October 5, 2005 Serving the U.S. and Coalition Forces in Kuwait Georgians ready...

DESERTDESERT VOICEVOICEServing the U.S. and Coalition Forces in KuwaitOctober 5, 2005

Georgiansready for

Iraq Pages 6 & 7

Back page Oktoberfest funServicemembers at Camp Arifjanenjoyed an Oktoberfest celebration Sept.24. They held a hot dog eating contest,hot dog and donut stacking competition,burping contest and a chicken dance-off.Photo by Spc. Debralee P. Crankshaw

CFLCC Commanding GeneralLt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb

CFLCC CommandSergeant MajorCommand Sgt. Maj. Franklin G.Ashe

CFLCC Publ ic Affa irs Off icerCol. Michael Phillips

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 October 5, 2005

Volume 27, Issue 011The 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.

Page 3 New CFLCC sergeant major

Page 9 Engineers build on camps

Pages 6&7 Georgia trains

Page 8 BSB-North takes over

Page 4 Remember their sacrifices

Page 11 Community Events

Get to know Command Sgt. Maj. Ashe,the voice of Soldiers to the commander.

The new Base Support Battalion-Northcommand cell at Camp Buehringreplaces the 317th QM Bn.

Soldiers from the 844th EngineerBattalion have completed nearly 400construction missions so far on militarycamps throughout Kuwait.

Georgian soldiers train at Udairi Rangeand Camp Virgina for two weeks in prepa-ration of their peacekeeping mission inIraq.

On the coverSpc. Janine Coogler

Georgian soldiers give a thumbs up tosignal they are ready to fire at theUdairi Range to train-up before head-ing into Iraq for their peace-keepingmission.

CONTENTS 11

Page 10 “Fires of Kuwait”Arifjan communitey learns about thefires that burned in Kuwaiti oil fieldsthrough a video and a panel of experts.

66-77

6

99

Comrades honor Soldiers killed by animprovised explosive device while on aroutine mission in southern Iraq.

Beach Volleyball championship, Ultimatefrisbee tournament, Columbus Day 5K,fall football training camp.

DESERTVOICE

EditorCFLCC PAO/Desert VoiceCamp ArifjanAPO AE 09306

[email protected]

Find us online at www.dvidshub.net

44 Page 5 Victory OlympicsSoldiers compete in various events formedals at the Camp Victory Olympics.

3Desert Voice October 5, 2005

Ashe honored, excited to be Soldiers’ voiceCommand Sgt. Maj. Franklin G. Ashe, the

newly appointed command sergeant major ofThird U.S. Army, U.S. Army Forces CentralCommand and Coalition Forces LandComponent Command, spoke with the DesertVoice about his goals, expectations and com-mitment to helping Soldiers.

With 30 years of Army experience, Ashespoke of the importance of good leadership,teamwork and positive thinking.

QWhat are your goals for 3rd Army,USARCENT and CFLCC?

AAccomplish the mission and take care ofthe Soldiers. Be good ambassadors for

our country with our allies over here.

QHow do you plan on covering the area ofresponsibility?

AI am going to have to roam the battle-field, develop priorities and see where I

need to be to have the most impact in a posi-tive way. It is going to be challenging, but itis a positive challenge. It’s exciting. I amlooking forward to it. The most importantthing for me in the process is to be where Ihave the most impact on our Soldiers,Sailors, Airmen and Marines to take care ofthem and support them as they do the mis-sion.

QWhat are your expectations?

AFor everyone to be professional, live theArmy values, warrior ethos and the

Soldier’s creed. You don’t come into any job with certain

expectations. Initially, up front, you see whatis going on. What’s bothering people, what isnot. How we do this, How we do that.What are the policies? What does the bosswant, what do the privates want? Try toaffect that in a positive way, and find a goodbalance while still accomplishing the mission.I have to remind young Soldiers that youmight not always have what you want, butyou will always have what you need. Sodon’t take anything for granted, and remem-ber the glass is half full.

QHow will the Army transformation effectSoldiers here?

AThe Army has been transforming for afew years now. If Soldiers start looking

at the little things, things have changed allaround them: our uniforms to the ArmyCombat Uniform, rapid fielding initiative -you know, the good equipment, the socks, thet-shirts, all those little things - it is part of the transformation.

They all have probably heard of baserealignment and closure, it is part of thetransformation, too. It is a part of the Armybeing relevant. In order for us to be relevantwe have to change, modernize. We have toconfigure ourselves in such a manner wherewe fight in the most effective way and maxi-mize our weapons … to deploy.

So the transformation is affecting all of us,we are in the middle of it as we fight thiswar. But it is a positive change. It is anexciting time to be in the Army because thechanges that we are making are for the better.

QHow will being the command sergeantmajor here be different from being the

command sergeant major of the 25th InfantryDivision?

AIn a division, it is not as large of anorganization, it is not as multifunctional,

or normally spread out. It is going to beharder to take care of Soldiers because theyare spread out. The rest of it is the same.Being a noncommissioned officer, leading byexample, accomplishing the mission, takingcare of Soldiers and families, the leadershippart is the same just the geography and thetype of units change.

QHow does it feel to be here as commandsergeant major of 3rd Army, ARCENT

and CFLCC?

AHonored and excited to have been giventhe opportunity. It is such a unique

opportunity to be able to work at this level asa NCO. To be able to take care of service-members and officers in this type of com-mand. The reason I am here is to be the voiceof servicemembers to the commander and toalso be the eyes and ears for the commanderso that he knows what impact his decisionsare having on servicemembers.

QWhat helped to lead you to the positionyou are in now?

AFirst off, I have been very fortunate toalways have good leaders training me -

great NCOs and officers have been aroundthat have always showed me what right lookslike and made me train to standard andimpressed upon me to always do the rightthing.

As far as personal accomplishments, I did-n’t quit. A 30-year career in the Army is likea long foot march, you’ve got to keep puttingone foot in front of the other, stay on the rightazimuth and don’t quit.

I made sure that I did things to separateme from my peers in a positive way by vol-untarily taking the tough demanding trainingand asking for the tough demanding leader-ship positions. I am here from great leader-

ship …family sup-port … and great subor-dinates.

QWhyare

there differ-ent livingconditionsforSoldiers?

AMyfirst

priority forSoldiers isthat everybody has a roof over their head anda bed to lie on. Second, is how nice we couldpossibly make it, from air conditioning to pri-vacy and all of those things. Soldiers have toremember that we can’t build all the perma-nent buildings we want. This is Kuwaitiland. For example, the PCBs are temporarybuildings but the reason we put them up wasthe only alternative was tents. So a PCB isstill better than a tent. And they still haveelectricity, air conditioning, have a bed and itis a hard building in terms of protection fromthe environment… This is not a situationwhere you can make a decision that is goingto please everyone. We just have to do whatis right to the most people that we can as fair-ly as we can. I understand there is a have,have-not issue out there, but what I want peo-ple to know is that the change of command isaware of the issue, but what we are doing ismaking sure we are as fair as we can withwhat we’ve got. I understand that the Soldiers want the samequality of life they had at home, but servingin the military there is always sacrifice. Youknow we have Soldiers up in Iraq sacrificingtheir lives.

QAny words of encouragement to service-members?

AAll servicemembers need to rememberthat they are important. Regardless of

their rank, job, duty position, type of service:active, National Guard or Reserve - you areimportant. What you are doing every day inyour military job, whatever it is, is contribut-ing to this war, and it doesn’t get anymoreimportant than that.

It is about standards and discipline. It isabout what is good for the group and not theindividual, so you might not always agreewith what we are doing, but remember we aredoing it in a manner that is best for the group,whether it is how we are living or eating.

Spc. Janine CooglerCFLCC PAO/11th PAD

Command Sgt. Maj. Ashe


Two empty pairs of boots, two Kevlar hel-mets, dog tags, rifles and two photographsrepresented Sgt. Andrew Wallace and Spc.Michael Wendling in a memorial serviceFriday.

The 2nd Battalion, 127th InfantryRegiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard,remembered the two Soldiers of Company C,who died Sept. 26 when their vehicle struckan improvised explosive device on a routineconvoy in southern Iraq.

“This is about honoring Sgt. Wallace andSpc. Wendling,” said Capt. Eric Schack, Co.C commander. “This is about honoring theircommitment to this deployment. It’s abouthonoring their commitment to their fellowSoldiers. This is about honoring their contri-butions to the freedom of our country andIraq.”

Three Soldiers, childhood friends of thefallen, spoke words of tribute.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that it is noteasy to sum up a man’s life with a few feeblewords,” said Sgt. Jake Paulson about hiscomrade Sgt. Andrew Wallace.

He added, “I know I will never do himjustice but I will do my best.

“Andrew to some, Wally to his friends andSgt. Wallace to us here, asked me about theNational Guard about seven years ago,”Paulson explained.

This conversation marked the beginning ofWallace’s military career. To the ranks of theWisconsin Guard Wallace brought a positiveattitude, a strong work ethic and a cornysense of humor. He also brought his bestfriend, Sgt. Dan Kelm.

Wallace and Kelm, with Paulson and Sgt.Mathew Mabee, traveled side by side on theroads of Iraq, escorting military and civilianconvoys filled with essential equipment andsupplies to U.S. and Coalition Forces in thenorth.

Paulson and Mabee gave testimonies ofWallace’s self-sacrifice, but Wallace made theultimate sacrifice when he passed his broth-ers-in-arms and took point position on theconvoy.

“It seems unfortunate for Andrew that hepassed us that morning not knowing what layahead,” Mabee said. “But I know that hewould not have wanted it any other way. Hewould have wanted to go through thatentrance before any of us if it meant wecould live.”

“We just need to keep him and his team’s

sacrifices in our hearts as we continue for-ward on this deployment and in life,” Mabeesaid.

“All we can do now is carry out our mis-sion, because that is what Andrew andMichael Wendling would want us to do,”Paulson said. “We cannot let our cowardlyenemy shake our core values. They want towin by throwing fear into our hearts. Weneed to stand up a little bit taller now and letthem know you don’t mess with men fromWisconsin, men from the United States ofAmerica, men who are not afraid to lay downtheir lives for their country like Wally andWendling.”

“Gentlemen, I know we will never be ableto hear ‘Taps’ or see an American flag againwithout thinking of the sacrifices these mengave. We will always remember how braveAndrew and Michael were and how proud weare of them,” Paulson said.

Describing Michael Wendling, Spc. JustinSchmidtquist recalled words that otherSoldiers used to portray him: “Funny, greatsarcastic sense of humor, morale booster,always smiling, very smart, hard worker andgood Soldier.

“I first met him in seventh grade at one ofour first football practices together. Little didI know that that was the start of all the funwe would have,” he said.

Schmidtquist said Wendling was remem-bered for his made-up songs and dances,pranks and sense of humor.

“He was one of a kind and will truly bemissed by all of us,” Schmidtquist said. “Itseems comforting to know that he was in a

truck with his best friend Jeremy Roskopf.”Roskopf, the third Soldier in the vehicle thatstruck the IED, is receiving medical treatmentfor his injuries.

“They were together and making peoplelaugh on the radio right up to the end. Theysigned up for the National Guard together,they played golf together and it is only fittingthat they ran this mission together.

“Let’s honor his memory and dedicationby keeping him in our hearts as we drive onand continue our mission the way he wouldhave wanted us to,” Schmidtquist said.

“Your death has created a void in our livesthat I cannot explain,” wrote Wendling’sfather, Randall Wendling in an e-mail read byChap. (Maj.) Chad Maxey. Strugglingthrough the grief of his son’s death, he cap-tured his feelings in a letter to Michael andsent it to the Soldiers of the battalion. “It iswith great respect and deepest love I say toyou, you are a hero to all of us.”

The service continued with words of scrip-ture, a memorial message and a prayer.

Brig. Gen. Charles Barr, 143rdTransportation Command commander, thenread from a poem he and his aide, Capt.Noah Brusky, wrote to commemorate thedeaths.

Silence followed as 1st Sgt. DavidChristianson conducted roll call, noting thetwo fallen Soldiers’ absence.

Salutes were fired and the notes of ‘Taps’hung in the desert air. The men of 2nd Bn.,127th Inf. joined leaders, fellow Soldiers andfriends to say goodbye to Sgt. AndrewWallace and Spc. Michael Wendling.

Remember sacrifices, honor fallen

Maj. Jackie GuthrieMaj. Andy Ratzlaff, a former member of the 2nd Bn., 127th Inf. pays tribute to the unit's fallen heroes.

Maj. Jackie Guthrie377th Theater Support Command Public Affairs


Loren Masuoka ran homewith three medals – winning twogold medals in the one- andtwo-mile races and a silvermedal in the four-mile relay dur-ing the Camp Victory OlympicsSept. 24 and 25.

While Masuoka was runningaway with the racing medals,other troops tested their strengthand athleticism in the weight-lifting, tug-of-war, basketballand ping pong events.

“The theme was basedaround the Olympics,” saidFrank Mulder, event coordina-tor. “We wanted to giveSoldiers something to partici-pate in and get them motivated.”

The first-day festivitieskicked off with the one-milerace, won by Masuoka.

Following the run was theping pong tournament, a not-as-well-known Olympic event.Raymond VonGunten used hisquick hand-eye coordination todefeat Donnie Goodson in thechampionship match.

The day concluded with the

male bench press and dead-liftcompetitions. Justin Hackle andLewis Lopez medaled in bothevents with Hackle winning thegold medal in the bench pressand the silver in the dead-lift,and Lopez earning the bronze inboth.

The next day began exactlyas the first day did; Masuokawon a gold medal in the two-mile race.

Next was the 3-on-3 basket-ball tournament. Team D-Blockworked through the field ofteams to take the gold medalover Victory’s Finest.

The Victory Olympics con-cluded with two team events:the four-mile team relay and tugof war.

Soldiers from the 166th AreaSupport Group won the relayrace by more than a minute anda half. “It feels really good tocome out on top,” said JamesThompson, winning team mem-ber. Back at home Thompson isa high school cross-country andtrack coach, so he felt at homerunning on the team.

Like many other units, the166th ASG is at Camp Victory

for a short time as part of theredeployment process. Theyarrived there two days prior tothe Olympics and decided toparticipate in the events beforeheading back to the UnitedStates.

The festivities concludedwith the tug-of-war event whichdecided what unit had thestrongest troops on camp.

Soldiers from Company B,1st Battalion, 24th InfantryRegiment muscled their waythrough every opponent theyfaced to win the 10-man event.

“I think it was great… Ittakes your mind off of not beinghome,” Thompson said.

Victory plans to hold theOlympics every quarter andinvites servicemembers fromevery camp to participate.

“It gives Soldiers somethingto think about other than work… it helps them relieve stress,”Mulder said.

The event coordinator alsospoke of adding more eventsdepending on the turnout.

Mulder said, “The participa-tion was good and we expect itto grow.”

Troops race to gold at Victory OlympicsSpc. Robert AdamsAssistant Editor

Photos by Spc. Robert Adams(Above) Yamil Rosariosprints to the finish givinghis team the gold in thefour-mile relay at the CampVictory Olympics Sept. 25.(Left) Ten Soldiers from Co.B, 1/24th Inf. pull their wayto a gold medal in tug-of-war competition.

One-mile race1st place – Loren Masuoka

2nd place – Sean Gaul3rd place – Peter Bleyer

Ping Pong1st place – Raymond VonGunten

2nd place – Donnie Goodson3rd place – Scott Hamilton

Bench Press (Male)1st place – Justin Hackle

2nd place – Robert Mosher3rd place – Lewis Lopez

Bench Press (Female)1st place – Eddie Jusino

2nd place – Anasell Ramos3rd place – Nelida Gomez

Dead-lift (Male)1st place – James Thompson

2nd place – Justin Hackle3rd place – Lewis Lopez

Two-mile race1st – Loren Masuoka2nd – Mario Tarrats

3rd – Mickey Letourneau

3-on-3 basketball1st place – D-Block

2nd place – Victory’s Finest3rd place – Team Dirty

Four-Mile Relay1st place – 166th ASG

2nd place – EMF-Dallas 3rd place – 166th ASG

Tug-of-War1st Place - Co. B, 1/24th Inf.

Victory Medalists


It looked like an ordinary day at the UdairiRange: trucks were mounted and dismounted,weapons were loaded and pointed up anddown range, and targets were constantlybeing gunned down.

The only difference was the trainees.Instead of U.S. Soldiers, Georgian soldierswere training at the range before sunrise.

More than 500 Georgian soldiers from the21st Battalion began their two-week trainingat the Udairi Range and Camp Virginia onSept. 12. They will be replacing theGeorgian 13th Battalion.

Each soldier from the 21st Battalion wentthrough a series of classes, convoy live fireand entry checkpoint training in preparationfor their peacekeeping mission in Iraq.

Divided into platoons, the Georgian sol-

diers went through half a day of ECP trainingfollowed by half a day of convoy live firetraining. Following their day at the range,the Georgians had a full day of classroomlectures such as culture awareness, criminaldetention rules and regulations classes.

The Georgians did a shadow practicebefore putting live rounds in their weapons,said Capt. Christian Werthmuller, Task ForceGator support team officer. They quickly ranthrough the exercise, corrected any mistakes,and then trained with live rounds.

Instead of taking the slow crawl-walk-runpace U.S. Soldiers are used to, the Georgianstook a faster pace to get more practice withlive rounds, he said. They are infantry sol-diers, so they have a good amount of experi-ence with their weapons, and their leadershipwanted them to move quickly in their train-ing.

The Georgians were able to shoot plenty

of rounds, said a Military ProfessionalResources Incorporated instructor.

“They were quick learners. After a fewpointers they had tight shot groups,” he said.

“All the training is good because it willhelp us survive and complete our missions,”said Georgian 1st Lt. Levan Mikiashvili,Company Alpha, 1st platoon leader.

With the variety of training given to theGeorgian soldiers, they had a chance to learnmore than weapons training.

During the convoy life fire, Georgian sol-diers went through lanes that taught themhow to react during different scenarios. Theywere taught what to do if they came across animprovised explosive device, snipers or havea broken down vehicle.

Another element of training paired U.S.Soldiers with Georgian soldiers and mentoredthem on all the do’s and don’ts of guarding apost, said Sgt. Tom Stewart, range safety offi-

Spc. Janine CooglerCFLCC PAO/11th PAD

Georgia trains at Virginia, UdairiPhotos by Spc. Janine Coogler

During entry checkpoint training, two Georgian interpreters from the 21st Battalion explain the instructions of shooting two rounds intothe targets to Georgian soldiers at Udairi Range at Camp Buehring during a two-week train-up before heading to Iraq.


cer.“We had to help them with the basics;

they didn’t know the three general orders. Sowe had to assist and guide them on the limitsof their duty, who to inform and when theywere relieved,” he said.

“They’re good soldiers,” he said. “Theylisten carefully to detail, are cooperative andstay motivated during their training.”

Although there was a communication bar-rier, it was overcome with help on both sides.TF Gator, the coordinators of the training,provided an Army translator to assist with thefew Georgian translators.

The problem the Georgian soldiers had toovercome was distinguishing what theythought they should do from what they werebeing asked to do on and off the range,Stewart said.

Each training group had a translator torelay the MPRI instructors’ directions andhelp with constructive criticism.

As one of the MPRI instructors went tohelp a Georgian soldier, a Georgian non-com-missioned officer stepped in and took over.

“We are here for guidance,” said an MPRIinstructor. “Their leaders want to take chargebecause they will be with them in Iraq.”

“Overall you can see these soldiers arehaving a good time training,” Werthmullersaid.

The Georgians were able to swap weaponswith their mentors. U. S. Soldiers were ableto shoot a few rounds with the GeorgiansAK-47s and PK machine guns, while theGeorgians were able to let loose a few rounds

Georgian infantry soldiers from the 21st Battalion practice their stance and foot movementbefore shooting live rounds. With the help of Georgian interpreters, Military ProfessionalResources Incorporated instructors were able to communicate guidance.

A Georgian soldier focuses and prepares to shoot at the moving target during entry check-point training at Udairi Range at Camp Buehring.with the M-16.

Werthmuller said it was a great way toend the training day. They were able to workhard, learn and have a good time with someof the U.S. Soldiers who mentored them.

Although there was a known communica-tion barrier, the training went well,Mikiashvili said.

He added, “The goal ... was to receivehands-on training and get familiarized withour specific mission, and that was accom-plished.”

Staff Sgt. Terry RugglesSoldiers monitor the area during their rundown the convoy live fire lanes.

Loading his weapon, a Georgian soldierprepares to shoot live rounds at entrycheckpoint training at Udairi Range atCamp Buehring.


Soldiers from the 317th QuartermasterBattalion are set to redeploy this week afterserving their year-long tour as CampBuehring’s Command Cell.

The incoming unit, the Base SupportBattalion-North, will assume command ofCamp Buehring as well as the other northerncamps in the Area Support Group-Kuwaitwithin the next year.

As part of the incoming and outgoing cer-emonial event for the two battalions, theBSB-North colors will stand its flag at thecommand cell and never come down duringtheir tenure. The unit and soon to be BSB-South will serve under ASG-Kuwait.

“The BSB-North will have CampsBuehring, Victory, Navistar, Virginia and AliAl Salem Air Base under its command andeventually the BSB-South will have CampArifjan and Kuwait Naval Base,” saidCommand Sgt. Maj. Donald Catalon, BSB-North command sergeant major.

“Once in command and control of CampBuehring, my job is to stand up the base offorce for the battalion north,” said Lt. Col.Clinton Pendergast, BSB-North commander.“Eventually we will take command and con-trol of all the northern camps and all aspectsof the northern camps.”

Pendergast said there will be a lot of workahead for his unit but feels their training priorto the change-over has been more than help-ful.

“The transition I believe will go verysmoothly,” he said. “Mainly because the317th provided exceptional Soldiers to left-seat, right-seat ride with Soldiers of the basesupport battalion, which facilitated the learn-ing with our mission here to run the camp.”

“The command group has been here forsome time now, and they are totally aware ofthe challenges ahead,” said Command Sgt.Maj. Mark Massaglia, 317th QM Bn. com-mand sergeant major. “I have no doubt in mymind they will make the same kind ofimprovements in the next year that we wereable to make this past year.”

Over the year, the command at CampBuehring staged more than 70,000 Soldiersheading into Iraq, Massaglia said. They haveadded another dining facility and haveworked with the BSB-North command inbuilding a new gym.

“The expertise from some of our Soldiersreally paid off,” he said. “We had this talentthat stepped up and got things done andwe’re very proud of what we got accom-plished and the experience each Soldiergained.”

While the 317th QM Bn. remains proud oftheir achievements during the year, the BSB-North knows what lies ahead for theirdeployment.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us andthe camp, but we expect it and we’re ready.”Catalon said.

Pendergast said, “as the 317th did, they hitthe ground running … we’re doing thesame.”

BSB-North takes over

317th QM Bn. says goodbye to BuehringSpc. Michael R. NoggleCFLCC PAO/ 11th PAD

Spc. Michael R. NoggleCol. Brick T. Miller, ASG-Kuwait commanderpasses the BSB-North colors to Lt. Col.Clinton Pendergast, BSB-North command-er, who assumes command of the new unit.

A night of jokes, laughs

Spc. Michael R. Noggle(Above) Soldiers from Camp Arifjan had plenty to laugh at as comedians DaveAttell and Scott Kennedy toured parts of Kuwait for their USO comedy showSept. 22. (Right) Dave Attell observes the crowd of nearly 500 Soldiers.

PH2 Gregory Devereaux


Military gains from servicemembers’ hard work...

Around the clock, their work never stops.These Soldiers sweat so future servicemem-bers can live under better conditions andmove faster to complete their missions.

Soldiers from the 844th EngineerBattalion, an Army Reserve unit headquar-tered out of Knoxville, Tenn., have completeda total of 398 missions so far on militaryinstallations in Kuwait.

The combat heavy engineer battalion is incharge of working on all construction projectsin Kuwait to include forming and pavingroads, building berms, portable living areasand maintenance shelters, installing plumbingand electricity and leveling land.

“Our job is to support the infrastructure ofKuwait and do what needs to be done to movetroops north,” said Maj. Erik S. Taylor, 844thEng. Bn. executive officer.

“Soldiers are sleeping in tents we con-structed and driving on roads we built. We’vebeen instrumental in providing life support forSoldiers.”

Some of the major projects completed havebeen at Camp Buehring, the final site forSoldiers to test equipment and receive trainingbefore they roll north into Iraq.

The unit added 30 to 50 percent moreacreage to Buehring by extending the outsideberms, built the new 210-acre ammunitionsupply point, and paved the roads of the con-voy live fire portion of the Udairi Range.

“This has really made an impact for unitsdeploying to Iraq,” said Maj. Jim Daffron,844th Eng. Bn. operations officer.

The unit has even built bench seating inBradley Fighting Vehicles and frames underthe vehicles to store bags for units headinginto battle.

“We might not be the ones fighting upnorth … but it feels good to help the troopsbefore they do,” said Spc. James Robinson,Bravo Company, 844th Eng. Bn. equipmentoperator.

The unit has also transformed much ofCamp Arifjan. Soldiers built a loading dockand put up pre-engineered buildings all overcamp, and in Zone 6 they added a sewer sys-tem, formed gravel parking areas, and are fin-ishing up paving roads and building a newsports-field complex there.

“It’s nice to see that the camp can growdue to our work,” said Sgt. Sean Watson,Headquarters Support Company, 844th Eng.Bn. equipment operator.

“It makes me feel good to improve thisplace,” added Spc. Jarrett White, HSC, 844thEng. Bn. heavy equipment operator. “Theykeep us busy.”

The unit has also gotten the chance to sendtroops to southern Iraq for force protectionengineer missions and to Egypt where theyparticipated in Operation Bright Star by pro-viding electrical, plumbing and constructionsupport.

The Soldiers have put in many hours underthe sun helping transform each camp.

“About 95 percent of the work we do isphysically strenuous and dangerous,” saidStaff Sgt. Richard Blair, Co. B, 844th Eng.Bn. construction site supervisor.

“There is a lot of grunt work … which canbe a physically demanding aspect.”

To deploy here, the battalion, which ismade up of a headquarters company and threeline units, had to add many cross-level andIndividual Ready Reserve Soldiers to itsranks. The unit deployed with Soldiers from38 states.

“I consider it a cross-section of America,”Taylor said.

It’s hard coming into a unit already estab-lished … but after awhile you become apartof the team, said Sgt. Timothy Ney, B Co.,844th Eng. Bn., who cross-leveled from areserve unit in Idaho.

This is also many Soldiers’ first time in thefield, so they have gotten the opportunity tolearn many different engineering job fields.

“Since this is many Soldiers’ first deploy-ment … they have to think on their feet andtake what they have learned at one site to the

next,” Blair said.“I have gotten the chance to learn a lot

about engineering and construction,” saidRobinson, who deployed to Kuwait right afterbasic and advanced training. “I have enjoyedthe experience and want to come back as acivilian contractor.”

The unit arrived here in December andhopes to be home before Christmas.

“We started running the day we got off theplane … started building 15 kilometers ofberms,” Taylor said.

When the unit is at home it is preparing togo to war. It did this by building bridges andpark projects in Tennessee and through real-world missions out of the country in CentralAmerica and Europe.

“We are performing a war-time missionnow … but even if they weren’t deployedthey would be performing real-world missionsabroad,” Taylor said.

In the past three years, the battalion hasbeen deployed to Germany to build an urban-warfare training site, to Romania to build oneschool and refurbish another, and toGuatemala to build two schools and help witha third.

“As an engineer construction asset … weget a lot of opportunities to go overseas andbuild things,” said Capt. Marty Lepak,Headquarters Support Company, 844th Eng.Bn. battle captain. “We have something toshow what we’ve done after we are finished.”

The unit is on the last stretch of its deploy-ment and the Soldiers are proud of their work.

Ney said, “It’s nice to be able to help outand know you accomplished something.”

Spc. Robert AdamsAssistant Editor

Engineers build foundation that moves troops north

Spc. Robert AdamsSpc. Jarrett White, HSC, 844th Eng. Bn. heavy equipment operator, removes an excesspiece of asphalt while paving a road at Camp Arifjan’s Zone 6. The unit has completed atotal of 398 missions so far on military camps in Kuwait.


Negligent discharges need to be stoppedThey pose a significant risk to the safety of all personnel.

To deter any negligent discharge of firearms and to properly document their occurrences,every O-6 level commander within the Coalition Forces Land Component Command area ofresponsibility will ensure that any negligent discharge caused by anyone within their com-mand is immediately investigated and reported to the first general or flag officer in the chainof command.

If an investigation concludes that an individual did in fact negligently discharge hisweapon, he shall receive an administrative general officer memorandum of reprimand orwritten censure.

Commanders shall coordinate advice and support for enforcing this policy with their sup-porting judge advocates.

Judge advocates shall report the status of investigations and administrative reprimandsunder this policy to the CFLCC Staff Judge Advocate.

“Fires ofKuwait”

Arifjan holds cultural event, learns about Kuwaiti history

The smoke was thick and black and agreasy film covered everything. Day becamenight and the sun was nothing more than amemory.

The fires burned relentlessly, spreading thesmoke so far that astronauts could see it fromspace with the naked eye.

This was the scene in Kuwait after Iraqiforces left the country wrecked and burningin 1991, as shown at “The Fires of Kuwait,”cultural event held Sept. 24. The moviedetailed the oil fires started by SaddamHussein’s retreating Iraqi army, the environ-mental and economic devastation that fol-lowed and the remarkable recovery of Kuwaitand its people.

According to the film, more than 600 oilwells were set on fire and burned an estimat-ed five million barrels of crude oil each day.Oil firefighting teams battled 2,000 degreetemperatures as they extinguished the flames.They put out an average of three oil well firesa day, with a record high of 13 in one day

and 52 in one week. At the peak of the fires, 5,000 tons of

smoke cast a plume 800 miles long every day– making the environmental hazard visiblefrom space.

Capt. Raheem Muhammed-Terrell, chair-man of CFLCC’s Cultural Awareness Group,hosted the event and said that the purposewas to teach military and civilian personnelmore about the people outside of the camp.

“We have to endeavor to learn about theirculture and this country’s history, values andbeliefs,” he said.

Terrell added that this is the first in aseries of events planned for all of the bases inKuwait his team his planning to host in thenext year.

After the movie, Saud Al-Nashmi,International Petroleum Consultancy presi-dent; Sulaiman Ali Al-Mansouri,Petrochemical Industries Company seniorstore keeper; and Dr. Teresa Lesher, ArabWestern Awareness Relations Center generalmanager, fielded questions from an audienceof more than 150 military and civilian per-sonnel.

“The first oil fires were put out becausethe smoke was heading into a hospital andwas so thick it was almost killing thepatients,” said Al-Nashmi in his openingremarks, explaining how firefighters priori-tized their work.

The panel also explained how workerscleaned the oil from the sand surrounding thewells and talked about the health problemsthe local populace suffered from the smoke.

“The sickness and health problems I didn’tthink about,” said Sgt. 1st Class CharlesDavis, from CFLCC’s Army Reserve Affairsoffice after the event. “Some of it was veryinteresting, stuff we didn’t hear on the newslike how they controlled the fires,” he said.“It was very educational, especially for youngSoldiers who may not have any memory ofthis.”

The oil well fires created environmentaland economic disasters that nearly crippledthe country. The perseverance of the peoplein Kuwait, with help from many around theworld, turned the disaster in to a remarkabletriumph of the fortitude and will of Kuwaitand her people.

Staff Sgt. Terry Ruggles377th Theater Support Command Public Affairs

Courtesy photoTwo Soldiers watch as oil

fields burn in Kuwait following Operation Desert

Storm.


WednesdayPingpong tournament, 7 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soccerfieldMexican Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stage ThursdayBallroom dancing, 8 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soccerfieldCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1Community Center FridayFriday Fright Night at the Movies, 7 p.m.,Zone 1 Community CenterASG - Kuwait Beach Volleyball champi-onship, 8 a.m., Zone 1 volleyball courtSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soccerfieldArifjan Boxing Team, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6Fitness CenterSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 CommunityCenterSaturdayASG - Kuwait Beach Volleyball champi-onship, 8 a.m., Zone 1 volleyball courtSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soccerfieldSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 food courtCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stageSundayNFL games, 8 p.m., Zone 1 CommunityCenterASG - Kuwait Beach Volleyball champi-onship, 8 a.m., Zone 1 volleyball courtSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soc-cer fieldMondayColumbus Day Softball Tournament, 8a.m., Zone 1 softball fieldSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soccerfieldArifjan Boxing Team, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6Fitness Center TuesdayBallroom dancing, 8 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterBingo Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 CommunityCenterSoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soc-cer fieldWednesdaySoccer league, through Nov. 5, Zone 1 soccer

fieldMexican Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1Community CenterCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 6 stageFor more information call 430-1205/1302

WednesdayWalking Club (5 miles), 5 a.m., commandcell flagpoleThursdayWalking Club (5 miles), 5 a.m., commandcell flagpoleTae-Kwon-Do class, 7 p.m., MWR Tent 1Friday101st Army Band, 7:30 p.m., MWR stageWalking Club (5 miles), 5 a.m., commandcell flagpoleSaturdayBazaarTae-Kwon-Do Class, 7 p.m., MWR Tent 1SundayBazaarWalking Club (10 miles), 4:30 a.m., com-mand cell flagpoleMondayWalking Club (5 miles), 5 a.m., commandcell flagpoleTuesdayWalking Club (5 miles), 5 a.m., commandcell flagpoleTae-Kwon-Do class, 7 p.m., MWR Tent 1WednesdayWalking Club (5 miles), 5 a.m., commandcell flagpoleFor more information call 828-1340

For information call 839-1063

TuesdayBazaar day, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., basketballcourtSmoking cessation class, 10 a.m., chapelEducation awareness/prevention, 1 p.m.,chapelFor more information call 844-1137

For information call 825-1302

WednesdayKing Edward’s Castle Chess tournament, 6 -9 p.m.

ThursdayFree throw challenge, 6 - 9 p.m.Aerobics, 5 a.m., MWRFridayUltimate Frisbee tournament, 6 - 9 p.m.SaturdayUltimate Frisbee tournament, 6 - 9 p.m.SundayUltimate Frisbee championship gameMondayColumbus Day 5KTuesdayAerobics, 5 a.m., MWRSpa Day, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.Fall Football training camp, 3 - 5 p.m.WednesdayHigh Roller Texas Hold ‘em tournament, 6 -9:30 p.m.Fall Football training camp, 3 - 5 p.m.For more information call 823-1033

WednesdayBench and pull-ups, 4 p.m., GymCountry Night, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomThursdayKaraoke Night, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomFridayFoosball, 7 p.m., MWR TentSalsa Night, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomSaturdayDominoes, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomR&B, Hip Hop Night, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomSundayVolleyball, 5 vs. 5, 6 p.m., volleyball courtsOld School Jams, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomMondayBilliards singles and doubles tournament, 7p.m., Sports LoungeTuesdayBingo, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomRock and Techno Night, 8 p.m., Dusty RoomWednesdayHorseshoes, 4 p.m., horseshoe pitsCountry Night, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomFor more information call 832-1045

Virginia

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listed on page 2.

Victory

Spearhead/SPOD

Arifjan

Buehring

Kuwait Naval Base

Navistar

Community happenings for Oct. 5 through Oct. 12

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