Vol. 1, Issue 7 Published for the Soldiers of the 3rd...

Published for the Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and Task Force LibertyVol. 1, Issue 7 June 24, 2005

Inside: CF Takes a Back Seat Pg. 4 Operation Kalfa Hal Pg. 6 5-25 IED Awareness Pg. 12

FOB SCUNION, BAQUBA, Iraq –When the dust settles and recentlycaptured suspected terrorists areblindfolded and flex-cuffed, it isnot the American Flag on the armsof Coalition Forces seen raised intriumph. It’s the chocolate chipdesert combat uniforms of theIraqi army walking away with thewin.

American Soldiers are not, how-ever, completely out of the victory.

They are standing proud on thesidelines of the battlefield cele-brating their own triumph.

Had it not been for the hardwork and dedication put forth bythe men and women of the MilitaryTransition Teams of the 3rdBrigade Combat Team, a success-ful mission of this nature would beinconceivable.

Training days are anything buttypical for the MiTT team of 2ndBattalion, 69th Armor Regiment,Task Force Liberty.

Sgt. Bryan Smith, a member ofthe training team at ForwardOperating Base Scunion said it’s ahuge obstacle to train soldiers whodon’t understand English buttakes satisfaction in what he does.

“If you can train someone thatdoesn’t understand what you aresaying to them, you can train any-

See IRAQI, Pg. 3

Story and photos by Spc. Natalie Loucks3rd BCT PAO

‘Panthers’stand proud

Sgt. Oscar Gallardo instructs an Iraqi sol-dier on the proper low ready position.

Brigade honorsfallen heroesStory and photos by Spc. Natalie Loucks3rd BCT PAO

FOB WARHORSE, BAQUBA, Iraq, —The display was simple. A guidon foreach of the seven battalions of the 3rdBrigade Combat Team, Task ForceLiberty was presented by a single DogFace Soldier. Behind them, the battal-ion’s company guidons were grouped

2-69 overcomes barriers totrain Iraqi Battalion soldiers

See GYM, Pg. 2

2 Hammer Times June 24, 2005

The Hammer Times is published in theinterest of the servicemembers of the 3rdBrigade, 3rd Infantry Division and TaskForce Liberty. The Hammer Times is anArmy-funded newsletter authorized formembers of the U.S. Army, under the pro-vision of AR 360-1. Contents of theHammer Times are not necessarily theofficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, Department of Defense orDepartment of the Army.

PAO NCOIC, Editor, Hammer TimesStaff Sgt. Sean Riley

[email protected]

3rd BCT PAO Staff WriterSpc. Natalie Loucks

[email protected]

3rd BCT CommanderCol. Steven Salazar

3rd BCT PAOMaj. Steve Warren

[email protected]

Gym dedicated in honor of fallen Soldiertogether in a rack.

A lone platoon formation consistingof Soldiers standing in place of theirfallen comrades stood between the bat-talion display and the National Colors.

In charge of that formation was 1stSgt. Michael Thompson ofHeadquarters Company, 3rd BCT.

“Cpl. Jacob Palmatier,” Thompsoncalled.

“Cpl. Palmatier is no longer with us1st Sgt,” was the response given forevery Soldier who has fallen due tocombat actions during Operation IraqiFreedom and Operation Iraqi FreedomIII.

“Memorial Day is a day to rememberthe Soldiers who fell during combat forthe sacrifices they made,” said Maj.Steve Warren, 3rd BCT Public AffairsOfficer, “and it’s a day to celebrate allthey sacrificed for.”

May 30 on Forward Operating BaseWarhorse meant so much more to

Soldiers of the 3rd BCT.The ceremony held that day in the

newly built gym focused on the fallencomrades of the SledgehammerBrigade during OIF and OIF III.

Sgt. Maj. Bobby Bowens of theBrigade S-3 said the ceremony was dif-ferent than any other because theseSoldiers were known personally bythose who attended.

“To be able to see and hear the oper-ations, asking the question ‘has any-body died’ fighting alongside of themand watching them lose their livesgives Memorial Day a bigger impact,”he said.

Sitting in the audience alongsidethe Soldiers, non-commissioned offi-cers and officers of the 3rd BCT werefour members of the 1st Squadron,17th Calvary Regiment, to honor theirbrothers in arms, Chief WarrantOfficers Joshua Scott and MatthewLourey, whose Kiowa Warrior helicop-ter crashed May 26 in central Iraq.

“I think the four pilots were

impressed that their buddies were upon our Wall of Heroes and were part ofour Memorial Day ceremony,” saidBowens. “I really think it touchedthem.”

The gym where the ceremony washeld was dedicated to Sgt. 1st ClassDavid Salie. The new structure wasnamed after Salie because he was thefirst casualty in combat actions duringOIF III, Bowens said.

A large, hand painted sign withSalie’s picture, name and unit wasunveiled to the audience and also tohis wife, friends and family who werewatching the ceremony in the WTVM,Channel 9 studio in Columbus, Ga.,live via satellite to the U.S.

“(Kellogg, Brown and Root) whomade the sign went above and beyondtheir call of duty when they made this,”Bowens said.

Bowens said other fallen Soldiers ofthe Sledgehammer Brigade will beremembered through street signsthroughout FOB Warhorse.

Continued from Pg. 1

3

TF 1-10 Provides Security for CASoldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion,10th Field Artillery stack against a wall inpreparation to clear a room May 21 indowntown Baquba, Iraq. Task Force 1-10provided security for the 411th Civil AffairsBattalion as they completed an assess-ment mission across from the Civil MilitaryOperation Center downtown.

Photos by Spc. Natalie Loucks

While conducting and assessment of localbusinesses in Baquba, Sgt. Joseph Skelly ofthe 411th Civil Affairs Battalion located at theCivil Military Operation Center, takes a care-ful look at the concessions along the side-walk and chats with store owners. CA teamsroutinely conduct assessments of area busi-nesses, facilities and services.

Iraqi soldiers learn the basicsbody,” Smith said with pride.

Iraqi soldiers are trained in everything thatAmerican Soldiers are taught in basic training. Theylearn dismounted patrolling, map reading, land navi-gation and even drill and ceremony, complete withArabic cadences.

They are provided the opportunity and training tobecome combat lifesaver certified and to conductproper military communication techniques.

On June 4, 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion,2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division stood in forma-tion facing eight paper silhouettes. The first twosquads took a knee as Sgt. Oscar Gallardo, a memberof the TF 2-69 MiTT, gave a safety brief on muzzleawareness.

After the briefing, the Iraqi students fell into threeeven rows in front of the range with all the grace ofday 1 U.S. basic trainees.

“Jazime,” was the call from a translator positioned

on top of the HESCO barriers. The students snappedto the low-ready.

“Hadif!” A platoon of unloaded AK-47 assault riflesrose to the targets.

“Boom, boom,” was the response from the IA sol-diers before returning to the low ready.

It wasn’t until the instructors felt each soldier waswell prepared for live ammunition that the dry fireexercise progressed to live ammunition.

The next task was to conduct buddy team move-ment towards, along side of, and away from the tar-gets while placing well-aimed fire.

Two at a time, Iraqi solders were led down range byAmerican instructors who held the Iraqi’s ballisticvests.

“We hold on to them and lead them down rangebecause we don’t want them to move the wrong wayand shoot their buddy in the back of the head,” saidSgt. 1st Class Travis Roark, non-commissioned offi-

See NEW, Pg. 11


Hammer Times June 24, 2005


KHALIS, Iraq – 2nd Battalion, 69thArmor Regiment, 3rd Brigade CombatTeam, Task Force Liberty takes pride inthe progress of the Iraqi citizens in theirarea of operation.

“Where Coalition Forces used to sit atthe table during the council meetings, wenow sit in the back seats,” said Capt.Chas Cannon, Task Force 2-69 Armor’sS-5. “We will only speak if we are asked aquestion.”

The councils of Hibhib, Jadeda,Salam, Udaim and Khalis in thePanther’s Area of Operation have come along way. Where they used to depend onCoalition Forces for help in achieving afunctional government, they are nowbeginning to manage their own selfreliant government.

On June 2, 21 representatives fromthe Qadah (county), cities and surround-ing Nahias (sub-districts) sat around along conference table in a dimly lit roomin Khalis. A single fan blew hot airaround the room.

There were no lap top computers orcoffee machines at this meeting, onlyproud Iraqi citizens taking their first fewsteps towards justice for the better oftheir people.

The meeting brought various issues tothe table involving the health and welfareof local citizens.

During previous meetings there wasno support for the Iraqi Security Forces,Sadique Al Saddi, chairman of the KhalisCity council, now praises the soldiers andpolicemen who are doing their best tokeep his city safe.

“The Iraqi army and the Iraqi police aredoing their jobs with dignity and respect,”said Sadique.

Each issue brought to the meetingwas considered with great attention andconcern.

One hour of the conference was dedi-cated to discussing changes that need tobe made within the city’s health depart-ment.

According to the council, bribes, falsepayments, smuggling, chronic absen-teeism and a shortage of medicine plaguethe Khalis hospital.

The council believes that Ali Abrahim,the hospital director, may be corrupt andagreed to bring him before the council totestify. They could vote to fire him.

Council members believe appointingDr. Eham Ahmed Al Mash, a female doc-tor, would rectify these problems.

The Khalis counsel, like many Qadahcounsels throughout AO Hammer, issteadily transitioning to independence.The largest responsibility that the councilhas assumed so far is project manage-ment. There are over $20 million of coali-

tion funded projects in Khalis, and thePanthers have transitioned responsibilityfor planning, managing and executingthe projects to the Khalis counsel.

Large projects such as constructionand reconstruction of schools, mosques,highways, sewage systems and waterfacilities are a major part of rebuildingthe Khalis community. According toCannon, funding is the only contributionput forth by Coalition Forces in AOPanther. The transition will continue in2006 when a budget will be submitted forBaghdad to take over funding to the city.

At the meetings, the council membersare more concerned with the well-beingof the Qadah as a whole, and less withtheir own welfare. They listen to the peo-ple of their villages and they listen to eachother.

The key, according to Cannon, is tomake the government look legitimate tothe citizens of Khalis and they are doinga great job.

Coalition Forces take back seat in recent council meetings

Chairman of the Khalis council, Sadique Al Saddi, hands documents to a council memberduring a council meeting June 2 in the city of Khalis.

Story and photo by Spc. Natalie Loucks3rd BCT PAO

Bump, Set...Photo by Spc. Natalie Loucks

The Company C, 203rd Forward SupportBattalion volleyball team, the“Painkillers”, take the gold medal in theForward Operating Base WarhorseVolleyball championship, May 30 slidingpast the “Cougars” of the 3rd BrigadeTroops Battalion in a two game win. ThePainkillers play with a five man team andtook 1st place in a 16 to 14 win and anoth-er 15 to 10 win.

5Hammer Times June 24, 2005

Friday

1 to 3 p.m.Muslim Juma Prayer

6 to 8 p.m.Jewish Prayer and Fellowship

Sunday

8 to 9 a.m.Early Bird Protestant – Chaplain(Capt.) Smith

9 to 10:30 a.m.Gospel – Chaplain (Capt.) Pickens

11 a.m. to NoonMid-Morning Protestant – Chaplain(Maj.) Rauch

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.Latter Day Saints

1:45 to 2:45 p.m.Roman Catholic

8 to 9:30 p.m.Evening Protestant – Chaplain (Capt.)Smith

Bible Study

Tuesday:6 to 7 p.m. at Education Center –

Chaplain (Capt.) Pickens

Wednesday:7 to 8 p.m. at Warhorse Chapel-

Chaplain (Capt.) Smith

Mid-Week Service

Thursday:7 to 8 p.m. at Warhorse Chapel –

Chaplain (Capt.) Pickens

Friday:10:15 p.m. – Chaplain (Capt.) Smith

‘Movie of the Week’

Warhorse ChapelWorship sChedule

Who has not marveled at thebeauty of a sunset?

We stand motionless, awestruck,hushed by the flaming sky as thesun moves over the western horizon.

Seeming tohesitate amoment, theglowing orb sud-denly drops out ofsight, leaving thesky ablaze withbrilliant shades ofpink, orange, andred.

Somehow the frustration of theday are put to silence by the majes-tic, yet soothing voice of God as weview a glorious sunset.

Because the sun’s rays are

slowed down slightlyand bent by theearth’s atmosphere,the sun appears tobe oval-shapedrather than round.

That, along withdust or smog in theair, explains the daz-zling array of colorsthat gives us somuch visual pleasure at day’s end.

To Christians,every sunset is anexclamation pointgiven to us by Godthe Creator to endthe day. It’s as ifthe Lord were say-ing, “Set asideyour worries. Rest

from your labors. Forget about thosedisappointments. I am still here,taking care of My universe.

I am in control. I have notchanged. Look up beyond the sun toMe and be at peace.”

The voice of God at sunsetListening to His wordscan simplify your lifeBy Chaplain (Capt.) Tommie Pickens203rd FSB Chaplain

PICKENS203rd FSB Chaplain

“The Mighty One, God the Lord,has spoken from the rising of thesun to its going down.”

--Psalm 50:1

1-30 Soldier honors Army ValueIntegrity was the Army Value running through the mind of Spc. Aaron Clark, an M2A2Bradley Fighting Vehicle driver for Company B, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment,Task Force Liberty. On May 19, Clark found a wallet containing $12,000 on a chair out-side of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation building on Forward Operating BaseWarhorse, Iraq. Where many people might take on a “finders, keepers” attitude, Clarkturned the wallet into the FOB Warhorse gym just as he had found it. “I was definitelygoing to turn the wallet in but I was still afraid people might wonder what I was doingwith all that money,” Clark said. Camali Colak, the owner of the wallet and also a localnational carpet vendor on FOB Warhorse thanked Clark by giving him a free carpet.Colak, who receives visits from Clark on a regular basis said, “It’s good to know thereare people out there like that.”

Photo by Spc. Natalie Loucks


Operation Kalfa Hal

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor,Task Force Liberty, led by their Iraqi Armycounterparts, search houses duringOperation Kalfa Hal on May 29, in Quryat AlIslatt, Iraq. The operation was conductedto find contraband and suspected insur-gents in and around the village of Quryat AlIslatt. The mission resulted in the arrest ofnine suspected insurgents, confiscation ofseveral weapons from AK-47 assault riflesto surface to air missiles, (SA-18s), and ille-gally obtained Iraqi Army and police uni-forms.

Photos by Air Force Staff Sgt. Suzanne Day

Mission seen asstep in rightdirection for Iraqiself-sufficiency

7Hammer Times June 24, 2005


Mandatory experience of a lifetime

I love my job. Most people can’tsay that. Most people can’t say alot of the things I can say afterbeing deployed to Baquba, Iraqduring Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

Soldiers of the 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, Task Force Liberty,have been in country for approxi-mately five months and havealready witnessed more historythan most had slept through intheir high school history class.

I remember the exact moment Istarted thinking of this deploymentas an amazing experience ratherthan merely a year away from thecomforts of home.

Freezing cold, I was sitting in theback of an LMTV on my way fromLogistical Staging Area Anacondato what would be my home for thenext year or so, Forward OperatingBase Warhorse in Baquba.

The ideas I had about what Iraqwas going to be like were no com-parison to what I was experiencing.And that was just the beginning.

As a Public Affairs Specialist andcombat journalist I am fortunateenough to have the opportunity toget out and see Iraq from everypoint of view and every differentMOS.

I have walked with the infantry-men as they patrolled the streets ofBaquba in search of high-valuedtargets and weapons caches.

Hours upon hours of walking in100 degree weather with my cam-era and lenses, Justin (my M249machine gun) and 500 rounds.

Despite the fact we were there tosearch every nook and crannies oftheir houses, most of the peoplewere warm and welcoming. Theyoffered food, handshakes andthumbs-up. They would stand withtheir arms around the AmericanSoldiers and motion for me to taketheir pictures.

In return, we would offer candy,“Shoran” (thank you) and a wave

as we moved on to the next house.On other missions, I have

walked into schools and seen thesmiling faces of children as theyflocked to us holding out therehands for gifts that they know wealways bring.

“Mista, mista,” they said as theygathered their friends and gave methe take-my-picture hand signal.Every American Soldier is a “Mista”regardless of what gender they are.

Moving out into the town andmingling with the local Iraqi peopleis amazing and completely reward-ing.

In one house I went in during araid, an Iraqi woman hugged andkissed me then started crying onmy shoulder. She explained to me,through a translator, how both ofher sons were killed by SaddamHussein. She then held my hand inhers and told me I was her baby.“Appreciated” is only one word andan understatement of how I felt.

In addition to socializing withthe local people of Iraq, I have beenable to witness, first hand, the newgovernment moving forwardtowards Iraqi self reliance.

I stood almost on the stageMarch 24 as former Governor ofDiyala Abdulla Rasheed Hassan AlJaboary handed over the Iraqi flagto Governor Ra’ad Hameed Juwad

during the very first transfer ofgovernment through free election.

The transfer was peaceful. Iknew a diplomatic transition wassomething unheard of and incon-ceivable before Coalition Forcestook action.

The government, the Iraqi secu-rity forces and the people of thisgreat nation are becoming moreand more independent.

We as American Soldiersdeployed to Iraq are right in themiddle of this amazing transforma-tion.

Coalition Forces are giving theIraqi people back their countryslowly but surely.

In a ceremony held May 1, I wasable to witness the unveiling of thenew Government building,

I have taken pictures of the Iraqiarmy training shortly before theymove out into their own towns tofight the insurgency.

These soldiers are amazing peo-ple. We as American Soldiers aretrained to basically fight the “badguy” but can you imagine if the badguy is your neighbor? These bravemen are fighting their own people.

I am privileged to be fightingbeside these soldiers towards agoal of Iraqi self reliance and I amhonored to be a part of this greatIraqi history.

By Spc. Natalie Loucks3rd BCT PAO

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Suzanne DayAn Iraqi Army soldier gives apricots to Spc. Natalie Loucks, a journalist with the 3rdBrigade Combat Team, Public Affairs Office, on May 25, near Hibhib, Iraq.

Privilege, honorfelt by thosewhose footprintslinger in Iraq

“N’doh!”Just like Homer Simpson, that’s

what you say when you look for yourstuff and find out you’re missingsome Government equipment. Itcould be anything. Your sleeping sys-tem. A piece of your rucksack.Worse yet, Night Vision Goggles. Or,maybe you broke something. Forexample, maybe you backed ahumvee into a cheap-o tin buildingand caused some minor damage. Or,maybe the engineyou were workingon was found tohave faulty ringsand ended up damag-ing the entire system. Evenmore often, you worked in supplyduring a change of command andthe command believes thatyour lack of attention todetail may have resulted insome missing items. Ineither case, you find yourselffacing a Financial Liability Officerwho is considering whether theGovernment wants to take money outof your pay because they feel yournegligence caused the loss or dam-age. That cannot be legal!

But it is. Yet, you are not withoutrights, and the burden is on theGovernment to show not only thatyou were negligent, but that your

negligence was the proximate causeof the loss.

But ‘taint fair! It seems that way.But if you sit and think about it, ifthere were no financial penalties forcarelessness, many Soldiers wouldnot properly safeguard military prop-erty. This would result not only inwaste of taxpayer dollars, but alsocould create security risks, i.e., notsecuring NVGs.

You get many, many chances toavoid liability. That’s because theArmy is fair and only wants to takeyour hard earned dollars if you reallydeserve it. If financial liability is rec-ommended, you have seven calendardays to submit a rebuttal, and toreceive assistance from HammerJustice in writing the rebuttal. If youare far away, you get more time torebut.

The Financial Liability Officer mustconsider your rebuttal. Whether heagrees with you or not, he submitsthe report, with your rebuttal, to theAppointing Authority, normally thebattalion commander. Then the bat-talion commander forwards a recom-mendation to the Approval Authority,

usually Hammer 6, Col.Salazar. Hammer 6will thoroughlyreview the record. Ifhe believes youshould still be heldliable, “fawgetaboutit!”

Just kidding. Youmay still win! Youcan submit aRequest forReconsiderationto H6 based on

legal error or newevidence. Again, you can have

legal counsel assist you. If you don’tget relief at that point, there is yet stillmore hope. Your Request forReconsideration automaticallybecomes an appeal to theCommanding General of the 42nd Inf.Div. At that point, the Appeal

Authority has more flexibility withyour request. He can grant, deny, orgrant in part. In other words, youcan have the amount of your liabilityreduced, something the ApprovalAuthority is not authorized to do.

Now, what if the CG or his delegatestill finds you liable. No problem. Ifyou are enlisted, you may then sub-mit a Request forCancellation orRemission ofIndebtedness, underAR 600-4. This iswhere you get to tellyour sob story andshow hardship. Ithas to be a bona fideprivation, not a Vegasgambling loss. If thatdoesn’t work, you canask for an extensionof the collection period. You wouldsee finance about that.

If all that fails, then what? There ismore! Officers and enlisted can applyto the Army Board for the Correctionof Military Records under AR 15-185for help. These applications requirecareful attention to detail and musthave a solid basis to get relief. Butthere is no harm in trying. Maybe theproperty has been found. Maybe theGovernment did not follow proce-dures. Maybe someone in the chainof command has had a change ofheart and will vouch for you. Yougotta exercise your rights.

Now, back to Homer. Let’s say Pvt.Homer Simpson lost his boots whilewalking barefoot on a field exercise.Before holding him liable, theFinancial Liability Officer will have toconsider his age and experience indeciding whether or not he is liable.Under this scenario, Pvt. Simpsoncannot lose! He is too inept to gainany experience. Or, he is too stupidto be held liable!

HAMMER JUSTICE! Is here tohelp.

9

Hammer Times will accept your stories and photos! Send your submissions digitally by emailing the Editor [email protected], or bring them to the Public Affairs Office next to the 3rd BCT TOC on FOB Warhorse.Submissions should be single spaced, non-tab format and are subject to editing of content by the Hammer Timesstaff. Ensure all identification used in stories includes rank, first name, last name, duty position, hometown andunit. When submitting photos, please include information on all people in the shot. DO NOT embed photographsinto the story! Please include author’s point of contact information will all submissions.

Longer name, same dealReports of Survey-- Now they’recalled FinancialLiabilityInvestigations ofProperty Loss

MOORE3rd BCT SJA

By Maj. John Moore3rd BCT SJA

Got a story to tell?



I have spokenwith several Soldiersabout reenlistmentand just taking timeto tell them thatthey have optionsopens their eyesimmensely. Thereare many Soldierswho love their joband the Soldiersthey work with, buthave not been counseled on reen-listment. Squad leaders must visittheir career counselor or reenlist-ment NCO to receive the best avail-able information prior to sittingdown with their Soldier and coun-seling them. There are manyoptions available but Soldiers mustunderstand their request is basedupon their military specialty andthe availability of the installationthey are requesting. There are sev-eral professionals who are availablefor the Soldiers. These Career

Counselors are working countlesshours to ensure their needs aremet. These counselors are Sgt. 1stClass Stevens of the 1st Battalion,15th Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt.Lucas of the 1st Battalion, 30thInfantry Regiment, Sgt. 1st ClassFrancis from 2nd Battalion, 69thArmor Regiment, Sgt. 1st ClassPlodzik of 1st Battalion, 10th FieldArtillery Regiment, Staff Sgt.Joseph of the Brigade TroopsBattalion, Sgt. 1st Class Hamelersof the 203rd Forward SupportBattalion, and Staff Sgt. Viera, theReenlistment NCOfor the 2ndBattalion, 34thArmor Regiment.These professionalsare ready to assistevery Soldier in theirquest to stay withthe team. Now, thisdoes not mean whatyou ask for is whatyou will get. Thereare certain qualifi-cations Soldiersmust meet before the counselorscontact the Human ResourcesCommand in Alexandria, Va.

Soldiers can reenlist using thefollowing options:

Current Duty Station, Permanent

Change of Station to a statesideinstallation of choice (upon avail-ability), and PCS to an overseasduty assignment of choice (Europe,Japan, Italy, Korea, and others).

Reclassification. If you decide toreclassify, you must have a 110General Technical (GT) score orhigher or currently serving in anover strength MOS. Staff Sergeantswith ten years of active federalservice must reenlist under theIndefinite Reenlistment Program.

If you have a Soldier who isattempting to change their MOS to

one that requires asecurity clearance,ensure you start therequest for a clear-ance well inadvance. Thisspeeds up theprocess and makesthe Soldier moremotivated in know-ing their affairs arein order to reenlist.This is why counsel-ing is so critical.

Each battalion has the bestcareer counselor the Army has tooffer and we must take full advan-tage of their capabilities. They willcontinue to build the Army for thefuture.

View from the View from the

“Top”“Top”

THOMPSONHHC 3rd BCT

Stay with the TeamBy 1st Sgt. Michael ThompsonSpecial to Hammer Times

HAMELERS203rd FSB CareerCounselor

JOSEPH3rd BTB CareerCounselor

Photo by Spc. Natalie LoucksReno Collier of the "Comics on Duty"traveling comedy show keeps Soldiers ofthe 3rd Brigade Combat Team, TaskForce Liberty laughing June 4, during aperformance at Forward Operating BaseGabe, Iraq. Three other comedians per-formed along with Collier includingJames Connolly, Chris Alpine and PJWalsh, who also opened along withCollier for the famous Larry the CableGuy of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Theshow was brought to FOB Gabe throughthe U.S. Army Europe and Morale, Welfareand Recreation and was presented by 2ndBattalion, 34th Armor Regiment. BothWalsh and Connolly were prior serviceand felt they needed to give somethingback to the military.

Comics Bring Laughs to Gabe

11

Care packages from the home frontOut here on the forward edge of

battle in Diyala, Soldiers may some-times wonder if Americans at home,8,000 miles away, ever think of them.

The short answeris: they do. In fact,several organizationsin the United Statesare dedicated tosending care pack-ages from the homefront to the front linesin Iraq, Afghanistan,and other theaters ofthe Global War onTerror.

Their efforts arelifting the morale of troops serving inOperation Iraqi Freedom and demon-strating that we are never far from thehearts and minds of the Americanpeople.

There is no need for you to wait foryour own parcel to arrive, however,U.S. Soldiers and commanders canrequest these groups to send pack-ages to their colleagues and unitsthroughout AO Hammer.

“Give 2 The Troops” is one suchorganization. Its goal, according to its

website, is to support the physical,moral and spiritual health ofAmerica’s armed forces in combatzones around the world through let-ters and care packages. It consistent-ly achieves this aim, including righthere in Diyala.

Maj. Alvin Schwapp, executive offi-cer of Company A, 411th Civil AffairsBattalion, based in Warhorse in sup-port of the 3rd BCT, sent a letter ofappreciation to the group, whichappears on its website,www.give2thetroops.com.

“What a wonderful surprise toreceive a package from ‘Give 2 TheTroops,’” he wrote. “I was blown awayby your generosity and kindness. Onbehalf of A Company 411th CA BN, Iwould like to send a heartfelt ‘thankyou’ to you and all who take the timeto make a difference in the lives ofdeployed military personnel.”

Mr. Thomas O’Connell, AssistantSecretary of Defense for SpecialOperations and Low IntensityConflict, agrees. He has thanked theleaders of the group for “all you havedone to support our troops. The effortyou have put forth…is greatly appre-ciated. I commend you on your hardwork and dedication to this cause.”

“Operation Gratitude” is another

volunteer group that sends giftparcels to American Soldiers.

It is based on the West Coast andwas founded by Carolyn Blashek,whose tireless efforts have brightenedthe lives of over 44,000 Soldiers inIraq and Afghanistan.

On its websitewww.opgratitude.com, Brig. Gen.Mark Hertling recalls how this pastChristmas in Iraq, “in every location,I saw numerous Operation Gratitudepackages. Every Soldier received apersonalized note, some holidaycheer, and some treats. And youknow what? It wasn’t the gifts or thecards or the notes that made such animpression...it was the realizationthat someone cared about ourSoldiers as individuals, understoodthe importance of their mission andappreciated their sacrifice.”

Yes, patriotic organizations like“Operation Gratitude” and “Give 2The Troops” are taking the edge off oflong deployments in Iraq. Theyremind us that we are not forgotten.

Visit their websites for more infor-mation about how you can have carepackages shipped to your friends inthe Army or the Soldiers under yourcommand. Your efforts will be appre-ciated in AO Hammer.

By Sgt. Joseph Skelly411th Civil Affairs Battalion

SKELLY411th CA Battalion

New training for IA soldierscer in charge of the Panthers MiTT training develop-ment and management.

Although muzzle awareness and basic rifle marks-manship is a concern with the Iraqi soldiers, thePanther IA training team is confident in their stu-dent’s ability to learn quickly.

“The soldiers have come a long way,” Roark said.“Their qualifying scores have gone up 37 percentsince (TF 2-69) has taken over.”

According to Roark, the average rifle qualifyingscore for the IA soldiers he trains is between 70 and80 percent.

“This is new training for us,” said platoon sergeantAmad Kalaf Gabav through a translator. “We havecome a long way.”

Roark said the Iraqi soldiers he trains take pride intheir country and in their values. “It is evident intheir training,” he said.

Mohamed Jasim Kuvsed, who injured his elbowlying in the prone unsupported fighting position dur-ing a range exercise, expressed through a translator,“None of this is hard really, it’s just new. I’m veryproud to be in the new Iraqi army.”


Sgt. Oscar Gallardo of the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regimentexplains the proper techniques for holding a weapon at the lowready to Iraqi army soldiers of Co. A, 2nd Bde., 4th IA Div. June 4,at Foward Operating Base Scunion, Iraq.



‘5-25’ campaign increases IED awareness

Improvised explosive devices arethe number one killers of America’ssons and daughters serving in Iraq,and the Joint IED Defeat Task Forceat Camp Victory is kicking off aninformation cam-paign May 25 in aneffort to increaseIED awareness andsave lives.

The “5-and-25”campaign, as it iscalled, is designedto increase IEDawareness andreduce the effec-tiveness of themountain ofmakeshift bombsbeing produced byi n s u r g e n t s .Officials say thedeceptive devicesaccount for more than half of thecoalition deaths that have occurredsince the start of the Iraq war inMarch 2003.

Efforts to date have reduced theIED casualty rate by more than 45percent during the period of April2004 through February 2005 – butthat is not seen as enough.

“IEDs are our number one killershere,” said Eric Egland, who works atthe Iraq headquarters of Joint IEDDefeat Task Force at Camp Victory.The task force is responsible for devel-oping innovative ways to rid the coun-try of IEDs.

The deadly devices are considered ahighly effective means of killing peoplebecause they can quickly be set upanywhere and be set to blow at anytime. They have been disguised as vir-tually everything from tree trunks anddead animals to bicycles and pregnant

women. Royal Australian Air ForceGroup Capt. David Stockdale, deputychair of the IED Working Group atMulti-National Corps-Iraq, said thereis no limit to what insurgents will usefor IEDs.

Stockdale, who serves as the equiv-alent of a colonel in the American Air

Force, has beenactively workingthe issue of IEDsand their effectssince arriving inIraq a few monthsago.

“The IED is oneof the most dan-gerous threats toCoalition Forces,”Stockdale said.“To mitigate theireffects, we wantedto put together aninformation cam-paign that wouldmake the IED

reaction drill a normal part of dailyactivities for the Coalition Forces.”

Egland said several different count-er-IED organizations were alreadydelivering good messages and possiblesolutions out there, but with no realemphasis or impact to the troops whoneeded it the most. “It wasn’t as goodas it could be. Some channels justnaturally don’t flow as well as others,”he said.

The working group, deputy-chairedby Stockdale, represents a cross-sec-tion of Coalition Forces formed as aresult of this issue.

The group’s solution for getting vitalinformation to the forces requiredthree objectives: First, ensure infor-mation gets to those troops who needit most; second, develop an effectivecounter-IED organization that cantake the fight to the enemy; third, pro-duce pinpointed products from one

organization which can be approvedand delivered in a timely fashion.

“IEDs can be any time, anywhere,any shape; the trends change,”Stockdale said. “The aim is to get themessage to the field. It’s dangerousout there.”

To push information to the troopsanywhere and any time trendschange, the working group assembleda small team of designers to brain-s t o r meffect iveways toget theword out.The firstidea alsos e e m e dthe mosto b v i o u sone tostart thecampaign— mili-tary pub-lications.

T a s kf o r c emembersa g r e e dt h e yn e e d e ds o m ecommonthread totie all the messages together – like alogo.

“The [designers] suggested we need-ed to have [a logo] that everybody rec-ognizes,” said Lt. Col. TheodoreMartin, field team leader, Joint IEDDefeat Task Force-Iraq. “5-and-25”became that logo. “The most impor-tant thing Coalition Forces can do issituational awareness when they’reoutside the wire; it is the most basic[tactic] that you have to master.”

“This seemed appropriate because5-and-25 means awareness,” saidMaster Sgt. William Johnson, one ofthree designers. “5-and-25 meanschecking the area around you for athreat. Every time you stop outside asecure area, you always should check.Not checking could get you killed.”

More specifically, 5-and-25requires that troops look for anythingout of the ordinary within a five-meterradius of their vehicles, according tocounter-IED policies. If halted longenough, forces should then exit theirvehicles and conduct a 25-metersweep around their position. Haltingfor as little as four minutes can provecostly.

MNC-I Public AffairsSpecial to Hammer Times

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