Vol. II, Issue 78 Friday’s Online Edition October 10, 2008

victory timesonline

Story and Photos by

Pfc. Eric J. Glassey

13th Public Affairs Det.

Armenian Contingent finishes mission in Iraq

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Paul Lafebvre, deputy commanding 

general, Multi-National Corps – Iraq gives a speech at the 8th Armenian Contingent during their end-of-mission ceremony at the 

Joint Visitor Bureau, Camp Victory Oct. 6. 

Brig. Gen. Mihai Chirita, deputy director, Multi-National Force - Iraq 

CJ5 Coalition, Romanian Army accepts a wooden totem from Capt. 

Papyan Ruben Gregor, commander, eighth Armenian Contingent, 

at the Joint Visitor Bureau, Camp Victory Oct. 6. The wooden totem 

symbolizes the Armenians’ gratitude for MNF-I support.

The 8th Armenian 

Contingent conducted 

an end-of-mission ceremony at the Joint Visitor Bureau on Camp 

Victory Oct. 6.

The 46-member contingent worked in support of the Polish Brigade, Multi-National 

Division – Central 

South, as medical staff, 

transportation and explosive ordnance disposal personnel. 

“The Armenian peacekeeping and humanitarian mission in Iraq began 

in January 2005,” said 

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. 

Gen. Paul Lefebvre, deputy commanding general, Multi-National Corps 

– Iraq. “Since that time, 

the Armenian armed 

forces have rotated 380 

personnel through Iraq 

and have provided firstclass support to Operation Iraq Freedom in the 

areas of transportation, 

engineering and medicine.”

The Armenian transport component successfully executed more 

than 60 convoys, while 

the engineering component removed more 

than 9,000 pieces of 

unexploded ordnance 

and cleared more than 

130,000 square miles of 

terrain. In addition, the 

Armenian medical component performed more 

than 300 surgeries and 

provided ambulatory 

healthcare to more than 

450 military personnel 

and 700 civilians, thus 

bolstering ties between 

the nation of Iraq and 

coalition forces.

“It has been our 

honor to serve under 

your command and to 

know and to work with 

you in the filtering of 

peace and democracy 

in Iraq,” said Capt. 

Ruben Papyan, eighth 

Armenian Contingent 

commander and Armenian senior national 

representative. “On 

behalf of the Armenian 

Contingent, I would 

like to take the opportunity to offer you all 

our gratitude”

Brig. Gen. Mihai 

Chirita, Romanian army, 

deputy director, MNF-I 

CJ5 Coalition, presented each soldier with a 

certificate of appreciation for their outstanding service and support 

to the coalition and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Never forget what 

you have accomplished 

here,” Lefebvre said. 

“You will be able to 

look back and know 

that you were part of 

something great; something that shaped the 

world for future generations. You have represented your country to 

the highest degree.”
Page 2 Victory Times October 10, 2008

News

 

MNC-I Commanding General: Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III 

MNC-I Public Affairs Officer: Col. Billy J. Buckner 

MNC-I PA Sergeant Major: Sgt. Maj. Sharon Opeka

MNC-I Command Info Chief: Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante

Editor: Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord

Staff: Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Crisp, Cpl. Frances L. Goch, Spc. 

Samuel J. Phillips, Pfc. Eric J. Martinez and Pfc. Eric J. Glassey

The Victory Times online welcomes columns, 

commentaries, articles and letters from our 

readers. Send submissions or comments to 

joy.pariante@iraq.centcom.mil. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for security, 

accuracy, propriety, policy, clarity and space.

The Victory Times Online is an authorized 

electronic publication for members of the 

Department of Defense. Contents of this 

electronic publication are not necessarily 

the official views of or endorsed by the 

U.S. Government or the Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs 

Office of Multi-National Corps-Iraq.

U.S. forces improve Iraqi logistics capabilities

Perhaps the most vital component of 

any army is its logistics capability. Without a solid logistics plan, a force cannot 

properly supply and sustain its fight.

Over the last eight months, since 

the arrival of XVIII Airborne Corps in 

February, U.S. forces have partnered 

with Iraqi security forces – primarily 

the Iraqi army – to improve their logistics systems and help them better equip 

their own forces.

“Partnering is an initiative that’s now 

Story by

Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord

13th Public Affairs Det.

working from the tactical level to the 

strategic, and that’s important,” said Col. 

Edward Dorman, C4, Multi-National 

Corps – Iraq. 

“At the strategic level, we are engaging the Ministry of Defense and his staff, 

joint staff and J4 [senior logistician] so 

they have the right assistance in developing the programs required to sustain the 

equipment and get it down to the force,” 

Dorman said. “At the operations level, 

they are focusing on planning.”

Dorman said he and his staff interact 

with the Iraqi Ground Forces Command 

senior logistician and his staff about 

twice a week to work on a concept for 

sustaining Iraqi forces’ logistics. 

In regards to operational partnership, 

large steps have been taken in helping the 

Iraqi army independently support itself.

A few of the things Soldiers – primarily from brigade support battalions – are 

doing include teaching combat lifesaver 

skills to the Iraqi security forces and 

holding monthly maintenance meetings 

with them, which, some thought last year 

were inconceivable, Dorman said.

The partnership has gone from zero to 

now having about 65 Logistics Training 

and Advisory Teams dispersed throughout the country working side by side with 

Iraqi army logistics units, said Col. Ronald Pulignani, G4 advisor, Military Transition Team, Iraqi Ground Forces Command. The LTATs work with IA logistics 

units on how to maintain equipment, 

sustain their force and help train them on 

all types of logistics systems such as fuel, 

maintenance and supply operations.

MiTT and LTATs have assisted significantly with the development of IA 

logistics capabilities and have seen the 

Iraqi army’s self-reliance progressively 

increase over past months.

“The Iraqis are starting to take responsibility for their own logistics systems,” 

Pulignani said. “They have been able to 

sustain themselves, most notably in recent operations in Diyala.”

Over the past eight months, the Iraqi 

army’s ability to sustain its fight has 

largely improved due to lessons learned 

with each new operation. Col. Edward F. Dorman, assistant chief of staff for logistics, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, 

talks with Maj. Jim Huber, executive officer, 22 Brigade, 6 Iraqi Army Division Military 

Transition Team, about the improvements taking place on the Iraqi Army facilities in front 

of a newly constructed fuel point on Camp Justice, Iraq June 30.

Photo by Spc. Samuel J. Phillips, MNC-I PAO

See Logistic, page 4
October 10, 2008 Victory Times Page 3

Feature

Story and photo by

Spc. Evan D. Marcy

5th Signal Command

Soldiers brave new heights for communications

Soldiers are showing bravery in 

various ways supporting the Global 

War on Terrorism. While not all 

are in a direct fight with the enemy, 

Soldiers deployed with combat support units also display courage setting 

up military infrastructures in Iraq. 

The 44th Expeditionary Signal 

Battalion is showing its support by 

recently installing satellites in three 

forward operating bases to provide 

Internet Protocol Radio relays. This 

effort is part of the battalion’s overall mission to provide world-class 

communications support to troops 

in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

The setup will provide the FOBs 

with a new way to enable connectivity 

between internet protocol connections, which are primarily used for 

communication between FOBs, with 

radio frequency communications that 

are normally used off post. “Once 

the satellites are in place, the radios 

work just as well as any regular Voice 

over Internet Protocol system,” said 

Sgt. Joseph R. Chavis, 44th ESB. 

The first part of the team’s mission was setting up a four-foot 

parabolic dish on top of a 150-foot 

tower at Joint Base Balad. This 

required the Soldiers to climb the 

tower while carrying equipment. 

“When you look at a tower, it just 

looks like a ladder, but it will work 

you out. I was sore for the first couple 

of days the first time I climbed,” said 

Spc. Adam Spoerle, 44th ESB. “You 

get blisters on your fingers and on 

your hands. It’s pretty difficult.” 

“The physical aspects are 

pretty tough, although the hardest 

part is getting the heavier equipment on the ground up to one 

that’s 200 feet,” said Chavis.

The climbing presented a 

set of dangers that took personal courage to overcome.

“There are different dangers 

climbing up and down those towers,” Spoerle said. “You could 

get muscle failure and fall off, 

and while at the top, you have to 

watch out for helicopters and airplanes, because the strong winds 

they produce can blow you off.” 

Prior to the mission, the team 

prepared physically and mentally for its task. The team received classroom instruction and 

performed physical training. 

“The Soldiers are extremely 

brave. Within their first day of training, they climbed a 110 feet after 

learning the fundamentals in a classroom environment,” said Master 

Sgt. Angelia Hunter, 44th ESB. 

“We did a lot of dry runs and 

went through phases of everyday 

climbing and training that made 

everybody’s body adjust to what 

needed to be done and how it was 

to be done,” Chavis said. “This 

ensured everyone had a strong working knowledge of what needed to 

happen once we got on site.” 

Chavis and Spoerle made the 

ascent with a pulley and one end of 

a rope. “We get the pulley ready, 

and then we just hand feed the rope 

down to the ground crew,” Spoerle 

said. At the ground, the Soldiers 

hook the rope tied to the satellite up 

Pvt. Justin Hill, Company A, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, climbs the training tower on Camp Victory, Iraq, for a 

familiarization climb, while his supervisor 

Sgt. Joseph R. Chavis, Company C, waits 

above Aug. 23. Hill and Chavis are part 

of a cable team training to install Internet 

Protocol Radio satellites on top of towers 

to improve military communications in the 

See Communication, page 4 Iraqi theater of operations. 
Page 4 Victory Times Online

Jumps

October 10, 2008

“We continue to see improvement with each operation because the Iraqi logisticians take the lessons learned 

and apply them in the next 

operation,” Pulignani said. 

Pulignani explained that 

the Iraqi army has been able 

to support itself logistically 

during operations in Diyala, 

Amarah and Mosul, whereas 

eight months ago, during operations in Basrah, it relied on 

U.S. and coalition forces for 

some of its logistics support.

“[The Iraqi army] was 

caught off guard and had not 

prepositions, equipment or 

supplies, and in some cases, 

was close to losing that battle 

because the lack of logistics,” 

Dorman said. “They took the 

lessons learned and have applied them as they came full 

Logistic, From Page 2

circle into Mosul, Sadr City, 

Amarah and ultimately into 

Diyala where they are fighting now.”

One noteworthy indication 

of the IA’s logistical progress 

lies in the recent establishment of a national supply 

depot in Taji and ammunition 

depot in Bayji.

These are two big sources 

to provide ammunition, supplies and maintenance to the 

entire Iraqi army, Pulignani 

said. The depots are mostly 

Iraqi-run, with any needed assistance provided by U.S. and 

coalition forces logistics units. 

The depots are just one of 

many signs that showcase the 

IA’s improvement. 

Dorman noted that during 

the start of operations in Amarah, the IA was able to move 

a mechanized force roughly 

400 miles from Baghdad to 

Amarah on its own.

“Once they got [the force] 

there, they were quickly able 

to open stores and provide fuel 

with their own assets,” Dorman said. “They were able to 

conduct distribution and then 

house their soldiers, and they 

didn’t need any support from 

us at all.”

As the development of 

Iraqi army becomes more 

and more evident with each 

operation, there is still much 

to do in future months. 

U.S. forces will continue 

to partner with the IA, but 

also with the National Police, Iraqi Police Service 

and Department of Border 

Enforcement, Dorman said. 

“As we improve units, and 

Communication, From Page 3

to a mechanical pulley. “They have 

one person controlling a rope pulling 

the tower up, and the other person 

pulling a rope attached to the dish 

away from the tower, so that the dish 

doesn’t touch the tower,” Spoerle said. 

“Once the satellite reaches the 

top, we put the mounting brackets 

on and we mount it up, install the 

cable, then we adjust it to where 

the shot is perfect,” Spoerle said. 

The setup for the shot is considered 

a direct line of sight, which must 

be aimed directly at the receiving satellite which is located on a 

nearby forward operating base.” 

The low legacy shot is provided 

by a redline antennae in the dish on 

Balad and is being relayed from one 

FOB to another. “The parabolic 

antenna is a lot easier than previous systems, you don’t need any 

manpower,” Hunter said. “You put 

them in and they sit, you don’t have 

to take Soldiers from other missions in order to monitor this link.” 

The Soldiers have taken more from 

this experience than physical training. 

“It is really intense being a climber, 

it’s a good work out, and it makes 

you appreciate things a lot more when 

you’re looking down,” Spoerle said. 

“The best and greatest in technological advances are improving the 

communication infrastructure here 

in Iraq, but no improvements can be 

made until brave and courageous Soldiers safely climb a tower and install 

the radio system,” said Maj. John 

Harris, 44th ESB executive officer.

they are improving every day, 

we then begin to shift our focus and help those units who 

are not as far along,” Dorman said.

Logistics is quite possibly 

the heart of a fighting force, 

and the heart of Iraq’s force is 

growing stronger every day, 

much like the relationships 

and trust being garnered between U.S. and Iraqi forces.

“[American Soldiers] 

want to go out, accomplish 

the mission and get it done,” 

Dorman said, “but sometimes 

things move a little slower. 

You can’t just go in and want 

to talk about business; you 

have to drink a little tea and 

develop that relationship, and 

if you do that, I think that you 

can accomplish just about 

anything.”

Pvt. Justin Hill, Company A., 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, begins his ascent 

of a training tower on Camp Victory, Iraq, 

Aug. 23, while his supervisor Sgt. Joseph 

R. Chavis, Company C, waits above.