2 Sept. 17, 2007 DEFENSE DIGEST

WASHINGTON - The Army’s new “quick-ship” bonus program is showing success in getting prospective recruits to enlist and is ex-pected to help the Army make its end-of-year recruiting goal, the Army’s recruiting chief told Pentagon reporters.

Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of U.S. Army Recruit-ing Command, credited the $20,000 quick-ship bonus with helping to motivate would-be Soldiers who were “on the fence” about joining the ranks.

The program was introduced in late July to provide a financial incentive for recruits willing to ship off quickly to basic training. In August alone, 200 recruits who were planning to ship in September went a month early.

Bostick said it’s one of several recruiting initiatives the Army has put in place to ensure it meets its fiscal 2007 goals.

This year, for example, the average bonus was up to about $15,000, but some run as high as $40,000, the maximum allowed by Congress.

A new $15,000 bonus and a two-year Army College Fund contri-bution for Soldiers taking the two-year enlistment option are gaining momentum, too, Bostick said. The combination, introduced in July, doubled the Army’s two-year enlistments, he said.

Educational incentives like the Army College Fund, Montgom-ery G.I. Bill and college loan-repayment programs are important, Bostick said, because many recruits hope to further their education.

He called these incentives critical to the Army’s effort to fill its ranks with high-quality recruits at a particularly difficult time. “This is the first time that we have had to recruit an Army into the all-volunteer force during protracted combat operations,” he said. “So it is a bit more challenging.”

Many prospective applicants are concerned about the war in Iraq, he said. That’s reflected in the lowest interest among recruitment-age youth in joining the military than at any other in the past two decades. Twenty years ago, 25 percent of 17-to-24-year-olds said they’d likely serve in the military during the next three to five years, Bostick said. Today, it’s 15.7 percent.

Meanwhile, parents, coaches and other adult influencers con-cerned about the war are less likely to encourage military service, he said. Right now, 25 percent of mothers and 33 percent of fathers say they would recommend military service to their children. That’s down from 40 percent and 50 percent in 2004.

This is all occurring when unemployment is at historic lows, giv-

ArmyNew initiatives raise hopes for army to reach recruiting goals

America Supports You: Freedom Walk spreads wordDoD

WASHINGTON – As more than 10,000 people filled the Pen-tagon parking lot at the end of the third America Supports You Freedom Walk, they were greeted by groups individually working toward the collective goal of supporting troops and their fami-lies.

Representatives of more than 20 groups that support America Supports You were on hand to let people know what they do for the troops. America Supports You is a Defense Department pro-gram connecting citizens and corporations with military person-nel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The groups, which send care packages and letters, offer support to wounded servicemembers and assist military families, agreed the walk gave them the opportunity to tell the participants how they could support the troops.

“There’s a lot of people out there who don’t realize that you can write to a servicemember,” said Kristen Petrella, president of the New Jersey-based Hugs from Home, a letter-writing group. “We’re going to … let them know that, ‘Yes, you can do that.’”

Sharon Buck, Landstuhl Hospital Care Project treasurer, said her group participated for the same reason. “Our purpose today is to hand out pamphlets if people are interested in learning what our mission is,” she said.

The project supports the chaplains’ center at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, Buck said, in the form of a black backpack containing basic necessities that wounded service-members may need but not have when they arrive in Germany, such as underwear, T-shirts, toiletries and other items.

“We need to keep the memory alive,” Carol Watanabe, lead volunteer with Little Patriots Embraced, a Missouri group, said. “It’s important to rally the American people and make them un-derstand that we support … our troops.

“There’s nothing more important than our troops knowing that we are standing behind them,” she said.

ing young people many career options.“But we’re not wringing our hands,” Bostick said. “We are man-

ning this Army. We are doing a pretty good job of it. I think we have a lot who are answering the call to duty.”

As of July 30, 83,000 recruits had joined the active Army and Army Reserve. Nearly 62,000 of them went on active duty, bringing the Army about 1,000 troops ahead of its year-to-date recruiting goal. Nearly 21,500 recruits had joined the Army Reserve by the end of July, about 180 behind its year-to-date goal.

Bostick reported “a very good month” in August, but declined to reveal the Army’s recruiting numbers until the Defense Department releases them next week.

He vowed to close any remaining gaps by Sept. 30 and meet the active Army’s year-end goal of 80,000 recruits and Army Reserve’s goal of 26,500.

The mission of manning the Army isn’t just a challenge for the Army, he said. “This is a challenge for the nation. And if this nation wishes to remain free and enjoy the democracy that we have in this country, it will take Soldiers that are willing to stand up and defend this country as they are in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world.”

Sept. 17, 2007 3NEWS

Contents

Afghans train Afghans with American mentorship 4

Khowst PRT conducts medical engagement in Bak 6

CJTF-82 servicemembers hold Sept. 11 memorial 7

Malaria: Keeping a killer at bay 8

Bagram Airmen celebrate Air Force’s 60th birthday 11

Task Force MED introduces PAD program 12

Engineers create movable base for fighters in field 13

Smart cards for Ramadan month 14

Photos from the field 15

Freedom Watch StaffCommander

Air Force Maj. Elizabeth OrtizNCOIC

Tech. Sgt. Aaron CramPrint Chief

Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis Editor

Air Force Staff Sgt. Sarah GregoryStaff Writer

Senior Airman Christine CollierVisit the CJTF-82 Web site at www.cjtf82.com

Freedom Watch is a weekly publication of Combined Joint Task Force-82.

CJTF-82 Commander Army Maj. Gen. David M. Rodriguez

RC East Public Affairs Officer Army Lt. Col. David A. Accetta

Freedom Watch, a Department of Defense publication, is published each Mon-day by the American Forces Network - Afghanistan Print Section at Bagram Air-field, Afghanistan. Printed circulation is 5,000 copies per week.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 5120.4, this DoD newspaper is an au-thorized publication for members of the U.S. military overseas.

Contents of the Freedom Watch are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government or the Department of Defense.

Deadline for submissions is noon local each Friday. All submissions are subject to editing by the AFN-A Print Section, located in Bldg. 415, Room 205, Bagram Airfield. We can be reached at DSN 318-431-3338.

COVER: A female anopheles mosquito draws blood from a human. The female anopheles carries malaria parasites in Afghanistan. For more informa-tion, see Page 8. (Photo illustration by Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis)

Navy Hospitalman Joshua Bonard, Khowst PRT corps-man (center), discusses the symptoms of an Afghan patient (right) with the help of an interpreter (left).

Representing both the most senior and most junior Airmen in attendance, Air Force Maj. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, director of the Air Component Coordina-tion Element, Kabul, Afghanistan, and Airman Thom-as Hawthorne, 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, ceremoniously cut the service’s birthday cake during the Air Force 60th Anniversary Dinner at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Pg. 6

Pg. 11

4 Sept. 17, 2007 NEWS

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan – For

the first time in known history here, Afghan instructors are training Afghan National Police officers in a series of security forces classes, while two Air Force Airmen provide watchful mentorship from the sides.

The Afghan National police sustainment training is a giant step forward for the future of the ANA and the Afghan military, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Smith, Lagh-man Provincial Reconstruction Team’s po-lice technical advisor.

Smith and Senior Airman Zackary Os-borne are mentors for the instructors.

“From this point on, the Afghans will have a more active role in the development of their police and security forces,” he said. “In the past, coalition and government forc-es supplied the training to the Afghans, but now, as the instructors receive qualification, we can step back and let them train them-selves.”

Afghans train Afghans with American mentorship

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The month-long classes cover a wide va-riety of security-related topics, such as ar-resting procedures and riot control, and are required for all first-year officers. Once the

course is completed, the police officers are no longer considered “rookies” and are given a pay raise.

Smith said he can already see a difference within the classroom.

“The students’ attention is held when the Afghans are instructing,” he said. “They go through the material a lot faster, since nobody has to pause and wait for an inter-preter to translate everything. And we can see how they are catching on to things a lot faster. At this point, all that we [Americans] do is stand back, observe and give sugges-tions every now and then. They are running the show.”

The instructors were trained by a U.S. government-contracted security firm at the regional training center in Jalalabad, a city east of Laghman Province where FOB Mehtar Lam is located.

In a few months, construction will be complete on a provincial training center near the FOB, so more instructors can be lo-cally trained and qualified locally.

“We will be able to hold our classes there at the PTC, rather than inside a tent on

Sky Soldiers

Sept. 17, 2007 5 NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWS

the FOB,” said Smith. “That will be their spot where all their training needs can take place.”

These classes are just part of the Lagh-man PRT’s mission, which serves to provide international aid to the area via security backed by national and coalition forces, re-

construction projects and humanitarian aid delivery. They are also responsible for dis-arming and demobilizing militia forces and deterring terrorist activity throughout the region with the help of locals.

“I’m extremely proud of what my Air-men are doing here with the Afghan mili-

tary and the Afghan police,” said Lt. Col. Robert Ricci, PRT commander. “They have allowed the local authorities to expand their capabilities for security, and because of that, Laghman Province is a lot safer and that allows all of us to work harder to get this province, this country, on its feet.”

Above: Afghan National Auxiliary Police trainees respond to riot control commands from Afghan National Police Capt. Muhammad Ishaq (right) during a training session. The trainees are attending a two-week ANAP sustain-ment course on Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam in Afghanistan’s Laghman Province. The course is being taught for the fi rst time entirely by Afghan National Police instructors. Prior to this class, all ANP instruction was conducted by a police technical advisory team made up of U.S. Air Force security forces Airmen assigned to the Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Top left: Afghan National Police Capt. Sanak (left) teaches a class on Afghanistan’s criminal code to Afghan Na-tional Auxiliary Police trainees.

Bottom left: Afghan National Police Capt. Muhammad Ishaq goes over course notes before teaching a class on fi rst-responder duties to Afghan National Auxiliary Police trainees. With the start of this course the PTAT’s role has shifted to monitoring the course’s progress and mentoring the ANP instructors. The two-week course is required for auxiliary members to become full-fl edged ANP offi cers. The course was written by PTAT members and approved by the Afghan Interior Ministry. Laghman is the fi rst Afghan province to have Afghan instructors teaching an ANP course. The ANP instructors are competitively selected and must successfully complete an in-structor development course taught at a regional training center.

6 Sept. 17, 2007 NEWS

Khowst PRT conducts medical engagement in BakStory and photos by Senior Airman

Christine CollierAmerican Forces Network –

Afghanistan

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Members of the Khowst Provin-

cial Reconstruction Team visited a medical clinic in Bak to treat patients and distrib-ute personal-hygiene products to local Af-ghans.

“We came to Bak to provide direct pa-tient care with the Afghan providers at the clinic,” said Navy Cmdr. Adrienne Sim-mons, Khowst PRT medical provider.

The team spent three hours at the clinic, treating approximately 170 patients for a variety of ailments.

“The most common complaints we saw were musculoskeletal complaints,” Sim-mons said. “Shoulder aches and backaches are very common.”

Additionally, many complaints consisted of headaches and stomachaches, but there were also a few more serious cases where patients had to be referred elsewhere.

“We saw a patient who had asthma and a woman who was bleeding during her pregnancy,” Simmons said. “We referred those cases to another medical clinic to get additional care.”

The team also distributed many person-al hygiene items to patients for infection control and to decrease the risk of commu-nicable diseases.

“Washing hands is a really big deal,” Simmons said. “It prevents a lot of in-fection, and we stress that to the people. When flu season gets here, people washing their hands, covering their mouths, and us-ing tissues will really help keep them from spreading illness.”

Although their time at the clinic was brief, the PRT managed to see almost dou-ble the number of patients the doctors at the Bak clinic see on an average day.

A trip to the clinic also usually costs patients five Afghani per person, a fee that was waived while the PRT was seeing pa-tients.

“We bring them treatment for free on the days we go to the clinics,” said Army Capt. Greg Kellough, Civil Affairs Team – Alpha North team leader. “The word spreads that we’re here and people come from everywhere to be treated.”

In addition to providing patient care,

another goal of the PRT is to develop and maintain relationships with the local medi-cal providers.

“We’re working to build their intellec-tual capacity,” Simmons said. “We’re try-ing to improve their skills and get them experience to perform their jobs better. Af-ter participating in these medical engage-ments, Afghan providers are more active with seeing patients and working with the military providers while we are here. It re-ally is a collaboration effort between all the doctors to provide patient care.”

Although this is the first time the Khowst PRT has been to this particular

Above: Navy Hospi-talman Joshua Bo-nard, Khowst PRT corpsman (center), discusses the symp-toms of an Afghan patient (right) with the help of an inter-preter (left).Left: Army Capt. Greg Kellough, Civil Affairs Team - Alpha North team leader (center), discusses future plans with the Bak medical clinic administrator (left) with the help of an interpreter.

clinic in Bak, they will continue to visit as often as possible to further their relation-ships with the local doctors.

“I think the medical engagement at Bak was a success because the Afghan pro-viders thought it was a success,” Simmons said. “They were happy with the number of patients that came out. They are glad to be able to work with coalition doctors.”

“The PRTs help these people help them-selves,” Kellough said. “The next level is us being in the background helping and advis-ing. After that, the ideal would be just us being able to drop off some medicine and have them take care of everything else.”

Sept. 17, 2007 7NEWS

CJTF-82 servicemembers hold Sept. 11 memorialBy Army Sgt. Jim Wilt

Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – At 5:16 p.m., the only sounds were

the distant drone of helicopter rotors, flags flapping in the wind and the silence of hun-dreds of servicemembers here.

In the eastern United States, it was 8:46 a.m., Sept. 11, six years to the minute after a plane hijacked by terrorists struck the North Tower of the World Trade Cen-ter in New York.

For one minute, the servicemembers at-tending a memorial ceremony were silent. Combined Joint Task Force–82 held the ceremony to remember those who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001, in the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.

“The world that was behind me when I went into school that morning was gone forever and the new one waiting for me that afternoon was wildly different,” said Army Sgt. Gregory J. Barbaccia during his speech at the ceremony.

Barbaccia was a 17-year-old high school student in lower Manhattan dur-ing the attacks. He is now 23 and serving here.

He was the only speaker at the memo-rial who was in New York City on 9-11.

“Downtown that day looked like ex-

actly what it was, a war zone,” Barbaccia said. “A layer of ash covered the streets and a cacophony of alarms refused to cease. I remember the 60-block walk home where my friends and I walked north up the middle of 6th Avenue, which was completely void of all traffic, except for sporadic rescue vehicles from neighboring counties with unfamiliar demarcations rushing downtown, their sirens pierc-ing the eerie silence. Crowds of people gathered outside any establishment with a television, standing like statues in anes-thetized silence.

“From virtually all points in Manhat-tan one could look to the south and see a huge plume of smoke hovering over the rubble where two towers once stood, two majestic American symbols, symbols rep-resenting both commerce in the free world and democracy,” Barbaccia said.

The impact of what happened didn’t hit Barbaccia and his friends until that evening.

“When the death toll was repeated that evening in the media, my friends began grasping the horror that their parents might not be coming home,” he said.

“As for me, in that strange and surreal moment, the die was cast,” Barbaccia added. “A seed in my mind was deeply planted and roots already taking hold.”

Following the attack, Barbaccia said

he and his friends spent their time hand-ing out supplies to rescue workers near “Ground Zero.”

“In my enthusiasm and focus to do what I could, there was no discerning morning from afternoon or day from night,” he said. “Just knowing that I was there to serve, I was there to show my gratitude, I was there to say ‘yes, I believe.’”

The terrorist attacks left their mark on Barbaccia as they left their marks on many others.

“I’ll never forget the acrid smell, the fearful and numbed look on people’s faces, the sounds and the sour taste in my mouth,” he said.

Those memories led him to the Army. “I knew it was my duty to wear this

uniform,” he said. “America needed help and life in [America] has been very good to me and I wanted to give back.

Barbaccia, who has served two tours in Iraq, also said, “The violence of the Sept. 11 attacks helped me decide to join the military.”

In his closing remarks, Barbaccia echoed the thoughts of many servicemem-bers.

“That morning terrorists gave their lives to cause those attacks. So here we stand, six years later, prepared to give ours to prevent further ones.”

Army Sgt. Gregory J. Barbaccia, who was in New York City during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, gives a speech at the CJTF-82 Sept. 11 Memorial at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Army Master Sgt. Steven Sonnen plays “Taps” during the 911 cer-emony at Bagram Airfield.

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8 FEATURE

MALARIAKEEPING A KILLER AT BAY

Story and photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel BellisAmerican Forces Network - Afghanistan

Army Capt. (Dr.) Remington Nevin is a board-certified, preventive-medicine physician.

Malaria can kill you. It’s that simple.

There is no vaccine for the disease. Luck-ily, there is a way to prevent it.

Malaria, endemic to 106 nations (about half the world’s population), affects more people now than ever before. The World Health Organization has made malaria re-duction a chief priority. Bill Gates has do-nated hundreds of millions of dollars to the effort and has called the disease “the worst thing on the planet.”

There are several types of malaria, Plas-modium falciparum being the most danger-ous. It can cause cerebral malaria which has a host of symptoms to include abnormal behavior, impairment of consciousness, sei-zures, coma or other neurologic abnormali-ties. The end result can be death. About one in ten cases of malaria in Afghanistan are caused by falciparum.

Malaria has been all but wiped out in the western world, gone the way of polio and smallpox: a ghost of a disease that affects “those people over there.” Well, now U.S. and Coalition servicemembers and contrac-tors are “these people over here” and need to protect themselves from the disease. Since 2005, over 165 cases of malaria have oc-curred among individuals serving or work-ing in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. So far this year, five U.S. servicemembers have contracted the disease – two of whom had to be evacuated to Germany for more advanced care.

The US military typically prescribes one of two types of medication to prevent the disease. Though no medication is 100 per-cent effective, almost all cases of malaria

among servicemembers have resulted from the member missing doses or not taking the medication correctly. Doxycycline is taken daily, where mefloquine is taken weekly. These medications, in addition to wearing permethrin-treated uniforms, sleeping un-der a bed net when outdoors and applying a 30 percent DEET solution to the skin, can significantly reduce the chances of con-tracting the disease.

As with anything having health or life hanging in the balance, there are questions; Army Capt. (Dr.) Remington Nevin, CJTF-82 preventive medicine physician, has an-swers.

Which medication is right for me: doxycycline or mefloquine?

“The selection of a medication should be tailored to the individual’s tolerance of side effects. Doxycycline is a daily drug and is good for individuals who have a contrain-dication, or reason not to take mefloquine. If an individual takes doxycycline, some side effects they should be looking for are: esophagitis, or upset stomach, caused by taking the pill without enough water. The pill can get stuck in the throat, irritating the lining and causing discomfort. Doxycy-cline can also cause photosensitivity, or easy sun-burning. Women may notice a predis-position to yeast infections taking doxycy-cline long-term.

“Mefloquine is a weekly drug and has few side effects in individuals for whom it is safe to prescribe. Mefloquine should not be taken by those with a history of cer-tain psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and depression, or seizure disorder. Ser-vicemembers who notice a change in their mental status or mood while taking meflo-quine should consult with their physician or healthcare provider to see about switching to another medication. Servicemembers of-ten say that mefloquine makes their dreams more vivid.”

Oops, I missed a dose. What should I do?

“Not being in full compliance with the medication regimen is very common. (continued on page 10)

9FEATURE

MALARIA

10 FEATURE

Many servicemembers will miss the occasional dose of doxycycline or even miss a dose of the weekly mefloquine. When that happens, we encourage servicemembers to take the next dose as soon as pos-sible. So for example, it’s Monday and you forget to take your doxy-cycline. In that case, you want to take it as soon as you remember later on that day. If you happen to forget altogether, then just take your next dose on Tuesday. Don’t double up.

“If you’re taking mefloquine and you normally take it on Mon-day and you miss it, take it as soon as you remember, for example on Tuesday or Wednesday, and then resume taking the medication one week after the day you last took it.”

How will I know if I have malaria?

“Imagine the worst fever of your life, followed by the most intense feeling of cold you’ve ever experienced repeated over and over again every few hours. That’s how most people describe their course of the disease. For the most part, a servicemember will know if they have malaria. If you have a fever here in Afghanistan, it’s very likely to be malaria.”

In winter there won’t be any mosquitoes around. When I go on R&R, there won’t be any mosquitoes there, so I can stop taking my medication during both, right?

“Wrong. Here in Afghanistan we have a form of malaria known as Plasmodium vivax, which often causes disease even when there are no mosquitoes present. Vivax infects the body and the parasite immediately travels to the liver, going into a dormant phase which

may wake up six months or longer after the initial bite. So, if a servicemember gets bit by a mosquito today and then for-gets to take their medication, that parasite may come out of dor-mancy and cause an infection in the winter, which leads to malaria disease. So, we stress taking the medication as long as directed and on R&R, even when there are no mosquitoes present.”

When I leave Afghanistan for good, I’m in the clear?

“Anyone who’s been here in Afghanistan may potentially be in-fected with malaria. The only way to cure that infection is to take another drug called Primaquine, which should only be taken upon return to home station, once the risk of mosquito bites has disap-peared. Once the deployment is over, we prescribe two weeks of Primaquine as terminal prophylaxis to kill the remaining infection that may be hiding in the liver. Servicemembers should talk to their healthcare provider before taking Primaquine, because there are some individuals who should not take the drug – those with a blood condition known as G6PD deficiency. But rest assured, it is safe to drink alcohol in moderation while taking Primaquine.”

Is there anything else I should know?

“You should feel free to approach your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about the drugs you are taking, if you are having trouble with side effects or compliance, or if you want more information on how to further reduce your risk of malar-ia. Education is key to prevention – and an informed servicemember is our best defense against malaria.”

“Imagine the worst fever of your life, followed by the most intense feeling of cold you’ve ever experienced

repeated over and over again every few hours.”

11FEATURE

Bagram Airmen celebrate Air Force’s 60th birthday

Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Seals

455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Airmen here celebrated the Air

Force’s 60th birthday with a dinner and celebration.

Festivities included a POW/MIA/Fall-en Comrade Ceremony, several slide shows and videos focusing on the advancement of airpower since its inception, and a guest speaker, Maj. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, director of the Air Component Coordina-tion Element, Kabul, Afghanistan.

The anniversary dinner was put together by the 60th Anniversary Ball Committee, whose members came from several other Camp Cunningham orga-nizations. Bagram’s Top 3, Bagram’s Chief ’s Group, Bagram’s First Sergeant Council, Route 56 (middle-tier organiza-tion) and Airmen Committed to Excel-lence were all part of the committee.

Master Sgt. Kevin Drake, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group first sergeant, led the committee. “It was challenging to put an event like this together in a combat zone,” he said. “But the volunteers worked incredibly hard to make this happen.”

And make it happen, they did. The evening’s celebration was in a large clamshell tent, complete with patriotic streamers, Air Force decorations and live music provided by the Combined Joint Task Force-82 Band.

The effort and overall look and feel of the decor was to highlight the proud heritage of the Air Force throughout its 60-year history.

“Our Airman’s Creed states that ‘I am faithful to a proud heritage,’” said Sergeant Drake. “That’s exactly why it’s important to put an event like this together; to showcase that proud heritage to the men and women of the Air Force who, on a daily basis, are adding to that proud heritage.”

Part of that heritage was in edible form, with a large cake showcasing the Air Force’s 60th anniversary logo. Before the evening was underway, Airmen lined up for photos with the enormous cake.

Capt. Marc Strohofer, 455th Expe-ditionary Maintenance Squadron, and Master Sgt. Kevin Drennen, 755th Air Expeditionary Group first sergeant, were the emcees for the evening.

After welcoming everyone, the emcees walked the audience through several pre-sentations highlighting the rich history of the Air Force.

Once dinner had been served, Brig. Gen. Bill Hyatt, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, introduced the guest speaker.

Kennedy thanked everyone involved in putting the event together and spoke to every Airman in the room when he told them, “You are all part of this proud heritage. You will remember your time at Bagram for the rest of your lives.

“I’m so thrilled to be part of this international effort to bring peace and

prosperity to the nation of Afghanistan,” Kennedy said. “America’s ground forces are the best in the world, but what gives them the advantage is the asymmetric air and space dominance that only the United States Air Force can provide.”

The general wrapped up his speech by reminding everyone of the importance of their mission in Operation Enduring Freedom.

“It takes professionals, like you, to get the job done,” he said. “You guys are making the mission happen.”

Upon completion of his speech, Hyatt took the stage to thank Kennedy for his words and for attending the ceremony. Hyatt then presented the general a Bagram Airfield coin for his participa-tion.

The celebration ended with a rousing rendition of the Air Force song.

Representing both the most senior and most junior Airmen in attendance, Air Force Maj. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, director of the Air Component Co-ordination Element, Kabul, Afghanistan, and Airman Thomas Hawthorne, 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, ceremoniously cut the service’s birthday cake during the Air Force 60th Anniversary Dinner at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

12 Sept. 17, 2007 NEWS

Dari/Pashtu phrase of the week

Are you hungry?

DariAya shume gursna hasted?(Eye-yah sho-mah goor-ees-nah hah-stayed)

PashtuTaso wazha ye?(Tah-soh wah-ja yaya)

Afghan men typically wear a long tunic over baggy trousers and often wear a vest over the tunic. Turbans are wound around a turban cap. Pashtuns and those who imitate them leave a few feet of turban cloth hanging down, while most in the rest of the country tuck the end in. Pashtun men customarily have their hair cut square at ear-lobe length. Other groups have their heads shaved about twice a month.

Task Force MED introduces PAD programCourtesy of Task Force MED

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Task Force MED, in an effort to

provide immediate medical care to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, has initiated the public access defibrillation program.

The PAD program focuses on training personnel to use an automated external de-fibrillator in the event of an emergency.

The AED is compact, lightweight, por-table, battery-operated, safe and designed for easy use.

The AED is a device about the size of a laptop computer that analyzes the heart’s rhythm for any abnormalities and, if nec-essary, directs the operator to deliver an electrical shock to the victim.

The shock, or defibrillation, may help the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm of its own. The use of defibrillation is the only technique that is effective in correct-ing this abnormality.

The program is being deployed in cen-tralized, high-traffic areas here. The AED

will be displayed in a red box in highly vis-ible areas that are easily accessible.

The 11 locations for the PAD/AED de-vices are:

Koele, Dragon, and North dining facilitiesThe Green Bean near Main BX/PXThe North Green Bean/North Gym The Clamshell GymCamp Cunningham TowerJoint Operations CenterPAX TerminalKBR Fire Department Engine Four.Bagram’s KBR Fire Department and

TF MED ambulance teams used their AEDs on four occasions in the past year on young men and women who, by all ac-counts, were warriors ready to fight. Sud-den cardiac arrest is unpredictable, but preparation could save a life.

Even those who are not CPR-certified can increase the probability of survival and full recovery by quickly retrieving an AED for someone who can administer CPR. Knowing where the AEDs are and

being able to respond means anyone can save a life.

In the time it takes to read this infor-mation, sudden cardiac arrest will have claimed another victim. Cardiac arrest can be caused by a person suffering a heart at-tack, electrical shock or loss of conscious-ness. The signs of sudden cardiac arrest are not breathing (even with occasional “gasps”), no pulse and no signs of life.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports there are 220,000 victims of sudden cardiac arrest every year. About 10,000 occur at home, work or outside the hospital environment. Up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been pre-vented if someone had initiated CPR and an AED had been available for immediate use at the time of the emergency. In sud-den cardiac death, minutes shaved off by use of electricity can mean the difference from unnecessary disability to even death.

Advances in technology, along with proper training, have allowed the average person the opportunity to save a life.

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Sept. 17, 2007 13NEWS

Coalition engineers create movable base for fighters in field

Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coali-tion forces face a mobile and elusive enemy force in the

austere deserts and rugged mountains of Afghanistan. When fighting an enemy such as this, having the ability to quickly build a fully operating base in one of these locations is an invaluable asset.

To aid in the process of building a new firebase, special-op-erations engineers are using a system of pre-building firebases to exponentially decrease the amount of time it takes to build a fully operating base in a new location.

“We’re establishing a base in the middle of nowhere; there is no outside infrastructure,” said a special-operations engi-neer. “If there were buildings or walls there, we could incor-porate them into our construction, but often, that isn’t the case. What we bring is all we have, and the climate is austere so we don’t want to spend a lot of time messing around with construction.”

When the pieces of the base are finished, the components can be transported to the location where the new forward-op-erating base will be built.

“We can move the pre-fabricated pieces to the preset loca-tion by air or ground,” said the engineer. “After they arrive at their destination, our engineers waste no time in beginning construction. We bring bucket loaders, backhoes and cranes to finish the job as expediently as possible.”

After transportation is complete and the pre-fabricated pieces are in place, Army engineers and Navy Seabees com-plete assembly of guard towers, bathrooms, showers and hard-walled living quarters.

In addition, they complete the elements that could not be pre-fabricated, such as defensive positions, electrical systems and walls. Army and Navy engineers work together with the goal of completing the base as quickly as possible.

“Basic engineering skills such as carpentry and electrical and equipment operation are the same for each service-com-ponent engineer,” added the engineer. “The Army and Navy engineers, who create most of the bases in Afghanistan, work together to get the jobs done.”

The method of pre-fabrication also has another advantage over the military’s traditional “go there and build it” method. Taking less time to construct a new operating base allows the Soldiers who live there to spend more time fighting the enemies of Afghanistan.

“A pre-fabricated firebase also provides more immediate force protection measures,” said the engineer. “This reduces time spent defending the Soldiers and Sailors who are con-structing the forward operating base, which changes the focus toward a quicker transition to tactical operations, our primary mission.”

Top: A Coalition forces member works to finish a living-quarters building at Camp Brown, Kandahar Airfield, Af-ghanistan.

Above: Coalition forces members piece together a frame of a hut in Camp Brown, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

14 Sept. 17, 2007 NEWS

Ramadan (pronounced Ramazan) will begin on the evening of Sept. 13 and end on the evening of Oct. 12. Ramadan is a month-long period of fasting during the ninth month of the Is-

lamic Year. Fasting (Roza in Dari, Rojha in Pashto) is one of the five pillars of Islam. During Ramadan, Muslims must abstain from food, drink and intimate rela-

tions during the period from dawn to sunset. Muslims gather for prayer five times during the day: dawn, noon, afternoon,

sunset and finally the evening prayer or Isha’ (Namaz-E-Khoftan in Dari, De Maskhu-tan Lmonz in Pashto), which is the main gathering of the day during Ramadan. Isha’ prayer is followed by Taraweh, a longer, supplementary prayer specific to the month of Ramadan. Generally, Afghans work from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. during the Ramadan period; eat-

ing and drinking in public places are prohibited. During Ramadan there is a significant increase in activities and attendance at

mosques (Masjid in Dari and Pashto), particularly large, central ones. On the evening of the 27th of Ramadan (approx. Oct. 9), Muslims celebrate

Laylat-ul-Qadr (“The Night of Power”). It is believed that on this night the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Holy Quran. The month of Ramadan ends with a three-day, Islamic celebration called Eid al-

Fitr/Eid e Ramadan in Dari Language and Kochnai Akhtar in Pashto (the celebration of Breaking the Fast). On the first morning, there is a special Eid prayer in the mosques followed by three days of festivities and visiting friends and relatives. The three days of Eid al-Fitr/Eid e Ramadan are official government holidays

and most Afghans do not work. Celebratory gunfire is likely to occur during Ramadan, especially on the first

and last days. Dates may vary according to moon-sighting.

2007 smart cards for Ramadan month

Do remain especially sensitive of Islamic cul-tural practices during the month of Ramadan. Do remember those participating in Ramadan

will probably become more tired, irritable and dehy-drated as the month progresses. Don’t serve food or drink or offer tobacco to

any Afghan (including candies to children) between dawn and sunset. Don’t eat, drink or chew gum or tobacco in

the presence of Afghans (or other Muslims) during the day. Don’t perceive an Afghan’s unwillingness to

converse or participate as a sign of a negative attitude toward international military forces. The practice of “restraint” during Ramadan requires those partici-pating to cease all non-essential movement, conversa-tions, eating and drinking in order to fully reflect on their own faith. Don’t enter sacred sites (mosques, shrines, etc.)

or prevent Afghans from participating in Ramadan prayer sessions unless it is an absolute operational re-quirement. Don’t plan meetings with Afghans after 3 p.m.

unless there is an absolute necessity. Do wish Afghans “Happy Eid” (Eid-e-Taan

Mobarak in Dari, Akhtar deMobarak in Pashto) dur-ing Eid al-Fitr/Eid e Ramadan.

Ramadan 2007Do’s and Don’ts

Ramadan 2007Information Card

To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by Dec. 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest that mail be entered by the recommended mailing dates listed below. Beat the last-minute rush and take your mail to your U. S. post office by these suggested dates.

2007 international and military mail holiday mailing dates

EMMS: Express Mail Military Service is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local post office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO of address.

PAL: PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and

girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

SAM: SAM parcels are paid at Parcel Post postage rate of postage with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.

GXG: Global Express Guaranteed is avail-able to over 190 countries via a partnership with Federal Express. See a retail associate at participating locations for a complete list of countries and money-back guarantee details. Some restrictions apply.

EMS: Express Mail International is avail-able to over 190 countries with delivery in 3 to 5 business days. See a retail associate at partici-pating locations for a complete list of countries. Some restrictions apply.

Photos from the field

Sept. 17, 2007 PHOTOS 15

Above: Spc. Tapassi of Alpha Company, 2-82nd Aviation Battal-ion, pulls overwatch security after Coalition forces received small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and mortar fire while searching for Taliban members in Ala Say Valley, Afghanistan.

Left: Army Sgt. Rodemacher of Alpha Company, 2-82nd Aviation Battalion, pulls overwatch security as Coalition forces search for Taliban members in Ala Say Valley, Afghanistan.

Photos by Army Staff Sgt. Marcus J Quaterman

Left: 2nd Kandak Afghan National Army Soldiers and Afghan National Police take a break while searching for suspected Taliban members in Ala Say Valley, Afghanistan.

Back cover: An Afghan boy scowls at the camera as he protects his new prize: a disposable pen given to him by a U.S. servicemember. The boy lives approximately six ki-lometers from Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, near the Pakistani border. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Bellis)