Vol. II, Issue 83 Friday’s Online Edition October 24, 2008

victory timesonline

Story and photos by

Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Crisp

MNC-I PAO

More than 50 Iraqi sergeants major from across the country gathered 

at Al Faw Palace Oct. 21 to discuss 

top issues regarding noncommissioned officers in their respective 

security forces.

Attending the conference to offer insight and advice was the U.S. 

Army’s top NCO, Sgt. Maj. of the 

Army, Kenneth O. Preston, who 

was joined by the senior enlisted 

advisor for Multi-National Force 

– Iraq, Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin 

L. Hill. 

The main purpose of the conference, according to Preston, is the 

teambuilding among the sergeants 

major.

“You see these senior sergeants 

major collaborating, sharing ideas, 

Iraqi sergeants major attend conference

empowering each other to provide 

thoughts and ideas and bring that 

back to their leadership,” Preston 

said. “They are well on their way 

to building a professional NCO 

corps.”

The meeting, which also featured 

guest speaker Command Sgt. Maj. 

Adel Abdul Jabar, the Iraqi Ground 

Forces Command top NCO, helped 

enlighten fellow sergeants major on 

the way ahead for the Iraqi NCO. 

This included discussion on the reformation of the senior NCO academies for the Iraqi military as well 

as highlighting lessons learned from 

fellow sergeants major.

“Those sergeants major; some of 

them do excellent jobs in their units, 

and they are going to be excellent 

examples for the other units,” Jabar 

said. “They cannot voice what they 

did unless they have the channel in 

order to voice those successes, so 

this meeting is an excellent opporCommand Sgt. Maj. Adel Abdul Jabar, the 

Iraqi Ground Forces Command top NCO 

talks to more than 50 Iraqi sergeants major Oct. 21 during the Iraq Security Forces 

Sergeants Major Conference held at the AlFaw Palace. 

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston and Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill, senior 

enlisted advisor, Multi – National Force – Iraq, give a round of applause for Command 

Sgt. Maj. Adel Abdul Jabar, the Iraqi Ground Forces Command top NCO following his 

speech Oct. 21 during the third day of the Iraq Security Forces Sergeants Major Conference held at Al-Faw Palace. The main purpose of the conference, according to Preston, 

is the teambuilding among the Iraqi sergeants major.

tunity to show other sergeants major 

from the other units, from the other 

divisions, what they do and to share 

ideas.”

It has also given the Iraqi Security Forces senior enlisted personnel a 

chance to finally meet their counterparts, those of which they may have 

only talked to on the phone.

“These types of meetings do another thing: it creates harmony between the different sections of the 

army and the sergeants major,” Jabar said. “It also put a face to a name 

with all the other senior NCOs.”

This is the third successful conference between the Iraqi sergeants 

major, Hill said

“The conference is going extremely well,” Hill said. “They 

[Iraqi NCOs] are truly becoming the 

backbone of their army, just in the 

few years that they have been reestablished.” 
Page 2 Victory Times October 24, 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.

Victory Times Reports

Sgt. 1st Class James Finney, noncommissioned officer in charge, C3 

Air, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, was 

awarded a Certificate of Achievement 

from Brig. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, chief 

of staff, MNC-I, at Al Faw Palace Oct. 

16. Finney was awarded for his exemplary mission execution during Operation Look South near Basra. His performance as air traffic control NCOIC 

in a harsh and high threat environment was instrumental in transforming Sparrowhawk Landing Zone into 

a safe and efficient airfield conducting 24-hour operations. Finney and 

his three-man team safely landed 30 

U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army fixedwing aircraft. His team’s initiative and 

phenomenal accomplishments were 

at the forefront of successful visits 

MNC-I and Multi-National Division 

– Center commanding generals. 

Unsung Hero

Photo by Pfc. Eric J. Glassey, 13th PAD

An estimated 56 percent of military personnel say they are experiencing financial hardship or concerns. With increased personal 

spending awareness and a debt repayment plan, servicemembers can 

begin moving towards the financial 

stability they want and deserve.

The first key to getting rid of debt 

is to restructure your spending and 

saving habits. Many people turn to 

debt consolidation companies to fix 

their financial issues. In truth, these 

companies simply consolidate your 

debt and spread it out over a longer 

period of time. Monthly payments 

towards your debt are less because 

you’ll be paying towards them longer. This means losing more money to interest. Instead, it’s better 

to fix the source of debt – personal 

financial habits.

When deciding to pay off debt, 

you need to fit it in to a monthly spending plan. This plan, or 

budget, allows you to earmark 

your funds at the beginning of the 

month to ensure they aren’t wasted. Start by allotting money to 

pay for your higher interest debt 

first and gradually moving down. 

Don’t forget to save while you’re 

paying off debt. A solid savings 

account prevents emergency situations from destroying the debt recovery progress you’ve made.

Home Stretch: Getting out of debt

In your budget, savings account 

contributions should be approximately 10 percent of your earnings. 

A good way to make sure you save 

this amount every month is to make 

an allotment from your bi-monthly 

pay. This ensures you can’t spend 

your savings money on something 

else before you get to transfer it. 

If you are saving for something 

specific, such as a family vacation 

or a new car, you should allot an 

additional 10 percent into another 

account. Your standards savings 

should be in case of emergency and 

should consistently have a balance 

equivalent to three to six months of 

your necessary expenses.

After monitoring your spending 

for at least a month, you will be 

able to see where you could afford 

to spend less money each month. 

When starting your budget, allow 

for 35 percent of your earnings to 

go toward housing and utilities. 

The remaining funds go toward 

costs such as food, gas, clothing and entertainment. To decide 

where to spend this money, you 

need to prioritize. If you really 

want to go out on the town a few 

times a month, you might need to 

cut back on your clothing expenditures or use coupons when grocery shopping.

A good way to ensure you 

See DEBT, Page 3
October 24, 2008 Victory Times Page 3

Feature

keep within your budget is to 

pay cash for many items such as 

food, clothing, incidentals and 

entertainment. If you take out 

your month’s allotment for these 

items in cash at the beginning of 

the month, you’re less likely to 

overspend. You can think more 

clearly about purchases and their 

worth if you’re not just swiping 

a card.

The most important thing to remember when dealing with finances is to live within your means. 

Overspending leads to debt. Everyone wants to own nice things 

and to have fun, however, you need 

to think about your credit score and 

your financial future. If you have 

questions about getting out of debt, 

you can contact your unit finance 

office or unit financial advisor. 

Information gathered from www.

johnramsey.com and www.bankrate.com. 

Home Stretch is designed to give 

servicemembers valuable information on situations they may deal with 

upon returning home from deployment. If you have a topic that you 

think would be of value to redeploying servicemembers, please submit 

it to Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante at joy.

pariante@iraq.centcom.mil.

DEBT, From Page 2

Staff Sgt. Johnny Alverez, targeting noncommisioned officer, Multi-National Force-Iraq, took center stage to play harmonica during two of 

Nell Bryden’s songs during her performance on Victory Stage Monday.

Musician Nell Bryden signs CDs after performing a blend of blues 

and soul to a crowd of 100 Victory Base Complex personnel on Victory Stage Monday. She is from New York City and has released 3 

albums including her most recent CD “Second Time Around.” Musician Nell Bryden played more than two hours for personnel stationed on Camp Victory Monday on Victory stage.

Musician hosts concert, entertains Camp Victory

Photo by Pfc. Eric J. Martinez, 13th Public Affairs Detachment

Photo by Pfc. Eric J. Martinez, 13th Public Affairs Detachment

Photo by Pfc. Eric J. Martinez, 13th Public Affairs Detachment
October 24, 2008 Victory Times Page 4

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

Scouts

The Victory Base Council invites 

anyone who is interested in helping 

with Boy and Girl Scouts for the Iraqi 

children to attend the planning meeting 

at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Mayors Cell conference room and attend 

the events they host for the children 

on Saturdays. The show up time is at 2 

p.m. at the shot-up tower in front of Al 

Faw Palace. They depart at 2:10 p.m. 

and head to the Iraqi camp within Victory Base Complex. The event starts at 

3 p.m. and ends around 5 p.m. Anyone 

is welcome to join. No prior scouting 

experience required. More information 

can be found at www.victorybasecouncil.org.

Stories

If you have a religious activity or event 

that you would like to see in the Victory 

Times please contact Pfc. Eric J. Glassey 

at eric.glassey@iraq.centcom.mil or at 

435-2035.

Change of Stole Ceremony

A Change of Stole ceremony will be 

held at Hope Chapel at noon on Nov. 

16. The Change of Stole will be for 

Chaplain Warren Watties as he transfers 

the ministry for the noon gospel service 

at Hope Chapel on Sundays. This will 

also be his farewell service. 

R&R Briefings

Reunion and Suicide Intervention 

Briefings are held at 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.

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.