Vol. II, Issue 81 Telling the Multi-National Corps - Iraq story October 20, 2008

Victory Times

Poker tournament,

Page 8

Rain safety,

Page 6

Medical command TOA, 

Page 3

Photo by Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord, 13th Public Affairs Detachment

From left: Lt. Cmdr. John Henderson, foreign disclosure officer, CJ2, Multi-National Force - Iraq and the eldest member of the Navy 

present; Cmdr. Al Carver, officer in charge, Iraqi Army section, Iraqi Assistance Group, Multi-National Corps - Iraq and the guest 

speaker for the ceremony; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Wright, theater linguist manager, C2, MNF-I and the youngest sailor 

present, cut a large cake Oct. 13 during the celebration of the Navy’s 233rd birthday at Al Faw Palace.

Navy birthday,

See Pages 4 and 5
Commentary

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, Pfc. Eric 

J. Martinez and Pfc. Eric J. Glassey

The Victory Times 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 is an authorized 

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.

Page 2 Victory Times October 20, 2008

Chaplain’s Corner

Being rushed can often put ethics on back burner 

By Chaplain Mark Frederick

MNC-I Operations

By Pfc. Eric J. Glassey

13th Public Affairs Detachment

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with 

everyone.” Romans 12:18.

As children of Adam and Eve, 

we all have sin. So, it is human 

nature to cause problems. That 

is why we strive for discipline in 

the military; to reduce strife and 

work effectively as a team.

We can achieve peace in our 

lives. I’m not talking about the 

storybook version of peace, but the 

realistic peace achieved through the 

choices we make on a daily basis.

You must decide for peace in 

your life. If you do not decide 

where your goals and standards 

are, the world will decide for you. 

You must develop a set of morals 

to live by. Many find the values they 

need for life in their faith, but we 

also have pre-established standards 

in our respective military services. If 

you have any questions about your 

service’s standards, ask a noncommissioned officer who you respect.

Conflict, by definition, causes 

a break in peace, and we all have 

it in our lives. When something 

bad happens, we tend to attack 

the person and not the problem. 

While it is true that people can 

bring problems into a unit, they 

may not know they are doing it. 

Confronting an individual is often 

the most overlooked but effective means of solving a problem. 

Through settling the differences 

you have with others you will start 

to see peace settle down on your 

life. You won’t achieve enlightenment or ascend to a higher plain of 

existence, but you will have calmer 

days. You may even get more accomplished during the day. Less 

energy will be directed towards 

each other, and your combined 

focus will be towards the mission.

Confronting conflict creates personal peace

Do you remember the story of the 

good samaritan? A man was injured 

by bandits and left on the road to die. 

Two religious authorities passed by 

and did nothing, while an outsider 

stopped to help. What would you do? 

Psychologists John Darley and C. 

Daniel Batson conducted an experiment to replicate the conditions of the 

parable using 40 seminary students. 

They told some students to give a sermon on the good samaritan and others 

to give a lecture on employment 

opportunities for seminary students. 

Some from each group were told to 

hurry because they were already late, 

while others had plenty of time.

On the way to his destination, 

each student passed a man slumped 

over in a doorway, head down and 

eyes closed, obviously in distress. 

As the student passed, the man 

would cough and groan. Would the 

students stop? Darley and Batson 

wanted to know what the difference 

was between the group that stopped 

to help and the group that did not.

Their results were surprising. 

Only 40 percent of students stopped 

to help the man (Only 10 percent 

of those told to rush stopped to 

help). It didn’t matter what topic 

the students were to speak about. 

In fact, some of the students who 

were to preach about the good 

samaritan literally stepped over the 

person in need to get to their destination. The only thing that mattered was they were in a hurry. 

When it came to predicting 

whether a subject would stop to 

help a person in need, the only piece 

of information that mattered was 

knowing how rushed the person 

was. The two psychologists concluded that as our lives become more 

and more rushed, ethics become a 

luxury. Don’t be too rushed to help.

 
October 20, 2008 Victory Times Page 3

News

Fort Bragg-based unit replaces 62nd Medical Brigade 

By Pfc. Eric J. Martinez

13th Public Affairs Detachment

The U.S. Army’s sole 

medical brigade in Iraq 

transferred authority 

Oct. 9 at the Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory.

The 44th Medical 

Command, Fort Bragg, 

N.C., replaced the 62nd 

Medical Brigade, Fort 

Lewis, Wash., as the Army’s medical commanding unit in Iraq during 

the ceremony. 

“Across the globe, 

they [62nd Medical 

Bde. servicemembers] 

have been counted on 

to get the mission done 

and have upheld the 

brigade’s long history 

of professionalism and 

dependability,” said 

Maj. Gen. Paul Lefebvre, deputy commanding 

general, Multi-National 

Corps-Iraq. “On behalf 

of all of us, welcome to 

the mighty 44th and welcome to General Austin’s 

team.”

Col. Patrick D. Sargent, commander, 62nd 

Medical Brigade, expressed his assurance in 

the abilities of the 44th 

MEDCOM. 

“I am pleased to be 

relinquishing the responsibility of this noble 

44th Medical Command takes reigns in Iraq 

as Army’s lead commanding medical unit 

Photo by Sgt. Major. William Byrd, 44th MEDCOM

Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin Perez (left), sergeant major, 44th Medical Command, and Col. Ronald Maul, commander, 44th MEDCOM, 

unfurl their unit’s colors during a transfer of authority ceremony 

Oct. 9 at Al Faw Palace. 

mission to Colonel Maul 

and the Dragon Medics,” 

Sargent said. “I am confident they will continue 

to preserve the sacred 

trust that exists between 

the combatant commander and the medical 

task force.”

The command will 

provide medical care 

and support to more than 

320,000 members of 

U.S., Coalition and Iraqi 

forces, as well as care for 

the more than 120,000 civilian contractors across 

the theater. 

“We provide the full 

spectrum of combat 

health care support, services, as well as facilitate the development of 

the Iraqi healthcare system,” said Col. Ronald 

Maul, commander, 44th 

MEDCOM.

The 44th MEDCOM 

plans on building upon 

current programs and 

facilities set in place by 

the 62nd Medical Bde.

“We intend to expand 

the quality assessments 

program that we have 

started in our seven hospitals to our ambulatory, 

dental and veterinary 

clinics,” Maul said. “We 

will build on the survivability of our casualties 

and lower our disease 

and non battle-related 

injuries, which are at an 

all time low but can still 

be improved.”

This will be the 44th 

MEDCOM’s second deployment in support of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom. Their previous deployment was from 2004 

to 2005.
Page 4 Victory Times

NAVY BI

Navy celebrates rich heritage d

Story and photos by Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord

13th Public Affairs Detachment

Servicemembers and 

civilians celebrated the 

233rd year of the Navy’s 

rich military history Oct. 

13 with a ceremony at Al 

Faw Palace. 

During the ceremony, 

attendees listened to a 

birthday message from 

the Chief of Naval Operations and watched a presentation of the service’s 

heritage to the reading of 

Old Glory; telling of the 

wars sailors have fought 

Sailors present the Navy colors at A

Sailors present the heritage of the Navy to the reading of Old Glory Oct. 13 during the service’s 

233rd birthday ceremony at Al Faw Palace. An American flag was handed off from sailor to sailor 

and finally placed on a table in honor of fallen shipmates.

and the operations of 

which they have been a 

part.

The event gave sailors 

chance to reflect upon 

the history of their service, learn of its great accomplishments and honor 

fallen shipmates.

[The celebration] was 

to share from one generation to the next, our heritage and our legacy,” said 

Cmdr. Al Carver, officer 

in charge, Iraqi army section, Iraqi Assistance 

Group, Multi-National 

Corps – Iraq. 

The celebration of the 

Navy’s history took on 

special importance in a 

deployed environment, 

reminding sailors of their 

roots.

“This is especially 

meaningful here because 

not a single sailor here is 

doing what he normally 

does,” Carver said. “So, 

it’s a chance to embrace 

our identity.”

“There are a lot of 

sailors who are here and 

don’t feel like sailors because they’re out with the 

Army and there’s no water 

around,” said Capt. Philip 

Strozzo, officer in charge, 

cryptologic support 
Page 5

RTHDAY

October 20, 2008

during 233rd birthday ceremony

Al Faw Palace Oct. 13 during the singing of the National Anthem as part of a ceremony celebrating the service’s 233rd birthday.

group, CJ2, Multi-National Force – Iraq. “This 

reminds them where they 

came from.”

The ceremony also reiterated the importance of 

sailors’ missions here in 

Iraq and the flexibility of 

the Navy as a whole.

“I think it’s important 

we’re evolving to the war 

[our country] is fighting 

instead of staying at sea,” 

Strozzo said. 

In the end, deployed 

sailors left with a better 

understanding of their 

service’s significance in 

current operations and admiration for the history of 

their Navy, while embracing the traditions the Navy 

is known for and on which 

the military prides itself. 
Page 6 Victory Times October 20, 2008

Features

By Jesse Martin

Corps Safety Office

Safe driving vital in inclement weather

The cleaning crew in the building where I work does not have 

Winter is coming, and in Iraq, 

that means rain is likely. Rain 

makes road conditions especially 

dangerous for vehicles. Mud and 

film from a mixture of water and 

oil on roads cause tires to lose 

traction. Rain also reduces driver 

perception and decreases visibility, and was a contributing 

factor in many accidents throughout the theater of operations, all 

of which were preventable. 

Poorly maintained roads, 

soft shoulders, erosion and a 

driver’s limited experience increase the likelihood of an accident. Limited visibility, and 

vehicle weight and size affect the 

driver’s control of the vehicle. 

Strict situational awareness is 

the key to mission accomplishment. In order to minimize risks, 

we must apply composite risk 

management to all operations. 

Some steps that should be followed include assessing weather 

and environmental conditions 

during mission planning, conducting route reconnaissance 

and briefing personnel on how 

to prevent a potential accident. 

If roads appear impassable, the 

driver and passengers should dismount and conduct assessment 

prior to crossing or transitioning. 

Tips for mission planning 

include travelling at slower 

speeds when the roads are wet, 

allowing for more stopping 

distance between vehicles, braking earlier and with less force 

and staying toward the middle 

of the road when possible. 

If you see large puddles, 

slow down and drive around 

them if possible. After crossing, tap lightly on the brakes 

to remove excess water. If 

you start to hydroplane, don’t 

brake suddenly or turn the 

wheel. Instead, release the gas 

slowly and steer straight until 

the vehicle regains traction. 

Other tips for safety include 

turning on headlights in lowvisibility conditions, defogging your windows and keeping 

windows and headlights clean. 

Don’t take chances. One mistake 

can cost you or others their lives. 

Interview and photo by 

Staff Sgt. 

Jason R. Krawczyk

Sgt. Blanton Holliday

Unit: 1st Combat Engineer Battalion

Job title: Team noncommissioned officer

Age: 26

Time in service: 9 

years

Family: “Mother, 

Betty Holliday, father, 

Richard Holliday, 

brother, Richard Holliday and Sister Richelle 

Holliday.”

Hobbies: “Shooting.”

Person you admire the 

most: “Gunnery Sgt. 

Carlos Halfcock.”

Why you joined: “To 

serve my country.”

If you weren’t in the 

military you would be:

“Working as a police officer.”

One thing you’d change 

about the Marine 

Corps: “Longer combat 

tours.”

One thing you’d never 

change about the Marine Corps: “Tradition.”

Describe your job in one 

sentence: “Exciting.”

Unusual facts about 

you: “I can’t dance.”

Goals: “Become an E-9.”

Something you wish everyone would do: “Use 

common sense.”

Words of wisdom: “Pain 

is weakness leaving the 

body.”

The best thing about 

being deployed: “Saving 

money.”

Most exiting thing you 

have ever done: “Rapelling down a 200-foot 

rock face.”

Best basic training 

memory: “A drill sergeant put the head of a 

recruit through a window.”

Get to know a Marine...
October 20, 2008 Victory Times Page 7

Community

Coalition Cafe

Breakfast 5:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.

Midnight Dining 11 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Sports Oasis

Breakfast 5:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Dinner 5 - 9 p.m.

Education Center

8 a.m.-midnight

Camp Liberty Post Exchange

8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Fitness Center

Open 24 Hours

Victory Main Post Office

Monday-Sunday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

MNC-I STB Mailroom

9 a.m. - noon

5 - 7 p.m.

Al Faw Palace Post Office

Wednesday and Sunday

1-6 p.m.

Golby Troop Medical Clinic

Sick Call

Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - noon

Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. - noon

Dental Sick Call

Monday - Friday 7:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Saturday 9 - 10:30 a.m.

Mental Health Clinic

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - noon

Post-Deployment Health Briefings

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1 p.m.

Pharmacy

Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - noon; 

1 - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. - noon

Legal Assistance/Claims

Saturday-Monday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Operating Hours

Victory Chapel (Bldg. 31)

Thursday

7:30 p.m......... Latter Day Saints Seminary

Friday

6:30 p.m..............Jewish Shabbat Service

Saturday

11 a.m...Seventh Day Adventist Service

8 p.m. Catholic Mass

Sunday

7 a.m............. Liturgical Protestant Service

2 p.m................. Latter Day Saints Service

4 p.m............... Epicopal/Lutheran Service

Mini Chapel (Bldg. 24F)

Tuesday

7:30 p.m............ Latter Day Saints Service

Wednesday

7 p.m...............................Men’s Fellowship

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

11:30 p.m............... Roman Catholic Mass

Friday

1 p.m..................... Muslim Prayer Service

8 p.m......................... Women’s Fellowship

Sunday

8 a.m................ Eastern Orthodox Service

10 a.m.............. Protestant Sunday School

3 p.m...................Church of Christ Service

7:30 p.m............ Latter Day Saints Service

Hope Chapel (Bldg 24B)

Monday

12 p.m........... Charismatic Prayer Meeting

Sunday

8:30 a.m...... Collective Protestant Service

10 a.m.................... Roman Catholic Mass

12 p.m............................... Gospel Service

6:30 p.m............. Contemporary Protestant 

Service

Warrior Chapel (Camp Liberty)

Friday

6:30 p.m.............Victory Base Open Circle

Worship Hours

AFN 

Freedom Radio All stations are FM

Do you have an announcement about an event of interest to the Camp Victory community? 

Contact Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord at chris.gaylord@iraq.centcom.mil with the information. 

Information for community announcements needs to submitted at least two weeks prior to the 

event to allow for timely publication.

Announcements

Camp Victory Bible Studies

Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.

Women’s Bible 

Study 7 p.m.

Bldg 24F;

Gospel Protestant 

Bible Study

 7 p.m. Hope 

Chapel

Women’s Bible 

Study 7 p.m. Bldg 24F

7:30 p.m. 

Purpose Driven 

Life Bible Study 

(Victory Mayor’s 

Cell, Black Forge 

Conference Room)

Young Adult

Bible Study

5:30 p.m.

Hope

Chapel

Men’s Bible Study

7 p.m. Victory 

Chapel;

Spanish Bible 

Study 7 p.m. Bldg 

24F 

7:30 Book of Matthew Bible Study 

(Victory Mayor’s 

Cell, Black Forge 

Conference Room)

Foundations 

Bible Study, 

Mini Chapel 

6:30 p.m.

SeventhDay

Adventist

10 a.m.

Victory

Chapel

Legal Services

Cooley Law School is offering 

servicemembers free legal consultations via video-conference with an attorney regarding answers to civilian 

legal matters from 8-11 p.m. the first 

Wednesday of each month. For more 

information contact Kathryn D. Hudacek at khudacek@freedomcalls.org 

or (973) 290-7886

Story ideas for Victory Times

Do you know of a good story on 

Camp Victory that you think should 

be covered for the Victory Times? 

Please submit your ideas to Staff. 

Sgt. Joy Pariante at joy.pariante@

iraq.centcom.mil. Please include any 

interesting facts about the topic and 

point of contact information.

R&R Briefings

Reunion and Suicide Intervention 

Briefings are at the Victory Chapel, 

Monday at 3 p.m., Wednesday at 9:30 

a.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. All servicemembers going on leave or redeploying 

must attend this briefing.

ISC (2) Exams offered

CAP, SSCP, CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP, and 

ISSEP exams are being offered for interested military and civilian personnel. Contact 

Michael Kahler at 822-2002. 

Toastmasters

Improve your public speaking skills 

while having fun with creative – goal 

oriented people. No speaking experience 

necessary. Capt. Armin Reyes 318-822-

7627 Armin.reyes@iraq.centcom.mil.

Al Asad ...... 107.3

Ali Base ..... 107.3

Ar Ramadi.. 107.3

Baghdad .... 107.3

Balad ......... 107.3

Fallujah...... 105.1

Kirkuk......... 107.3

Kirkush....... 107.3

Mosul......... 105.1

Q-West ........ 93.3

Taji ............. 107.3

Tal Afar....... 107.3

Taqqadum.. 107.3

Tikrit........... 100.1

MNC-I Chaplain’s Office:

822-7358

The Corps Report

The “Corps Report” is a 15 minute monthly television newscast highlighting the stories and events happening in the Multi-National Corps-Iraq area of operations. The program airs Sunday at 8:15 pm and Monday at 11:15 a.m. on the Pentagon Channel here in Baghdad. The October edition of the newscast will feature stories on the Task Force 62nd Medical Brigade transfer of authority, 9/11 memorial 5k run, Armenian 

end of mission ceremony and Air Force birthday, to name just a few. Be sure and catch the latest edition of 

“The Corps Report” and contact the broadcast team at MNC-I if you have a story idea at 485-4652.
Page 8 Victory Times October 20, 2008

Sports

Story and photo by 

Pfc. Eric J. Martinez

13th Public Affairs Detachment

Top poker players gather for championship tournament

Representatives from eight Morale, 

Welfare and Recreation locations 

around Victory Base Complex 

gathered to participate in the first 

championship poker tournament 

held on Camp Slayer Oct. 10.

“Over 72 players from MWR 

sites around VBC came to our Texas Hold’em tournament,” said Jeff 

Kay, liaison officer, Multi-National 

Corps-Iraq and tournament organizer. “We decided to put on this 

tournament because we knew they 

would all want to play.”

“All of Victory Base Complex 

got together and each sent their 

top eight players up here to play 

for the big prizes,” said Camp Victory poker night coordinator Sgt. 

Nicholas Lunchenbill, multi-channel systems operator, MNC-I. “The 

grand prize is worth about 1,200 

dollars, so it’s pretty big.”

Maj. Kirk Waibel, battalion surgeon, 230th Infantry Battalion, 

battled all other poker enthusiasts 

to claim the donated grand prize of 

an all expenses-paid, two-person, 

two-night stay at the Foxwoods 

Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn.

Prizes for the tournament and 

regular poker nights are all donated from various casinos and poker 

retailers from across the United 

States.

 “I’ve received almost 8,000 dollars in prizes for tournaments like 

these,” Lunchenbill said. “Texas 

Hold’em is getting bigger, and 

I just wish we had more room in 

MWRs to fit more people.”

Texas Hold’em nights are held at 

MWR locations around VBC and 

another championship tournament 

is scheduled to happen in the near 

future. On Camp Victory, poker 

night is held Monday nights at 8 

p.m. at MWR 124.

“This tournament will lead to another event of its kind,” Kay said. 

Sgt. Marlon Lonebear, light wheel vehicle mechanic, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and Maj. Kirk Waibel, battalion surgeon, 

230th Infantry Battalion, play the final hand in Victory Base Complex’s first championship poker tournament held on Camp 

Slayer Oct. 10.