Vol. II, Issue 60 Friday’s Online Edition August 8, 2008

victory timesonline

Story by Staff Sgt. 

Jeremy D. Crisp

Electrical safety saves lives

Overloaded power strips are a leading cause of electrical injury and fire in Iraq. Servicemembers need to be safe when it comes to powering their electrical devices.

MNC-I PAO

Photos courtesy of MND-C Safety Office

Electricity: hard to imagine a 

world without it. With it, however, comes a responsibility to handle it properly in order to prevent 

accidents that can occur from 

shock, electrocution and fires.

Recent reports highlighting the 

electrical deaths of 16 servicemembers in Iraq have brought 

heightened awareness to the risk 

electricity poses in theater, and 

senior leaders are stressing the 

importance of safety in its regard.

Officials with Task Force 

Safe, a task force designed to 

help create awareness among 

servicemembers in Iraq regarding electrocutions and fires, state 

that although buildings in Iraq 

don’t meet U.S. electrical code 

standards, walking into a trailer 

or building shouldn’t be a cause 

for worry of electrocution. 

And while the TF is working 

with contractors, officials and 

electricians in order to standardize the electrical code and inspect 

all of the buildings in which 

coalition forces reside, it is also 

stressing the cutting down of 

complacency and unsafe practices in order to minimize the 

risk of electrical shock or fires.

 “We are wired into an infrastructure that we would consider, 

by American standards, to be 

substandard,” said Jesse L. Martin, safety director, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, of some of the 

electrical wiring in buildings and 

trailers in which troops reside. 

“Realizing that, [servicemembers] should be extra careful.”

Essentially, servicemember 

practices of overloading power 

strips in trailers or allowing 

an overabundance of dust in a 

room can cause bad connections 

or sparks which can lead to the 

worst of situations. That’s why 

the safety office recommends 

against a myriad of unsafe electrical practices they routinely 

see troops conducting in living 

quarters. This includes ‘daisychaining’ electrical equipment, 

taping electrical cords and having too many appliances plugged 

into one outlet, to name some.

“Leaders should ensure Soldiers do not plug a bunch of 

things into one power strip,” 

Martin recommends. “There 

should be monthly inspections 

[of rooms], and if something 

looks wrong, Soldiers and leaders 

should get an expert to check it. 

And anytime there is a spark or a 

small fire, it should be reported.”

There are innumerable do’s and 

don’ts when it comes to the realm 

of staying safe from electricity, 

See ELECTRIC, Page 6
Page 2 Victory Times August 8, 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. Samuel J. Phillips

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

J. Martinez and Pfc. Eric J. Glassey

The Victory Times online welcomes columns, 

commentaries, articles and letters from our 

readers. Send submissionsor 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.

Story by Capt. William Betts

Task Force 62nd PAO

Task Force 62nd helps Soldiers stay fit to fight

As part of its ongoing commitment 

to the health of servicemembers, civilians and contractors in Iraq, Task 

Force 62nd Medical Brigade hosted 

its second health fair July 26 at Al 

Faw Palace with the theme “Keeping in Step With Health.” 

While TF 62nd units are known for 

the lifesaving medical care provided 

at combat support hospitals and troop 

medical clinics located around Iraq, 

Saturday’s health fair was geared 

towards educating servicemembers 

about healthy lifestyle choices. 

According to Col. Patrick Sargent, commander, TF 62nd Med. 

Bde., the task force currently has a 

historically low record disease and 

non-battle injury rate of 2.5 percent 

and it strives to reduce that rate and 

provide a healthy deployment for 

all our servicemembers. 

More than 60 medical professionals from across the task force 

manned informational booths ranging from behavioral health, heat 

injuries, sports injuries, dental hygiene, eye health and safety, hearing 

conservation, smoking cessation, 

blood pressure checks, blood sugar 

screenings, religious support team 

services and nutritional awareness.

“We are here today to inform the 

public of who we are, what we do, as 

well as to provide insight in protecting one’s health,” said Staff Sgt. Brandon Bond, 179th Medical Detachment (Optometry Services). Bond 

and Capt. Jason Moran, commander, 

179th Med. Det., presented attendees 

with information on the Army Authorized Protective Eye List as well as 

handing out pocket-sized vision conservation cards that detailed simple 

steps Soldiers and civilians take to 

make their computer workstations ergonomically friendly in reducing eye 

and muscular discomfort.

Blood pressure checks, blood sugar 

level screenings, and how to deal with 

stress were popular attractions for 

those in attendance at the health fair. 

One Soldier in particular was 

popular with all that entered the 

rotunda. Sgt. 1st. Class Boe, a 

black Labrador Retriever and 

therapy working dog with the 

98th Combat Stress Control in Tikrit, and her handler, Capt. Cecilia Najera, drew lots of attention.

 Boe is one of two Army working 

dogs deployed to medical facilities 

in Iraq to help Soldiers deal with the 

stress of fighting overseas. Whether it is in a one-to-one or group 

setting, coping with homefront issues, sleep problems, or day-to-day 

operational stress, the animals help 

provide emotional comfort through 

their physical interactions such as 

playing fetch or simple petting. 

The dogs are another method that 

the CSC teams can use to break 

down mental health stigma and assist Soldiers in their times of need.

Participants were treated to door 

prizes as well as gifts that help promote a healthy lifestyle such as pedometers, shoe inserts, toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss, personal 

safety whistles and a variety of educational material and resources. 

“We want to make positive, long 

lasting changes in the participants 

which in turn will lead to a much 

healthier fighting force,” said Lt. 

Col. Cathleen Burgess, chief, clinical education and training, TF 62nd 

Med. Bde. “If ten people commit 

to quit smoking or if fifty leave 

here today knowing what health 

assets are available to them here at 

Victory Base Complex, then it was 

all worthwhile” Burgess said.
news

August 8, 2008 Victory Times Page 3

Story and photos by Spc. 

Derick Call

MNC-I PAO

Teams train Iraqi forces in logistics management

Lt. Col. Jimmy Sizemore, C4, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, teaches a class on logistics to members of the newly formed Logistics Training 

Advisory Teams. These teams will travel around country assisting the Iraqi police and army increase their logistical capabilities.

Everyday the Iraqi people get 

closer to self sustainment but 

one of the biggest challenges 

still facing the Iraqi military and 

Iraqi police is logistics. Logistical problems such as maintaining 

vehicles, ordering replacement 

parts and issuing supplies have 

been a challenge to both entities. 

According to Lt. Col. Jimmy 

Sizemore, C4, Multi-National 

Corps-Iraq, Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin 

III, commanding general, MNC-I 

has made logistics training a top 

priority for both the Iraqi army and 

police. Sizemore said Austin hopes 

to establish a new kind of transition team; a team capable of training the Iraqi military in logistics. 

The answer was to establish logistic 

training advisory teams or LTATs. 

This is not the first time coalition forces have provided training 

to Iraqis in the area of logistics, 

but it is the first time a coalition 

unit was established with the sole 

mission of logistical training. 

As with any new mission there 

were unforeseen challenges. That 

is why Soldiers from the new 

LTATs flew and convoyed to 

Taji’s Phoenix Academy for classroom training from MNC-I C4. 

“We have coalition teams all 

over Iraq carrying out this mission and they all have different 

issues,” Sizemore said. “That’s 

why we brought them here to talk 

about how things should work and 

how things actually do work.” 

The weeklong class not only 

focused on the actual mission of 

logistics but also gave students an 

insight into Iraqi culture with a class 

focused on the religion of Islam. 

“These things may not seem to be 

part of the mission but cultural differences can cause big problems 

and be the difference between success and failure,” Sizemore said. 

Capt. Audrey Iriberri, a student in 

the class, said the class was beneficial in many ways. “We are getting 

all of the LTAT’ on the same sheet of 

music and synchronizing efforts to 

get the Iraqis closer to self reliance.” 

Iriberri also said people sometimes 

do not understand logistics is just 

as important as tactics in terms of 

getting the Iraqis to be self reliant. 

The motto for Army logisticians is “Sustinendum Victoriam,” 

which means sustaining victory. With the new LTAT teams 

in place, that is exactly what 

the Iraqis will be able to do.
Page 4 Victory Times Online

news

Military Happenings Military Happenings

August 8, 2008

Airman takes top songwriting prize

Air Force News Service - Now in its third year, the 

amateur songwriting contest “Songs from the Soul of 

Service” is a collaborative effort between the Dallas 

Songwriter Association and the Defense Department’s 

America Supports You program.

Judges select winners and runners-up in each of 

18 categories, which include country, hip-hop, inspirational, instrumental and pop/rock. They then select 

three of the category winners for grand prizes. 

The top three songs for 2008 are: 

-- First Place: “Ask Me To” by Air Force Capt. Steven Wilson, which took top pop/rock honors; 

-- Second Place: “If Tomorrow Were a Dream” by 

Army National Guard Spc. Greg Pritchard, which was 

the contest’s top country song; and 

-- Third Place: “I Can’t Wait to Love You” by Jill 

Charles, wife of Army Staff Sgt. Robert Charles, the 

top song in the inspirational category. 

A complete list of the winners and runners-up is 

available at www.songssoulservice.org.

Chiarelli becomes 32nd vice chief of staff

Army News Service - In a Pentagon ceremony Monday afternoon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates promoted Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli to four-star general 

and Army Secretary Pete Geren administered Chiarelli’s oath of office as the Army’s 32nd vice chief of 

staff.

Gates, who was Chiarelli’s boss in his most recent 

position as senior military assistant to the secretary of 

defense since March 2007, called the ceremony “bittersweet,” saying, “I’ll miss him. But I can think of no 

one better to take the job [as vice].”

Chiarelli has commanded both the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq and Multi-National Corps - Iraq and has 

served in the military for 36 years.

‘Spirit of the Navy’ helps recruit at Seattle Seafair 

Navy News Service - ‘The Spirit of the Navy’ hydroplane participated in the 59th annual Seattle Seafair Hydroplane Races on Lake Washington Aug. 2-3. 

The Navy’s sponsorship of the hydroplane is a valuable recruiting tool.

“Recruiting at Seafair is important because it gets 

the Navy’s name out there,” said Aviation Boatswain’s 

Mate (Handling) 2nd Class (AW) Frank Concini, NRD 

Seattle. “It lets a lot of people recognize that we are 

out here to support everyone. People see ‘Navy’ on the 

hydroplane and they want to be a part of that.” 

Marine Cadet Program helps inner city kids 

Marine Corps News Service - Marines from 2nd 

Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, escorted the Marine Cadets of America during a field 

trip to Camp Lejeune July 28 – Aug. 2.

The trip allowed the cadets to experience the Confidence Course, Marine Corps Martial Arts demonstrations and other Marine Corps training activities.

The Marine Cadets of America was formally recognized in 1985, when it branched off from the Young 

Marines into a group focused primarily on the Marine 

Corps traditions and way of life.

Captain Anthony DeBiase, the commanding officer, 

Marine Cadets of America, Company A, 1st Battalion, 

said the program helps to keep inner city school kids 

on the straight and narrow path towards a good and 

successful life.

news

August 8, 2008 Victory Times Page 6

however, the mainstay is that 

servicemembers need to be aware 

and “not take any chances with 

adapting or modifying electrical equipment,” said Martin, a 

retired Soldier and veteran of 

eight years in the safety field. 

“I have seen where soldiers 

have used a damaged extension 

cord, taped it up, and daisychained it so they could have 

additional outlets,” he said. 

“Unfortunately, this wire became 

hot, got dirt in it, and then it 

couldn’t trip the power circuit.” 

A fire resulted from this incident, as there have been 

several trailer fires in the past 

few years in Iraq, however, 

preventative measures can be 

taken to help ensure fires of this 

kind are kept at a minimum. 

 Some ways to mitigate 

risk of electrocution or electrical fire, according to a report from TF Safe, are to:

* Ensure surge protectors and power strips remain free of dirt and dust.

* Remove any damaged electrical power strips 

and surge protectors.

* Unplug any devices 

not in use, especially when 

you leave the room.

* Do not use partially burned 

or damaged extension cords.

* Report any electrical problem to the Mayor’s Cell or 

your supervisor immediately

Although it is the servicemembers and first-line leaders’ responsibility to do their 

part preventing electrocutions 

and fires, Martin said; the command also has a responsibility 

to make broader fixes and the 

TF is one step in that direction.

According to officials from 

the MNC-I staff engineer section, there are “ongoing initiatives to combat the electrical 

construction issues in theater...” 

They outline the ‘way ahead,’ 

which in part is to: “identify, 

prioritize [and] correct deficiencies and minimize risk from 

faulty electric materials, installation and maintenance.”

In the meantime, TF Safe 

stresses that all servicemembers, from the top to the bottom, have a responsibility to 

each other to prevent electrical shocks and fires.

“We all must do our part to 

protect the force and eliminate 

needless accidents,” said Col. 

John A. Lenk, director, Army 

Safety Augmentation Detachment, Forces Command, who 

is also the information manager for the safety and communications team of TF Safe.

For more safety informaELECTRIC, from Page 1

tion, visit the Army Combat 

Readiness/Safety Center at 

https://crc.army.mil/home/

Any electrical fire, even those deemed just 

a spark, should be reported to a supervisor 

or Mayor’s cell, explained Jesse L. Martin, 

MNC-I safety director.

Although no standard electrical code exists in buildings in which coaltion forces 

reside in Iraq, members of Task Force safe 

and other officials are working diligently 

to standardize codes and inspect all buildings.

Bad electrical connections can allow dust 

to get into plugs and recepticals. “Any little 

small thing can cause electrical shock or a 

possible electrical fire,” said Jesse L. Martin, MNC-I safety director.