored by U.S. Baptist

Churches. He got word that his

new home would be Edmonds,

Wash.

“As a boy, I watched

American movies and knew that

the United States was the land

of opportunity,” said

Brouchtchenko, who is now 22.

“I knew this would be a great

chance for me and my family to

live a good life.”

When the Brouchtchenko

family arrived in America, he

said the strangest thing was seeing cars. “I couldn’t believe that

you had to drive to go everywhere, unlike Russia where

most people walk,” he said.

After the initial shock of his

new surroundings,

Brouchtchenko quickly began to

take advantage of his new

home. For six months, he studied at the business clerical

school of Job Corps. He then

enrolled in Edmonds

Community College, but after

one semester Brouchtchenko

decided to join the U.S. Army.

Today, he serves as a team

leader in Mosul, Iraq, for 2nd

Platoon, Company C, 1st

Battalion, 23rd Infantry

Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd

Infantry Division (Stryker

Brigade Combat Team).

Although he’s not a U.S. citizen, his fellow Soldiers consider

him an American.

“He’s here fighting for the

United States, so in my eyes,

Brouchtchenko is an American,”

said Spc. Eric Smith, of

Company C. 

Brouchtchenko is one of

30,000 noncitizen service members in the

U.S. military.

They make up

about 2 percent

of all activeduty service

members. In

2002, President

George W.

Bush ordered

the naturalization of noncitizen service members who had

served honorably since Sept. 11,

2001, to be expedited.

Brouchtchenko said he plans to

apply for his citizenship when

he returns to the United States,

but for now, he’s just concentrating on his duties in Iraq.

According to his superiors,

Brouchtchenko’s dedication to

doing the job right is why he’s

such an invaluable asset to his

platoon. 

“He is a quiet, silent leader

who lets his actions do the talking,” said 1st Lt. Nick

Kardonsky, the executive officer

for Company C and

Brouchtchenko’s former platoon

leader. “He just has so many

irreplaceable skills. His physical

strength and unmatched marksmanship are two things that

come to mind when I think of

Brouchtchenko. He’s just a

good Soldier.”

In June, Brouchtchenko went

before the Army’s Promotion

Board, vying for the rank of sergeant. He scored 149 out of 150

points on the

evaluation.

For fun, he

challenges his

fellow

Soldiers in

pull-up contests, but he

always wins

fellow soldiers said. A

former sniper

for Company C, Brouchtchenko

is an expert marksman on every

weapon available to an infantry

line unit.

“The Army has taught me what

I’m capable of and how much

my body can take,” he said. “I

have a lot more confidence than

when I first came to America.”

Brouchtchenko looks forward

to returning to the United

States, his home. 

“I’m just going to drive on

the freeways and look at the

green grass from my window,”

he said. “Yeah, I really can’t

wait to get back home.”

Spc. Denis Brouchtchenko, a native of Russia, is a team

leader for Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry

Regiment. He moved to the United States at 16 and later

enlisted in the U.S. Army

Story and photo by 

Sgt. Fred Minnick

139th Mobile Public 

Affairs Detachment

Russia native calls United States home

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq —

Keeping the airways over Western Iraq

running smoothly can be a daunting

task considering all the different types

of aerial missions to coordinate; supplying a unit with needed equipment,

evacuating injured Marines, laying

down fire on enemy positions and the

regular movement of troops through the

air. 

What makes this mission even more

daunting is doing it all without an aircraft tracking radar.

The Marines of the Direct Air Support

Center are a crucial link between the

ground and air units moving within the

1st Marine Expeditionary Force’s area of

responsibility. 

“There has to be somebody connecting

the ground and air, and we’re that link,”

said Cpl. Isaac Orta, a crew chief, with

Marine Air Support Squadron 3. “We

get the information and move it to the

appropriate units here in Iraq. We do

everything from aircraft routing to coordinating medevacs and close-air support

for the ground units.” 

For example, if a ground unit is being

attacked by small

arms fire or improvised explosive

devices, the DASC

coordinates air support. 

“We process

medevacs and get it

in there safely as

well as coordinate

for a fixed wing or

rotary wing to provide close-air support,” said Orta. “It’s

great knowing that if a unit does come

under attack that by doing my job I am

getting a wounded Marine and his unit

the help they need.”

Without the radar equipment, the

Marines rely on less high tech equipment.

“I have a map in front of me and go

off the information the pilots are giving

me,” said 1st Lt. Dianna Di Toro, an

air-support liaison, for MASS 7,

Regimental Combat Team 7. “I have to

rely on my enlisted counterparts; they

are priceless. While I am talking with

the pilots, they

are writing down

all the information for me. It

can be challenging at times, but

as long as I

know where

everybody is in

the sky, I can

pull the appropriate bird. I can

make sure I don’t call Al Asad for support when I have a capable bird that is

closer.”

Di Toro, a member of RCT 7, pushes

herself even harder knowing there are

Marines she knows on the ground running patrols over I MEF’s area of

responsibility. 

“I’ve got a lot of friends in the area of

operations,” she said. “I am talking

directly with some of my friends. For me

its pretty personal.”

The DASC is just the center of air support for western Iraq. They have air-support liaison teams with each air-support

Elements with Marines and equipment

all over Iraq.

“The hardest part is bringing all my

Marines into one cohesive team,” said

Staff Sgt. Rodney Dantzler, the DASC

chief. “I have a lot of hard-working

Marines stretched out performing under

strenuous conditions performing 24-hour

operations.” 

Dantzler says that although his shop is

relatively obscure, the Marines he serves

know and respect the coordination the

DASC provides. 

“Not too many people know what the

DASC is, but ask any Marine on the

ground needing assistance and they will

tell you the best sound is hearing those

rotors coming their way,” Dentzler said.

“They know they will get what they need.”

Story and photo by 

Marine Cpl. Anthony David Pike

Multi-National Forces–Iraq

Flying the unfriendly skies, keeping troops safe

“I have to rely on my

enlisted counterparts;

they are priceless.”

1st Lt. Dianna Di Toro

“I knew this

would be a great

chance for me and

my family to live a

good life.”

Spc. Denis Brouchtchenko
Page 16 Scimitar July 9, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq —

Standing against a backdrop of

an Iraqi sunset, Staff Sgt. Dan

Gorman stares down his foe.

A mask conceals his opponent’s face, but it’s the saber in

the man’s hand that concerns

him. The man lunges forward at

Gorman, swinging his weapon.

Gorman parries the attack with

his own saber and counterattacks, striking his opponent in

the shoulder.

“Good attack,” says Gorman.

“Pay attention to your footwork

a little more next time.

Remember to finish your attack

before your front foot lands.”

His opponent, one of

Gorman’s students in the fencing class that he offers here at

Camp Victory here, salutes with

his weapon and steps off to the

side so that the next student can

get ready to fence.

Gorman, the civil affairs noncommissioned officer in charge

for the 420th Engineer Brigade,

began fencing 14 years ago at

Purdue University.

He later moved to

Texas where he continued with the sport

at the Salle Mauro

under coaches Mauro

Hamza and Andrey

Geva.

While his wife

was attending graduate school at Texas

A&M, Gorman said

that he started teaching some of the fencing club members

saber. Eventually,

they asked him to c

ome on as a full-time

coach.

“I realized I was

really enjoying

teaching the Ags, so

when they asked me

to coach, I was

happy to,” said

Gorman.

Gorman also

coaches the junior

saber team at the Salle Mauro in

Houston.

In the sport of fencing, there

are three types of weapons: foil,

epee and saber, each with its

own sets of rules and different

styles, explained Gorman.

“Saber is fast and aggressive

and is probably the least forgiving of mistakes on the

strip,” said Gorman, explaining

why he prefers to fence saber.

“Saber has the most personality to me. I suppose it just feels

more natural to me when I’m

on strip.”

When Gorman deployed to

Iraq, he made the decision to

not give up fencing just because

he was on the other side of the

world. He had his wife send

him some weapons, uniforms

and masks and posted signs to

attract people to his class.

“I love to fence, and this

gives me an outlet.” It helps me

relax, and I think others can

benefit from that, too. We’re not

going to build any Olympians

while we’re here, but we can

hopefully develop a love for a

sport a person can compete in

for life, said Gorman. “Also, as

a long shot,” he added with a

smile, “I figure if enough soldiers start fencing, the Army

might be inclined to introduce a

world-class-athlete program for

the sport.”

Currently, Gorman has about

five students in his class, which

meets on Sunday evenings on

the back porch of Building 85.

“Our group is open to anyone

who wants to fence or learn to

fence. Fencing is an individual

sport, but it’s always fun to

have lots of people to fence

against, so the more that want to

join our group the better.” 

It’s a small group without a

lot of equipment, he said, “so

people interested would need to

order some gear if they don’t

have it. If they wanted to check

it out, I can let them know

where to find it.”

Story and photos by 

Pfc. Bryce S. Dubee

MNF-I/MNC-I 

Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Dan Gorman fences with one of his students during a fencing class at Camp

Victory South. Gorman has been fencing for nearly 15 years.

Art of fencing alive, well in Iraq

MOSUL, Iraq — When music is a part of your life,

you notice when it’s not around. 

For one Army officer who makes music a part of his

everyday life, the lack of music in the lives of the

Iraqi children was a discordant sound. With the help of

friends in the United States, he has made it his mission

to hand out small musical instruments when he is in an

Iraqi community.

“I noticed that the children have lots of everything

you don’t want children to be playing with like

garbage, sticks or wires but none of what you do,”

said Maj. Glenn Tolle, who is with Task Force

Olympia, the command element in northern Iraq. “I

wanted to let them experience music firsthand.”

Tolle comes in contact with children in Iraq frequently when he goes out on civil affairs missions in

and around Mosul. After identifying the situation, he

contacted friends in Olympia, Wash., and told them

about his wish to have musical instruments to hand out

to the children he meets. 

Members of the Columbia Street Irish Seisiun and

the family of David and Tammy Poor, who are friends

of Tolle’s in Washington, gathered whistles, harmonicas, kazoos, maracas, tambourines and harps to send

to Iraq.

“The instruments arrived in two shipments, and I

have been handing them out bit by bit ever since they

arrived in February,” said Tolle. “I am pretty sure I am

befriending the kids and making enemies with the parents for handing out such loud toys.”

Tolle hopes to have enough musical toys to hand out

for the duration of his deployment. Thanks to the help

from his friends at home, he might.

Maj. Glenn Tolle of Task Force Olympia hands a

whistle to a small boy in Mosul, Iraq. Tolle, a

Task Force Olympia civil affairs officer, has

made it a personal priority to share his musical

appreciation with the children of Iraq.

By Spc. Gretel Sharpee

139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Donated instruments music

to Mosul-area children’s ears 

Courtesy photo

Staff Sgt. Dan Gorman describes proper wear of a fencing mask to his class

at Camp Victory South.