America's North Shore Journal » War on Terror
Major route construction projects near completion in Helmand
Marine engineers with 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) have nearly completed two major route construction and improvement projects in Helmand province. As of Jan. 3, elements of the Okinawa, Japan-based 9th Engineer Support Battalion completed the road surfacing phases of Routes Red and 611, which each provide north and south passage on their respective sides of the Helmand River. Additional measures are now being put into place over the course of the next month to ensure … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Marines, Military, Rebuilding, War on Terror
Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
Forces assigned to the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, rescued an Iranian fishing vessel from Pirates in the northern Arabian Sea, Jan. 5. At approximately 12:30 p.m, an SH-60S Seahawk from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai. Simultaneously, a distress call was received from the master of the Al Molai claiming he was being held captive by pirates. A Visit, Board, Search and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Military, War on Terror
Solar energy project in southern Afghanistan
A single solar panel is mounted above a shop, a wire runs from the panel into the shop and attaches to a car battery, providing the only source of power for the shopkeeper. The storeowner operates a small photography studio, where he takes photos in his shop and prints them out for his customers. Situations like this are common for the shopkeepers in Nawa district who do not have a central power source. Many residents throughout the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Green, Rebuilding, War on Terror
Female Engagement Teams Support Troops
At barely 39 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the two women of Female Engagement Team 6 warmed their red, sniffling noses by drinking hot chocolate out of canteen cups. It was early morning and they had little sleep from the cold night before. The Marines began dressing in their body armor, preparing for their upcoming day of work. Sergeants Jessica Lugo and Autumn Sekely were getting ready to go out in support of Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Military, Our Best: Military Women, War on Terror
DARPA’s Shredder Challenge
The squad of American troops burst through the door, only to find that their terrorist targets had fled. There was a pile of shredded documents which was carefully gathered up and taken back to base. Now, reconstructing shredded documents takes brute force, thousands of man hours, or lots and lots of computer processing with little chance of success. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is wondering if there is a better way. It created the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Original writing, Reporting, Tech, War on Terror
The Lord’s Resistance Army
The United States is dispatching troops to Uganda to assist the nations of the region in tracking down and eliminating a terrorist group called the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Complying with the War Powers Act, President Obama sent a letter to the Congressional leadership on Friday, October 14, 2011, notifying them of the deployment. The President makes the following statements and assurances: The force will number about 100 The force will be combat equipped The force will not engage … Read entire article »
Filed under: Military, Original writing, Reporting, War on Terror
Royal Marines Free Pirated Ship Off Somalia
Eleven men were detained by British Royal Marines as suspected pirates today, October 11, 2011, after the Marines boarded the MV Montecristo about 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. Montecristo, with a crew of 23, had been hijacked yesterday. Two ships from NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield were able to immediately respond. RFA Fort Victoria, and the USS De Wert, closed on the ship and forced the pirates’ surrender. Royal Marines from RFA Fort Victoria boarded … Read entire article »
Filed under: Crime and Punishment, Original writing, Reporting, War on Terror
Electric Power for Kandahar
A small contingent of soldiers play a huge role in improving and maintaining southern Afghanistan’s electric power infrastructure, primarily in Kandahar City. These non-commissioned officers, deployed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ only active duty unit, the 249th Prime Power Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., are all prime power specialists assigned to Task Force Breshna Barq. Established in the summer of 2010, the task force’s primary mission is bringing more and more reliable power to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Rebuilding, War on Terror
