November 9, 2005 Serving the U.S. and Coalition Forces in...

DESERTDESERT VOICEVOICEServing the U.S. and Coalition Forces in KuwaitNovember 9, 2005

Kickin’ upsand

Page 5

Back page Drowning Pool rocksSpc. Debralee P. Crankshaw

C.J. Pierce, Drowning Pool guitarist, performs at Camp Arifjan with the rest ofthe band Thursday.

CFLCC Commanding GeneralLt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb

CFLCC CommandSergeant MajorCommand Sgt. Maj. Franklin G.Ashe

CFLCC Publ ic Affa irs Off icerCol. Barrett King

CFLCC Publ ic Affa irsOff icer , ForwardLt. Col. Debbie Haston-Hilger

Commander, 1 1th PADCapt. Chevelle Thomas

NCOIC , 1 1th PADStaff Sgt. Kerensa Hardy

Desert Vo ice Ed itorSgt. Jonathan M. Stack

Desert Vo ice AssistantEditorSpc. Robert Adams

Desert Vo ice Staff WritersSpc. Janine CooglerSpc. Debralee P. CrankshawSpc. Michael R. Noggle

1 1th PAD BroadcastersSpc. Christina BeermanPfc. Jheridiah Anderson

2 Desert Voice November 9, 2005

Volume 27, Issue 16The Desert Voice is an authorized publication for membersof the Department of Defense. Contents of the Desert Voiceare not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, theU.S. Government or Department of the Army. The editorialcontent of this publication is the responsibility of theCoalition Forces Land Component Command Public AffairsOffice. This newspaper is published by Al-Qabandi United, aprivate firm, which is not affiliated with CFLCC. All copy willbe edited. The Desert Voice is produced weekly by thePublic Affairs Office.

PPaaggee 33 Honoring troops

Page 9 Veterinary Services

Pages 6&7 Kingdom Fest

Page 8 Mailing deadlines close

Pages 4 Soldier heads to trial

Page 11 Community Events

Lt. Gen. Whitcomb talks about the histo-ry of Veteran’s Day and the importanceof it.

Packages and letters mailed after therecommended dates may still reach theirdestination before the holiday. Holidaysare a peak season for mail.

The ASG-K Veterinary Services fromNaval Support Activity Bahrain, doesn’twork just with animals. They inspectwhere your food comes from.

More than 850 servicemembers and civil-ians glorifed God with music, dance,drama and prayer at the Zone 6 stage Oct.30.

CONTENTS 16

Page 10 Arifjan play water poloThe 115th Area Support Group has start-ed a water polo club. After attendingthree practices, a servicememberbecomes an official member of the team.

55

6

66-77

Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez, HHC, 42ndInf. Div., is going to trial after beingaccused of “fragging” his commanderand another officer in Tikrit, Iraq.

Here are upcoming events: Track andfield meet, quartet singing sensationkaraoke, Poolside cinema, Salsa les-sons, Veteran’s Day race.

DESERTVOICE

EditorCFLCC PAO/Desert VoiceCamp ArifjanAPO AE 09306

[email protected]

Find us online at www.dvidshub.net

1100

Pages 5 Sand, laughs fill KuwaitTwo of sand volleyball’s top female play-ers and four stand-up comedians with the“Comics on Duty” world tour perform andgreet troops in Kuwait.

On the coverPhoto by Spc. Robert Adams

Rachel Wacholder bumps a volleyballduring a sand volleyball game againsttroops at Camp Victory Thursday.j

Veterans Day is Nov. 11. It isonly fitting that as a nation, wetake this day each year to honorour Veterans because we owethem so much.

We are a nation born out ofrevolution. We owe our veryexistence to those who left theirfamilies, farms and shops to fightin the cause of liberty atLexington, Bunker Hill, Trenton,Princeton, Saratoga, Valley Forgeand Yorktown. After the war waswon, it was the Veterans of theRevolutionary War who returnedhome, healed the wounds, wrotea Constitution and created “amore perfect union.” They start-ed a tradition of service that wehonor today.

Although our country has hon-ored its Veterans since the end ofthe Revolutionary War, it wasn’tuntil World War I that a day wasspecifically set aside for this per-son. At 11:00 a.m. Nov. 11,1918, the guns finally fell silentafter four long, bloody years of

trench warfare. It was ArmisticeDay.

For the next 35 years, ourcountry observed Armistice Dayto honor the American Veteransof World War I. But after theveterans of Pearl Harbor,Midway, Guadalcanal, Anzio,Saipan, Normandy, the Bulge,and Iwo Jima came home in1945, Armistice Day clearlyneeded to be changed.

In 1954, PresidentEisenhower, himself a Veteran ofboth World Wars, signed the lawchanging Armistice Day toVeterans Day. With the stroke ofa pen, the country set aside a dayto honor all American Veteransfrom all American wars andpeacetime service.

The Revolution produced ourfirst Veterans, but certainly notour last. Today we are onceagain a nation at war. It has beenmore than four years sinceIslamic terrorists used Americanairplanes to kill more then 3,000Americans in New York, Virginiaand Pennsylvania. In some ways,this War on Terrorism is differentfrom many of our previous wars.

But in other ways it is very muchthe same. We are fighting for ournational security and our way oflife. We are blessed with menand women, people like you, whoare willing to put on the uniformand defend our country.

All Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen,Marines, Coast Guardsmen andour Soldiers in Slacks serving inKuwait in support of OperationsEnduring Freedom and IraqiFreedom have joined the long,proud line of Veterans. LikeAmericans of previous wars, youhave left your families, homesand in many cases, your civilianjobs, to serve our country in itstime of need. We have a veryimportant job to do here support-ing, supplying and training thewarfighters in Iraq andAfghanistan and ensuring thepeace throughout the region.

As I travel around Third U.S.Army/ARCENT/Coalition ForcesLand Component Command, Iam continually impressed by thededication and skill of all ourmen and women. You shouldeach be very proud of your serv-ice here. Rest assured that I

appreciate the many long, hardhours that each of you put in sothat we can accomplish our mis-sion. I urge you to continue thefine work that you are doing. Iam very proud of each of you.Thank you for your service andyour sacrifice. I am equallyproud of the service and sacri-fices of our families who are“keeping the home fires burning”while we are deployed. Pleasethank them and assure them Iconsider them a valued memberof our team as well —PATTON’s OWN.

3Desert Voice November 9, 2005

Lt. Gen. Whitcomb

Lt. Gen. R. StevenWhitcombCFLCC Commanding General

Honoring troops past, presentCourtesy photo

An Army caisson carries the remains of a military veteran through Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery is the resting place for many military veterans.


ASoldier with the 42nd InfantryDivision accused in the murders oftwo superior officers in Iraq will face

a general court-martial recommended by Col.Patrick Reinert, investigating officer.

Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez, Headquartersand Headquarters Company, 42nd Inf. Div.,was charged with two counts of premeditatedmurder in the deaths of Capt. PhillipEsposito, 30, HHC, 42nd Inf. Div., com-mander, and 1st Lt. Louis E. Allen, 34, HHC,42nd Inf. Div., operations officer.

Reinert ruled that reasonable groundsexisted to recommend the Martinez case to ageneral court-martial.

In addition, he found reasonable groundsto believe four aggravating factors existed inthe case that warranted consideration by theGeneral Court-Martial Convening Authorityto refer the case to Capital Court.

The four aggravating factors outlined bythe investigation are:

The offense was committed in such a wayor under circumstances that one or more per-sons, other than the victim were unlawfullyand substantially endangered.

The offense was committed in a time ofwar.

The accused knew that the victims were in

execution of their offices as com-missioned officers.

The accused could be foundguilty in the same case of anotherviolation of Article 118 (Murder);multiple murders occurred in thesame incident.

If Martinez is found guilty of aviolation of article 118(1) of theUniformed Code of MilitaryJustice, the mandatory sentence islife in prison with eligibility ofparole or could receive a deathsentence, said Maj. Matthew P. Ruzicka,chief of military justice, Multi-NationalCorps-Iraq, Camp Victory, Iraq.

During the proceedings, the prosecutionand defense called nine witnesses to testify.The witnesses were from the U.S. ArmyCriminal Investigation Division detectivesinvestigated the scene, an explosive ordnancedisposal technician who examined the sceneand Soldiers from the unit.

There wasn’t a consideration of a direct-fire attack, said Air Force Senior Master Sgt.Kevin Fitzgerald, 184th Ordnance Battalion.It was only after more evidence was gatheredthat it was apparent what happened.

The incident occurred in Esposito’s officeon Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit,Iraq, June 7. Their deaths were initiallythought to have resulted from a mortar round

that struck the window at the“Water Palace.”

It is believed to be a “frag-ging” incident, a term that refersto Soldiers killing their superiors.

Capt. Carl Prober, HHC, 42ndInf. Div., said there were occur-rences when Martinezapproached him and stated howmuch he hated Esposito and wasgoing to “frag” him.

Staff Sgt. David Wentzel testi-fied that Martinez and Esposito

didn’t work well together and heard Martinezstate, “I can’t wait for him to get his.”

The day of the incident, Wentzel wit-nessed Martinez walking up the stairs into thepalace on his way to the shower trailers.While in the shower, he heard three explo-sions nearby and exited the trailer.

“I saw a Soldier standing in the middle ofthe street,” he said. “I notice he was scaredshaking … but he looked like he knew whathad happened.”

Staff Sgt. Ashvin Thimmaiah, HHC, 42ndInf. Div., was with Esposito playing a boardgame at the Morale, Welfare and Recreationtent on the night of the incident.

“He was a good officer and a goodSoldier,” he said.

He added, “He followed the standards, andenforced them to the letter.”

Accused murderer heads to trialSpc. Michael R. NoggleCFLCC PAO/11th PAD

Martinez

Spc. Michael R. NoggleThe vehicle transporting Martinez drives away from his Article 32 hearing at Arifjan. He is accused of killing two superior officers.


Sand, laughs fly in KuwaitPublic Warehousing Company

Logistics brought comedians andtwo professional athletes toCamp Arifjan and Camp Victoryto perform and interact withtroops.

Volleyball greats testKuwait’s sand

Two of sand volleyball’s topfemale players stepped intoVictory’s sandbox to play withtroops and showcase their talentThursday.

Elaine Youngs, who won abronze medal at the 2004Olympic Games in Athens,Greece, and Rachel Wacholder,named the 2005 Association ofVolleyball Professionals MostImproved Player and BestDefensive Player, traveled toKuwait to play volleyball withtroops.

After warm-up games withArifjan troops the night prior, thetwo took their A-game up toVictory, not knowing what toexpect out of the competition.

The first game showcased thetwo females against a team offour Soldiers.

On paper, the Soldiers lookedto have the sure advantage sincethey were able to cover more ofthe court and had the crowd sup-port. But these weren’t youraverage bump-set-spike girls.

With the game tied 6-6, thetwo pros looked to be in rhythmas they nailed four straight shotsdown the throats of their oppos-ing force.

“They are tough and we real-ized they were taking it easy onus… It was all good fun,” saidChief Warrant Officer 4 PatrickD. Southern, Company C, 1stBattalion, 159th AviationRegiment, an Army Reserve unitout of Clearwater, Fla. “We’vebeen in Iraq for a year and thisgave us a chance to relax, seesome nice girls and play some

volleyball.”After the game, the two

females split up and played onopposite teams with any troopwilling to play.

Even after witnessing thefemale’s hard spikes that couldhave dented the strongest of bodyarmor, troops didn’t shy awayfrom the chance to play side-by-side with them.

“It was fun to get people outand play,” said Youngs, who goesby “EY” out on the court. “Iwould love to do this again.”

Another reason the two want-ed to visit troops was to learnabout how they live and heartheir experiences. They both gotto try on body armor, lift a dufflebag, hold .50-caliber rounds,learn about the humvee and viewthe inside living areas ofSoldiers.

“I feel like I got to experiencea little of what war is about byseeing everything,” Youngs said.

“I’m going to leave here witha lot of positive stories and feel-ings toward the military.”

The teammates also got thechance to talk to Soldiers abouttheir experiences while signingautographs and taking pictureswith them.

“This is real,” Wacholder said.“This is so much more than Iexpected … and it makes merealize how removed we are fromit,” Wacholder said. “We arelucky that we have you guys outhere fighting for us.”

Comedians bring laughsto servicemembers

The “Comics on Duty” worldtour showcased four comedianswho brought their stand-up actsto servicemembers at Arifjan andVictory Nov. 2 and 3.

Jack Mayberry, RobertHawkins, John Bizarre and TomFoss are no strangers to troopshaving performed all over theMiddle East.

“I’m here to put on a goodshow,” said Hawkins, who was

an Army combat medic with the2nd Armored Division from 1985to 1988. “I want to give thetroops a solid laugh while I’m onstage for 20 minutes.”

Bizarre has had the opportuni-ty to entertain troops in Iraq,Afghanistan, on three Navy shipsin the Persian Gulf and nowKuwait.

“They are the greatest audi-ence in the world,” said Bizarre,whose brother is a Marine andfather a retired Airman. “Themost rewarding part is whenguys line up to shake yourhand… You can tell it meanssomething to them.”

Some of the comediansinvolved troops in their skits.

“I like John Bizarre because hepicks on me… That’s what makesit the best,” said Staff Sgt. EricaSanders, Company B, 51st SignalBattalion from Fort Bragg, N.C.

Sanders said she also got tosee him perform in Iraq.

Sanders, like most of thetroops at Victory, recently rede-ployed from a tour in Iraq andappreciated the show.

Even though she thought thecomedians were great, Sanderssaid, “I can’t wait to get homebecause this is the longest I’vebeen away from my daughter.”

Spc. Robert AdamsAssistant Editor

Spc. Robert AdamsRachel Wacholder, AVP volleyball star, spikes the ball againsttroops at the Victory beach volleyball court Thursday. Wacholderand teammate Elaine Youngs visited troops in Kuwait, along withcomedians with the “Comics on Duty” world tour.

“Order my steps in your word, dear Lord.Lead me, guide me every day. Send youranointing, Father I pray. Order my steps inyour word.”

As the Camp Arifjan gospel choir sang,worshipers raised their arms in praise and fol-lowed the choir’s lead. With smiles on theirfaces, people rejoiced and gave glory to theLord in a different setting. They were not inthe chapel, they were worshiping outside.

More than 850 servicemembers and civil-ians from Kuwait camps came to fellowshiptogether Oct. 30 at Arifjan’s Zone 6 stage.

“Kingdom Fest is a time for Christians tocome together in a special way to show theCamp Arifjan community what kind of wor-ship opportunities are available to them,” saidChap. (Capt.) Matthew Hall, Arifjan gospelservice pastor.

Some people have a misconception thatchurch is boring and have a narrow view ofworshiping, said Maj. Anthony Wright,Arifjan gospel service co-pastor. “We are outhere to show how exciting, joyful and funworshiping can be.”

Throughout the program, Christians wereministering through music, dance, drama andword.

The music-filled program, designed toenhance the worship experience ofChristians, began with the Arifjan gospelservice choir.

Christians were encouraged through songslike “Order My Steps” and “My Soul GotAnother Dip.”

The songs’ lyrics spoke to the hearts of

several people in the crowd, said Cpl.Maurice Horstead, Arifjan gospel choir saxo-phone player.

“It’s good to see the music move peoplecloser to God,” he said.

Others were ministered to through dance.Ten women dressed in white, which repre-sents holiness and purity, glorified God andspoke to the community with their scareddance.

In addition to the sacred dance andsinging, a skit was performed.

In the skit, people went to McJesus wherethey could personally order the kind of Jesusthey wanted. One customer requested a Pvt.Jesus he could order around. In the end acustomer realized that Jesus cannot be spe-cial-ordered to fit specific lifestyles.

In addition to delivering the word of God,Kingdom Fest brought together the Christiancommunity, said Wright.

“We tried to include all denominations incoordinating Kingdom Fest,” said Staff Sgt.Athena Dickey, Kingdom Fest co-coordina-tor.

The chaplain assistants from all thedenominations gave support in organizingitems for the event. In addition to the varietyof gospel choirs from various camps through-out Kuwait, the contemporary service bandand praise team performed.

“Christians were given the opportunity tofellowship with people they normally would-n’t get a chance to worship with,” Dickeysaid.

Staff Sgt. Derrick Stevenson had his firstopportunity in 10 months to worship with hismother, Master Sgt. Joyce Stevenson.

“It is great to come here and have family

support in a spiritual way as well as a bestfriend,” Derrick Stevenson said.

At the end of Kingdom Fest, people weregiven gift bags full of ministry items. “Thisis our way of reaching and ministering topeople, even when we are not there,” Wrightsaid.

Although it was not the first outside fel-lowship for the gospel service, it was thebiggest Christian event because it incorporat-ed various denominations, Wright said.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see so many peo-ple giving praise,” he said.

Throughout the New Testament the“church” is referred to as a group of peopleglorifying God.

The church is not the building, it’s thepeople.

So the people who came to worship inZone 6 were the church, and they rejoiced forthe opportunity to praise God.


Praising through song, dance, dramaSpc. Janine CooglerCFLCC PAO/11th PAD

Kingdom Fest unifies Christians

Servicemembers take the time to get closerto God through prayer at Kingdom Fest.Christians worshiped through music, danceand drama.

Dressed in white to represent purity and holiness, the dance ministry ministers to the audience through choreographed movements.


Photos by Spc. Janine CooglerCpl. Maurice Horstead plays the saxophone with the Arifjan gospel choir. Throughout the programthe choir helped minister to Christians at Kingdom Fest.

Danielle Thomas led the TotalPraise choir in a worship song.

Kingdom Fest was filled withmusic and ministry.

Spc. Jenna Gram directs theArifjan gospel choir in a song.


ARMYbyMichaelVerret

LIFE

The holidays are almost uponus.

It’s that time of the year whenservicemembers look for the“perfect present” for mom, dador other loved ones. They alsostart thinking about whether theycan mail those presents home andwhen to mail them to ensure theywill arrive on time.

Capt. Megan Mangan, 390thPersonnel Support Companytheater postal inspector, said theday to mail is coming soon.

“Packages going parcel postcan be mailed no later than Nov.12. Space Available packagesneed to mail by Nov. 26 and par-cel airlift mail needs to be in themail no later than Dec. 3.Priority packages and first classmail needs to be in the mail byDec. 5 to ensure delivery byChristmas,” she said.

Packages and letters mailedafter the recommended dates maystill reach their destination beforethe holiday but it is less likely.Customers can mail their pack-ages and letters at any time usingany of the different types ofmailing procedures, the dates arejust a guideline to get that pack-

age or letter home beforeChristmas.

What can be mailed into andout of theater is a little more dif-ficult.

According to Mangan, everypackage goes through an x-raymachine to see what may beinside.

Customs has found guns andrifles, ammo shells, live ammo,lighter pistols, antique guns,magazines, alcohol and pornogra-phy that servicemembers wereeither trying to ship out of or intotheater, she said.

“We even found a comboitem, a lighter shaped like a mor-tar someone sent to a service-member in theater,” she said.

There are also rules aboutcopyright items, imitations ofbrand-name items and rulesabout food and animal products.Check with the local post officebefore buying any item thatmight be questionable to shiphome.

When packaging up that ship-ment of presents, leave the boxopen. Inspectors must be able tolook inside the package as thefirst step in ensuring no contra-band items get into the mail.Keep in mind the box cannotweigh more than 70 pounds or it

will have to be split into twoboxes.

While the holidays are a peaktime for postal operations, theirworkload is consistently highyear round. From Dec. 1, 2004 toSept. 29, theater postal personnelhave moved more than 100 mil-lion pieces of mail into and outof theater, which amounts tomore than 50 tons of mail.

Postal workers have alsoprocessed $2.4 million worth ofcash and stamps and $7 millionin money orders.

And they constantly monitortransit time for parcels and let-ters.

“We want to know how long ittakes, from when mom put thecookies in the mail to when theywere delivered to camp XYZ,”Mangan said.

A parcel package takes anaverage of 11.4 days to move toand from the United States, shesaid. A letter takes 10.9 days.

Those transit times willincrease significantly, as the holi-day mail surge floods the system.That is why the postal unit per-sonnel stress mailing dates so farin advance, she said.

Here is a list of some non-mailable items:

Unexploded or exploded

ordanancePistals, revolvers, rigles and

other conceable firearmsKnives with a blade that opens

automaticallAmmunition (live or spent)Shell casings and magazinesDrugs and paraphernaliaFood products laced with alco-

holChemical warfare defense

equipmentFireworksMatchesCigarette lightersSexually oriented advertise-

mentsLewd or pornographic matterRadioactive materialsMatter inviting violenceLive or dead animalsFor a complete list of non-

mailable items see CentralCommand’s non-mailable articlespolicy.

Staff Sgt. Terry Ruggles377th TSC PAO NCOIC

Holiday mailing deadlines getting closer

Holiday mailingdeadlines

Parcel Post Nov. 12Space Available Nov. 26Parcel Airlift Dec. 3Priority mail Dec. 5First Class Dec. 5


They’re every food plant’s andprime vendor’s worse nightmare;they travel throughout the MiddleEast holding corporations to thestandards of those in the UnitedStates.

Area Support Group-KuwaitVeterinary Services, stationed atNaval Support Activity-Bahrain,inspects all products sold to theUnited States armed forces fromwhere the food is produced tillthe product is delivered to itsfinal destination.

The veterinary team’s mainmission is ensuring the safety offood and water for servicemem-bers and families, said Maj.Donald Beckett, ASG-KVeterinary Services commander.

With more than 160 plants toinspect and three prime-foodvendors, most of the focus stayson the food inspection.

“Every company gets inspect-ed by us before they can sell tothe United States Army,” Beckettsaid. “We make sure all theproper controls are in place toensure a safe product.”

Before the plants and vendorsare inspected, each company isrequired to fill out a question-naire. The majority of the surveyconsists of how the plant or ven-dor conducts operations, theirsanitation policy and employeetraining.

“These are all common proce-dures that we found in all foodplants,” Beckett said. “We arefailing plants frequently for notmeeting our standards… Anyplants or corporations that don’tmeet the standard aren’t allowedto sell to the U.S. Army.”

“All inspections are conductedthoroughly,” said Sgt. 1st ClassDavid Villa, food inspector.

“We keep our eyes on defec-tive products but we’re also look-ing for the approved products,”he said.

“It’s better to catch the prob-

lem now before it hits the shipdecks or shelves at the commis-sary,” said Sgt. Robert Watkins,food inspector.

Once the plants and vendorsare approved, the product isdelivered to the destined ship orbase in theater.

The trucks get inspected aswell, Villa said. If food were toget loaded in a truck that smellslike gasoline, then the food willtaste terrible. No one is going toeat that.

Upon arrival to NSA or anydestination in the country,Watkins goes to the location andinspects the product once more,looking for expiration dates ordefected items.

He also visits the food storeson bases or ships to make surethey aren’t selling those itemsthat are expired or have deficien-cies.

On a weekly basis, most ofthe unit travels to other countriesto conduct scheduled inspections,Watkins said. Dairy, poultry,seafood and meat plants areinspected on a quarterly basiswhile all bakeries and the majori-ty of liquid plants are inspectedsemi-annually.

They look at the product whenit comes on to the base and puton the shelf, Beckett said. Thereis a lot involved between gettingthe food from the plants to theshelves and there are placeswhere the sanitation might not beright or they may be trying todeliver a product that is notapproved or a product that hasbeen stressed for some reason.

“We’re the final check beforeit gets on the shelves,” he said.

With little manpower, the unitis responsible for inspecting 11countries and visits at least oncea month, if not multiple times,Beckett said.

Some people don’t realize therole the unit has in force protec-tion.

These troops work day andnight to ensure the safety and

quality of all the food.“When you think of the

number of people they impactfrom their day to day actions,every Sailor who’s on theship, every person who eatsand buys food on NSA andthe entire product that transi-tions from the prime vendorwarehouses on its way toAfghanistan, they’re the oneswho are doing that work,”Beckett said.

He added, “They’reresponsible for everyone’ssafety and are the finaldefense against any kind ofproblems.”

ASG-K Veterinary Services inspect the Middle East

Photos by Spc. Michael NoggleSgt. Robert Watkins spots a problem with the labeling on the box.

Sgt. 1st Class David Villa inspects a bad patch of lettuce.

Spc. Michael R. NoggleCFLCC PAO/11th PAD

The inspection process is long andgritty but every label is searched.

Making sure food passes the bar


Eight Soldiers gathered in the early morn-ing around Camp Arifjan’s pool. They arrivedwith swimsuits under their shorts, sportingflip flops and swim caps, with towels in handand smiles on their faces.

“How do the horses get in the water?”asked Sally Gill, a member of the 115th AreaSupport Group water polo club. A buzz oflaughter broke out among the group. Theteam started practicing in October under thecoaching of Keegan Smith, 115th HQ com-mander.

“About four of us have played water polobefore, mostly in high school,” said Smith,who started the water polo club in an effort toexpose Soldiers to a new sport. “I am excit-ed that Soldiers are able to escape the heat ina fun way.”

Three days a week for more than a hour,

the team practices its eggbeater, a techniqueof treading water, pump-fake and how tocatch and throw a water polo ball.

Somewhere between the initial organizedstretching, the numerous laps swam andcleaning up equipment, the individualSoldiers grow an understanding of the sportas well as developing a sense of teamwork.

“Through it all, they’re always smiling,”Smith said.

And the individual efforts of the teamdon’t go unnoticed according to Derrell Hill,one of the more experienced members of theteam.

Every day after practice, Smith sends ane-mail out thanking us for our work andtelling us how proud he is and what wentwell. His excitement is contagious, eventhrough e-mail.

After attending three practices, a Soldierofficially becomes a team member. There’sno official paperwork or fancy ceremony, but

the team member earns a USA Water Poloshirt.

Smith coached at Jesuit High School inCarmichael, Calif., before deploying. He alsohas experience in the pool at both high schooland collegiate levels.

While finishing up his bachelor’s degreeat Sacramento State University, Smith starteda water polo club, leading his team to a top-10 rating in collegiate clubs by USA WaterPolo in 1995-96.

“I’ve received support from USA WaterPolo and S & R Sports,” Smith said.

He gained donations of swim caps, shirtsand balls from the two groups.

And Smith’s team is gaining nationalattention in the media. USA Water Polo pub-lished an online article about the water poloclub.

Read more about the team at www.usawa-terpolo.org or in USA Water Polo theMagazine in the coming months.

Troops play water poloSoldiers find oasis in desert

Sgt. Kara Greene115th Area Support Group PAO

Sgt. Robert ScottSally Gill (blue cap), 115th Area Support Group, attempts to steal the ball from Adam Allen, 28th Headquarters and HeadquartersDetachment Battallion, (white cap) during a practice game in the Arifjan pool.


WednesdayTae Bo class, 4:30 p.m., Zone 1 tennis courtsFlag football league sign-up, Zone 1 FitnessCenterFlag football league coaches meeting, 6 p.m.,Zone 1 Fitness CenterBoxing class, 7 p.m., Zone 6 Fitness CenterCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stage Cardio kickboxing, 5 a.m., 1 p.m., Zone 6Fitness CenterThursdayBallroom dancing, 8 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1Community Center Tai Chi, 4 p.m., 8 p.m., Zone 1 FitnessCenterFridayPoolside cinema, Black Hawk Down, 7 p.m.,poolVeteran’s Day Track and Field meet, 8 a.m.,Zone 1 trackBoxing class, 8 p.m., Zone 6 Fitness CenterSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 CommunityCenterSaturdaySalsa lessons, beginner, 6 p.m., intermediate,7 p.m., Zone 1 Community Center room 102Veteran’s Day Track and Field meet, 8 a.m.,Zone 1 trackVeteran’s Day Track meet cookout, 7 p.m.,Zone 1 pavilionBoxing class, 7 p.m., Zone 6 Fitness CenterSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 food courtCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stageHip-Hop step, 1 p.m., Zone 6 Fitness CenterTai Chi advanced, 4 p.m., 8 p.m., Zone 1Fitness CenterThe Ride, 6 p.m., Zone 1 Fitness CenterSundayVeteran’s Day Track and Field meet, 9a.m., Zone 1 trackNFL games, 6 p.m., Zone 1 and 6 FitnessCentersSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stageStep and abs, 5 a.m., 1 p.m., Zone 1Fitness CenterAbs, 8 a.m., Zone 1 Fitness CenterMondayQuartet Singing Sensation Karaoke, 7 p.m.,Zone 1 Community CenterFlag football league preseason, through Nov.18, Zone 1 soccer fieldTae Bo class, 4:30 p.m., Zone 1 tennis courtsTuesdayTexas Hold’em Poker tournament, 7 p.m.,

Zone 1 Community CenterKaraoke Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stageBallroom dancing, 8 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterWednesdayPool tournament, 7 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterTae Bo class, 4:30 p.m., Zone 1 tennis courtsBoxing class, 7 p.m., Zone 6 Fitness CenterCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stageCardio kickboxing, 5 a.m., 1 p.m., Zone 6Fitness CenterStep and abs, 8 a.m., Zone 6 Fitness Center For more information call 430-1205/1302

ThursdayTae-Kwon-Do Class, 7 p.m., MWR Tent 1FridayVeteran’s Day 5K run, 5 a.m. sign-up, 6 a.m.start, Hole in OneSaturdayBazaar, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., MWR Tent 1SundayBazaar, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., MWR Tent 1Salsa dance, 9 p.m.TuesdayTae-Kwon-Do Class, 7 p.m., MWR Tent 1For more information call 828-1340

WednesdayDominoes, 7 p.m., Aerobics roomFridayVeteran’s Day 5K, 5 a.m., West ECPBingo, 7 p.m., Fitness Center bench areaSaturdayHorseshoes, 1 p.m., Horseshoe pitWednesdayCheckers, 7 p.m., Aerobics roomFor more information call 839-1063

WednesdayPool tournament, 8 a.m., MWR tentThursdayPool tournament, 8 a.m., MWR tentFridayPool tournament, 8 a.m., MWR tentMondayFoosball tournament, 8 a.m., MWR tentTuesdayFoosball tournament, 8 a.m., MWR tentWednesdayFoosball tournament, 8 a.m., MWR tent

For more information call 844-1137

For information call 825-1302

WednesdaySlam Jam pingpong tournament, 3 p.m.,MWR dayroomThursdayAerobics, 5 a.m., MWRMovie night, 6 p.m., MWR dayroomFridayVeteran’s Day open mic night contest, 6 p.m.,USO/MWR stageSaturdayAerobics, 5 a.m., MWRFat Pockets 8 -ball tournament, 3 p.m., MWRdayroomMondayFabulous foosball, 3 p.m., MWR dayroomTuesdayAerobics, 5 a.m., MWR“Chubby” checkers tournament, 3 p.m.,MWR dayroomWednesdayBricklayer’s free-throw contest, 3 p.m.,MWR courtsThree-point contest, 4 p.m., MWR courtsFor more information call 823-1033

WednesdayPool tournament, 9-ball, 7 p.m., Sports BarCountry Night, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomThursdayDominoes tournament, 7 p.m., MWR tentKaraoke Night, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomFridayVeteran’s Day fun run, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomSaturdayBazaar, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., Dusty RoomSundayVolleyball tournament, 6 vs. 6, 6 p.m., volley-ball courtsOld School Jams, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomMondayPool tournament, 8-ball, 7 p.m., Sports BarTuesdayUnit Feud, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomWednesdaySoftball tournament, 10 vs. 10, 5 p.m., field Sof MWR tentFor more information call 832-1045

Virginia

Arifjan

Buehring

Navistar

Victory

Spearhead/SPOD

Kuwait Naval Base

Community happenings for Nov. 9 through Nov. 16

DDrroowwnniinnggPPoooollaammppss uuppttrrooooppssFor the story see the Nov. 16 editionof the Desert Voice.

November 9, 2005 Serving the U.S. and Coalition Forces in...

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