A Marine from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, uses a metal detector to sweep a culvert during a route reconnaissance mission of Route Red, which extends from Highway 1 to Shir Ghazay, Jan. 2. The purpose of the mission was to document inclines and declines in the route, sharpness of curves, the shortest width during the route, and where culverts were located or needed to be placed on the route to prevent wash out. Photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown

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 their permanence, while also marking total project completion.

“We’ll continue minor improvements along both routes, including culvert emplacements,” said Capt. Christopher Kaprielian, a native of San Mateo, Calif., and operations officer for 9th ESB.

The installation of culverts, Kaprielian explained, will allow for proper drainage of rain water, thus preventing the roadways from simply washing away.

Two Marines from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, use a metal detector to sweep a culvert during a route reconnaissance mission of Route Red, which extends from Highway 1 to Shir Ghazay, Jan. 3. The purpose of the mission was to document inclines and declines in the route, sharpness of curves, the shortest width during the route, and where culverts were located or needed to be placed on the route to prevent wash out. Photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown

Work on the routes began last year with 9th ESB’s predecessors, the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 7th ESB, which completed nearly half of the work before going home in late November.

“A lot of cross coordination was involved,” said Kaprielian. “The combined effort was truly unique.”

In terms of Route Red alone, he noted expert integration across the Marine Air-Ground Task Force to secure the volatile region through which Route Red intersects. Support from Regimental Combat Teams 6 and 8 was especially critical in allowing the engineers to continue construction efforts.

The enhanced roads are essential to International Security Assistance Force operations, and perhaps most importantly, the livelihoods of Afghan locals in the region due to the proximity of the routes to several major population centers. Safe roadways will present a viable means of transportation and facilitate economic expansion well into the future.

Route Red connects Gereshk and Shir Ghazay, while Route 611 serves as the main thoroughfare through the Sangin and Kajaki Districts.

Not unlike Route Red, the region through which 611 traces was also a hotbed for insurgent activity. Operation Eastern Storm, a major offensive spearheaded by the Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, launched last October to secure the Upper Sangin Valley from the Taliban-led insurgency. The secured and improved route will now allow ground convoys to deliver equipment and parts required to install a third turbine at the Kajaki Dam, located northeast of the village of Kajaki.

The dam was built in 1953, and according to the United States Agency for International Development, the additional turbine is part of an ongoing project to bring more reliable power and irrigation to the region. Once operational, this enhancement will improve energy distribution through Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

Story by Sgt. Justin Shemanski
DVIDS

A Sailor aboard a safety boat observes a visit, board, search and seizure team, assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd, board the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai. The Kidd's VBSS team detained 15 suspected pirates, who were holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks, according to the members of the crew. The Kidd is conducting counter-piracy and maritime security operations while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

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 Seizure team from the Kidd boarded the Al Molai and detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. The Al Molai had been pirated and used as a “mother ship” for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, according to members of the Iranian vessel’s crew.

The pirates did not resist the boarding and surrendered quickly.

“The Al Molai had been taken over by pirates for roughly the last 40-45 days,” said Josh Schminky, a Navy Criminal Investigative Service agent aboard the Kidd. “They were held hostage, with limited rations, and we believe were forced against their will to assist the pirates with other piracy operations.”

According to members of the Kidd boarding party, the Iranian crew said they were forced by the pirates to live in harsh conditions, under the threat of violence with limited supplies and medical aid.

“When we boarded, we gave them food, water, and medical care,” said Schminky. “They had been through a lot. We went out of our way to treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect.”

Guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd responded to a distress call from the master of the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai, who stated he was held captive by pirates.

“After securing the ship and ensuring the safety of all persons on board, we began distributing food and water to both the crew and the suspected criminals as is our standard practice in Counter-Piracy operations,” said Schminky. The pirates were detained on the Al Molai by the Kidd boarding party until the next morning when they could be transferred to the USS John C. Stennis where the matter will be reviewed for prosecution. The pirates currently remain on the Stennis.

“The Captain of the Al Molai expressed his sincere gratitude that we came to assist them. He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months,” said Schminky.

A U.S. Navy SH-60S Seahawk provides support to a visit, board, search and seizure team in a 7-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat, assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd. The VBSS team boarded an Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai after the dhow's master stated he was being held captive by pirates. The Kidd's VBSS team detained 15 suspected pirates who were reportedly holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for the last two months.

Piracy is an international problem that requires an international solution and is a threat to all mariners. The presence of U.S. Navy ships in this region promotes freedom of navigation and protects the safety of those who transit the sea.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Navy – Central Command

One shopkeeper uses a single solar panel, mounted to the top of his shop, to power his printer. He runs a small-scale photography studio in the bazaar. Prior to the large-scale solar energy project, electricity was scarce in Nawa. Shop owners had to provide their own generator or solar panel to have electricity. Photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown

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 northern half of Helmand receive their energy from the hydroelectric power plant located at the Kajaki dam. However, the power supply does not reach Nawa, which is located in the southern portion of Helmand province.

Now, with the help of a solar energy project in the district, there is a new opportunity for the shopkeepers in the Nawa bazaar. Nearly 150 shops in the bazaar will be able to receive steady power from the project.

Capt. Brandon Newell, Expeditionary Energy Liaison Officer for Regional Command Southwest and a native of St. Amant, La., says this is the first type of large-scale solar hybrid project in Helmand to date.

“We’re not just trying to introduce something that’s sustainable into their community,” explained Newell who also holds an electrical engineering degree from Louisiana State University. “We’re taking something that they understand at a smaller level and trying to provide them an opportunity at a much larger, more centralized capability, which will be much more reliable.“

Two long rows of solar panels were put together, mounted and welded to the roof of the Nawa district governor’s compound and wires were ran to a large storage container where the power is converted into consumable energy. The energy runs to different meters throughout the bazaar.

Solar panels used to collect energy emitted by the sun are mounted to the roof of the Nawa district governor's compound, Dec. 29. Shop owners in the Nawa bazaar will be able to buy electricity on a pre-paid card for individual consumption in their shops. Photo by Cpl. Meredith Brown

At this point, shop owners can wire the electricity to their individual shops, where they will install a separate meter. The district governor will issue the shopkeepers pre-paid cards that they insert into their specific meter. The amount of wattage that the storeowners buy dictates the amount of electricity that they can use. However, once a certain amount of electricity is bought, there is not a time limit on when they must use the power.

Two local Afghans serve as maintenance operators who are responsible for keeping the system up and running once everything is installed. The money raised from selling the power, pays the operators’ salaries and the left-over money accumulates for later maintenance or expansion.

“We’re not trying to dictate what the end product is for them,” said Newell. “We’re trying to facilitate an opportunity for them to take ownership and run the system, to use it for the benefit of individual shops and the benefit the entire community,”

After walking through the bazaar and talking with the local Afghans, Newell said sewing, lighting and running fans in the summer were common uses for the power.

Once the batteries arrive in Afghanistan, the shop owners will also have the opportunity to stay open later. Because batteries cannot be transported through the Pakistan border, power will only be available during daylight. Once the batteries arrive, they will serve as a storage system for extra power collected during the day that can be used throughout the night.

Sarwar Akbari, a renewable energy engineer who has been working on the project over the past few months, said the project is important because it gives the locals a chance to reasonably use electricity.

“Before they were using generators and single panels,” said Akbari. “The shopkeepers in the bazaar are very poor people. They can’t prepare fuel for the generators and purchase individual panels. They are very happy with us that we are finishing our project and are about to install the meters.”

The project is expected to be completed within the next two weeks.

Story by Cpl. Meredith Brown
DVIDS

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 Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police during a recent security patrol through their area of Sangin district, Helmand province.

Sergeants Jessica Lugo -left- and Autumn Sekely -right-, of Female Engagement Team 6, walk into a village leader’s compound in Sangin district, Helmand province. Sekely, of Pittsburgh, and Lugo, of San Pedro, Calif., are assigned to support 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, by engaging with the local women and children, building trust and rapport between local residents and the Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Katherine Keleher

The purpose of the day was to familiarize Marines new to the unit with the area, while also giving Lugo and Sekely the opportunity to interact with local women and children.
While supporting the infantry Marines with 2nd Marine Division (Forward), FET socialized with local children passing by, handing out candy and pencils while sharing smiling faces through the language barrier.

“Establishing a good relationship with the children and their families is very important, and it’s one of our primary tasks here,” said Sekely, a reservist from Pittsburgh. “It helps build trust and rapport. They really appreciate that the Marines make an effort to respect their culture by having FET out here.”
When wrapping up the introduction of the area to the new Marines, 1st Squad made a pit stop at one of the village leader’s compounds while on its way back to the patrol base.

The village leader opened the doors to his home with open arms, allowing FET inside to talk with his wife and children.

“The women, they stay in the compounds while the men are in the bazaars and farming fields working,” explained Lugo, also a reservist who is from San Pedro, Calif. “They hear a lot of things from the people who come in and out of their compounds. So when we get there, these women are just aching to talk. They’re just like we are, and they want their voices to be heard.”

Sergeants Jessica Lugo and Autumn Sekely, of Female Engagement Team 6, walk into a village leader’s compound in Sangin district, Helmand province. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Katherine Keleher

During their visit with the village leader and his family, the Marines and Afghans used an interpreter to discuss the possibility of building a water well in the village, as well as raising money to build a mosque.

“Things like this take a lot of money and time,” Lugo, the FET 6 team leader, told them.

While carrying on the conversation with the adults, Lugo and Sekley played with the children, giving them crayons and paper, showing them how to color.

“We have the capability of talking to one-hundred percent of the population,” Lugo, a military policewoman by trade, explained. “It’s not only engaging the women of Afghanistan for us, it’s engaging with everyone. Like today, the village leader talked to us. You would think in (this culture) the men wouldn’t want to talk to us, but they do. They’re kind of intrigued by having women in military clothing around.

“The (local residents) are very intrigued by us. They see us, the color of our skin, the color of our eyes, us carrying a rifle walking alongside the males. They see that we’re equal,” Lugo added.

Working side-by-side, FET and 3/7 have until spring to continue working together, winning over hearts and minds and helping the Afghan people toward a brighter tomorrow.

By Cpl. Katherine Keleher
DVIDS

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.

Shredded paper collected on a Marine Corps 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 DARPA Shredder Challenge, with a first prize of $50,000, to see if the general public can create an effective method of piecing back together shredded documents.

DARPA is the “what if” part of the Pentagon, funding a huge variety of research. They have funded such things as stealth technology, anthropomorphic mechanical arms and hypersonic vehicles. A big chunk of their funds go to “black” or secret research. Their site reads that DARPA is the place for “high-risk, high-payoff research, development and demonstration of new technologies and systems that serve the warfighter and the Nation’s defense.”

The challenge is massive. There are dozens of brands and hundreds of models of shredders. Some shred in strips while others cross cut. Each produces a shred piece that is different than the others.

Then, there is the document. How big is each piece of paper and are they printed on one side or both sides? What language is used or is the document a code?

Document reconstruction is a complex process involving engineering and computer software. DARPA has created five puzzles, each of increasing complexity. The document for each puzzle must be reassembled in order to see the puzzle and then the puzzle has to be answered. The deadline for solutions is December 4, with the winner being announced the following day.

U.S. Air Force medics, Staff Sgt. April Deluna -right-, from San Antonio, assigned to the Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team, and Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Rose, from Coleridge, Neb., assigned to the Nebraska Agribusiness Development Team, demonstrate proper arm-bracing techniques at the provincial women’s development center, Nov. 1. The medics taught basic first-aid skills to 13 women from the province. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Katherine Williams

Thirteen Afghan women received life-saving first aid training at a provincial women’s development center shura held in Paktya province, Nov. 1.

U.S. servicemembers assigned to the Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Nebraska Agribusiness Development Team, both located on Forward Operating Base Goode, taught the women how to treat burns, lacerations and abrasions.

U.S. Air Force medics Tech Sgt. Rebecca Rose, with the ADT from Coleridge, Neb., and Staff Sgt. April DeLuna, with the PRT from San Antonio, conducted an interactive training program for the women.

During the one-hour course, the medics emphasized proper hygiene techniques such as hand washing and the use of gloves while treating wounds.

“The women learned the ‘cold, clean’ method,” DeLuna said. “They’d never heard to clean with cold, clean water and were using alternative methods to treat wounds.”

The women shared stories about their previous home-medical treatments during the shura.

“I’ve used cold potatoes on my children’s wounds to stop the burning,” one student said. “Potatoes and egg yolk both help to prevent the burn from spreading.”

Along with l training, the group also received first-aid medical kits, stocked with bandages, a gauze compress, gloves, antibiotic ointment and other supplies.

The shura was coordinated through Khalema Khazan, the Paktya Director of Women’s Affairs and the Team Paktya Women’s Advocacy Group.

The DOWA is an Afghan ministry-appointed position, with the authority and obligation to raise awareness of concerns and advocate for Afghan women.

“I want a common understanding for every woman to know their rights and freedoms under Islam,” Khazan said. “We have shuras in the women’s development center for Paktya women to teach them important skills.”

In the past, Khazan has organized town meetings, or ‘shuras,’ health workshops and media engagements for women in Paktya.

“Education is very important,” she added. “Our center is focused on teaching the more than 40,000 women in Paktya.”

DVIDS

Click on this image for a larger pdf version

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 in combat unless in self-defense
• The force will assist those nations that request it, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).
• The first troops were dispatched to Uganda on Wednesday, October 12.

The Lord’s Resistance Army grew out of an Acholi tribal movement in northern Uganda that was intended to overthrow the national government. It was first named in 1991 and has operated in northern Uganda and other nations in the region ever since. Peace talks have been unsuccessful.

The movement’s leader is Joseph Kony. He was raised Roman Catholic but now practices a mystical version of Christianity where he received messages from angels. His followers believe Kony to be a prophet and the Army is as much a cult as a guerrilla organization. He was indicted in 2005 by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant issued.

The region is home to many bands of rebels, tribal factions, outlaws and disaffected military units. The LRA stands out amidst the others for several reasons. Its cadre contains several former Ugandan military officers and it now has two decades of fighting experience. It is noted for its large scale abductions of women and children, as well as the “usual” rapes, tortures and massacres. It also has demonstrated the ability to strike over distances of hundreds of miles.

The U.S. State Department says this about the LRA:

For more than two decades, the LRA has murdered, raped and kidnapped tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Since 2008 alone, the LRA has killed more than 2,400 people and abducted more than 3,400. The United Nations estimates that over 380,000 people are displaced across Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan as a result of LRA activity.

Click on this image for a larger pdf version.

The LRA has been driven out of Uganda for the most part. At this time it is raiding in the northern DRC but has reached into South Sudan and the CAR. A battalion of troops from the DRC, trained by the united States, is now deployed in the northeastern Congo.

United States troops have conducted several exercises in Uganda in recent years. Ugandan troops are serving in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping force. Many Ugandans have also served as facility guards in Iraq, hired by civilian contractors for those duties.

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/the-lords-resistance-army/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/royal-marines-free-pirated-ship-off-somalia http://northshorejournal.org/royal-marines-free-pirated-ship-off-somalia#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:02:59 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=18687

Royal Marines from RFA Victoria board a pirate vessel in November 2010. Click on the pic for the NATO story on the op.

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 the Montecristo without resistance. Eleven suspected pirates were detained. The twenty-three members of the crew were then able to leave their strong room and resume control of the ship. The ship is loaded with scrap metal and bound for a port in Vietnam.

MV Montecristo is owned by the Italian firm The D’Alessio Group. It was delivered new in June. A bulk carrier, it can carry up to 70,700 cubic meters of cargo. Calling the operation “brilliant”, the ship’s owners expressed their appreciation to the Italian military and those of the United Kingdom and the United States.

NATO’s SNMG1, which dispatched the two Naval vessels, is currently under the command of Rear Admiral Gualtiero Mattesi (Italian Navy). The unit consists of an Italian Navy ship, two American ships and one from Portugal. NATO’s SNMG2 is also engaged in anti-piracy operations in the region with four ships under the command of a Dutch officer.

The Italian government and the Italian Confederation of Ship Owners have signed an agreement that will allow the Italian military to station armed troops aboard Italian merchant ships traveling through areas where there is a threat of piracy. Six person teams will be provided to those ships. The owners will pay the costs of this military operation.

Afghan utility workers prepare power lines at the Kajaki Dam to receive a new primary switch center. USACE Photo

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 Kandahar City.

“These soldiers are responsible for electric power outside the wire,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Thomas Black, deputy commander of Task Force Breshna Barq. “Locally, four soldiers are based at the USACE-built and managed power stations in Kandahar city — two at the Bagh-e-Pul power station in western Kandahar and the others at the Shurandam Industrial Park power station.”

The initial task force mission was two-pronged: daily oversight and contract management for the installation and commissioning of two $40 million, 10-megawatt diesel-fueled power plants and the validation and assessment of about 40 kilometers of 20-kilovolt, overhead medium-voltage feeder lines. The electric lines distribute electricity to satisfy the industrial, business, agricultural and residential demands of one third of Kandahar City’s 480,000 residents.

- Editor’s note: Keep in mind that all the fuel for these plants has to be trucked into the country. -

“We are here to assist in the development of the Afghans’ outdated electrical distribution networks throughout the region so businesses can thrive and stimulate the economy,” said Staff. Sgt. Mario Sanchez.

Once the two power stations were commissioned, the task force members began overseeing the $10.3-million operations and maintenance contract for the power stations and developing and managing $7.2 million worth of “starter kit” tools and materials for DABS (Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat), the Afghan power utility company.

The starter kits include transformers, medium and low-voltage cable, distribution panels and tools. Also included are electrical test equipment, bucket trucks, and pole truck with a trailer. The kits will provide the Afghan utility with the resources it needs to accomplish immediate, lasting, effective and reliable repairs in Kandahar province so they meet the needs of their Afghan customers.

As the conditions and needs evolved, the prime power team took a mentoring role on as well.

“We work with the utility company to maintain the power systems and train their employees,” said Staff Sgt. Alex Brown. “They really do want to improve their way of life and are willing to work hard at it.”

Sgt. Joshua Strausbaugh agreed and added: “In the United States, there are many codes that must be followed when working with electricity to ensure safety. In Afghanistan, they don’t have these kinds of regulations. Fortunately, the utility employees picked up quickly on the whats and whys that we were trying to communicate to them.”

Safety is an essential component of all USACE projects, said Air Force Col. Benjamin Wham, South District commander. “Our first priority is keeping people safe. We must share that fundamental value with our Afghan partners.”

The team worked hard to accomplish their goal of safely getting more power production and effective distribution inside Kandahar, and were gratified by the appreciation they saw on the faces of Kandahar City residents, said Strausbaugh.

The team’s work has also taken them to the Kajaki Hydroelectric Plant, where they installed special protective switchgear. This relatively inexpensive installation increased the reliability of the transmission lines to Kandahar and Helmand provinces. According to Black, a new diesel plant providing an equal amount of power would have cost $24 million.

A private contracting company was willing to install the switchgear at a cost of $1.5 million with an eight-month lead time. Instead, three Prime Power soldiers, working with and mentoring the Afghan hydroelectric plant operators and electricians accomplished the installation in six weeks for less than $150,000.

“The $150,000 for the primary switch center was borne by USACE as it had the item in stock,” said British Air Force Wing Cmdr. Charlie Allan, Regional Command Southwest development plans officer. “But that said, there was also a benefit to the power house staff who were given on-the-job training by the prime power team during installation.”

“Language barriers and the idea that ‘doing things the old way was fine,’ were issues we overcame working with the Afghans,” said Brown. “But the challenge of doing something that would improve the life of Afghans was worth it.”

From initial conception to completion took just 39 days, but the impact on the electric system was immediate, said Allan. The switchgear protects the two Kajaki turbines where none existed before and prevents hard shut downs of the grid and mechanical deterioration of essential generators. This, in turn, leads to a far more stable power supply to the people of Helmand and Kandahar and far fewer power outages leading to longer electricity availability per day.

“Regardless of how costs are measured, having prime power specialists in Afghanistan is an exceptional value,” said Black. They supervise, operate, install and maintain electric power plant and associated systems and equipment—the 249th is a unique unit with unique and valuable capability.

“The 249th has a really critical mission here,” said Air Force Col. Benjamin Wham, South District commander. “Afghans need electricity to develop and sustain their economy. By helping the Afghan utility company improve and maintain its electric power generation, this small group of soldiers delivers huge benefits. The outgoing crew has done an outstanding job training Afghan technicians and working with our private contractor to ensure Kandahar City enjoys reliable, stable power. I salute the outstanding efforts of the 249th soldiers.”

This team of prime power non-commissioned officers will return to the United States soon and will be replaced by a new team.

“There is still much to do,” said Sanchez. “Substations powered by the Kajaki Dam will need upgrades to increase power throughout southern Afghanistan. The new team will continue the mentoring and contract oversight mission.”

Story by Karla Marshall
DVIDS

German Navy Bremen Class frigate Koln

EUNAVFOR warship FGS KÖLN has today, 28 September, stopped and boarded a suspicious group of two small boats, a whaler and skiff.

The suspicious boats were located by FGS KÖLN 70 nautical miles South West off Mogadishu, Somalia, 30 miles off the coast. A helicopter was sent to inspect the group of boats and 12 people with equipment usually associated with piracy were seen on board. The boats refused to stop when hailed. KÖLN’s helicopter fired warning shots ahead of the skiff which caused the boat to stop.

German Navy chases suspicious skiff off Somalia

Supicious Somali Skiff with RPG and Ladders and Fuel

Suspected Somali pirates throw weapons overboard

Before the boats could be boarded by teams from FGS KÖLN, the crew of the boats started to throw weapons and other items overboard. The skiff, whaler and their engines were destroyed to prevent any potential future use for piracy and the men released close to the shore.

This disruption has undoubtedly hampered potential pirate action on merchant shipping and vulnerable vessels in the area.

EU NAVFOR Somalia is a counter-piracy taskforce operating in the area of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean responsible for deterring, preventing and repressing acts of piracy, for the safe escort of ships carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and to protect other vulnerable vessels. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia./blockquote>
EU NAVFOR Somalia

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Table of contents for Pirates

1. Peleliu Stops Pirate Attack
2. Navy Tanker fights Off Pirates
3. Navy Continues to Eye Pirates
4. US Navy Aids Ship Released By Pirates
5. US Navy Jugs Somali Pirates
6. Navy Detains Somali Pirates
7. Maersk Alabama Taken By Somali Pirates
8. Navy Rescues Pirate Captive
9. Pics From the Pirate Rescue Off Somalia
10. This Is a Pirate Ship?
11. USS McFaul nabs pirates off Oman
12. Marine Hymn still echoes: Pirates taken down off Somalia
13. German Navy Intercepts Somali Pirates
14. Royal Marines Free Pirated Ship Off Somalia
15. Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
16. Pirates Attack Spanish Warship

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/german-navy-intercepts-somali-pirates/feed 16 http://northshorejournal.org/apples-pressing-impresses-afghans http://northshorejournal.org/apples-pressing-impresses-afghans#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:00:34 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=18632

U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Miller, a cavalry scout for Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment’s Task Force Slugger and native of Colona, Ill., explains to local farmers how an apple presser works in Maiden Shahr district Sept. 20. The hope is the farmers will take unsold apples and turn them into other products to make more money. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brian P. Glass, Task Force Patriot Public Affairs

To improve the economy in Wardak province, soldiers from the Georgia Agribusiness Development Team and Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment’s Task Force Slugger worked together to teach local farmers how to use an apple presser in Maiden Shahr district Sept. 20.

The soldiers already conducted the class in the Jalrez district, which local villagers came to in good numbers. So, it seemed to be a no-brainer to bring the class to Maiden Shahr.

“We mostly used it [the class] as a way to establish a connection with the people,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Miller, a cavalry scout for Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment’s Task Force Slugger and native of Colona, Ill. “We realize agriculture is the driving force in the lives of people here.”

Miller, who grew-up with an agricultural background, was the primary instructor for the class in Jalrez. He came to Maiden Shahr to teach the people what they would need to be successful.

“We built an apple press to show them methods to save apples that normally spoil,” said Miller.

Miller said the economic benefit for villagers in Maiden Shahr is too great an opportunity for the locals to pass up.

“Several tons of apples go to waste inside the valley, and giving them options to be able to sell these apples and still have a product that is marketable for them will improve their way of life,” said Miller. “Selling this (apple juice and cider) at their local shops will bring in money and also shorten their hunger season.”

Once Miller began demonstrating how to use the apple presser, the locals became interested in seeing how it worked first hand.

“Every class starts out the same way, with the Afghans being very stand-offish,” Miller said. “Then, their interest takes over and before we knew it they are out there grinding out and pressing apples.”

Miller said the apple presser works when apples are ground up, then the ground apple parts are put into a clean cloth. Next, the apple parts are put under a smashing plate and mashed to get all the juice out.

One local farmer was excited about the possibility of having an apple presser for all the apples he has.

“This is very important, this apple presser,” said Ahmed Khalil, a local farmer in Wardak. “I want to make one for my home and use it for my apples.”

The apple presser is easy for the local farmers to make at a low cost to them, said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Kistler, Georgia ADT Wardak provincial commander and Lawrenceville, Ga., native.

“They have the wood,” said Kistler. “Some (local farmers) are carpenters and can do a better job than we can at putting it (apple presser) together.”

U.S. Army Sgt. Nathaniel Smith, non-commissioned officer in charge for the Georgia ADT in Wardak province and native of Dunwoody, Ga., said local farmers can obtain materials for building apple presses themselves and do not need the ADT to acquire such items., “[All] we give them is a step by step [class] on how to build this [apple presser].”

Once the demonstration was over and local farmers sampled the apple cider, the villagers came to Miller with questions about how to capitalize on the opportunity.

“One of the villagers said he can produce one ton of apple juice from all his bad apples that aren’t going to be worth selling whole,” said Miller. “He wants to know how he can bottle them, package them and where to sell them.”

That question gave Miller an idea for the next training class he will teach to Afghan farmers.

“This [class] will extend into canning and pasteurizing training,” said Miller.

Miller and other Georgia ADT personnel walked away from the class confident in the hope their training will help turn around the economy in Maiden Shahr and keep local farmers from siding with insurgents.

“[It would be] an increase in the economy. As they make more money, as they’re able to improve their way of life, the government will be able to draw taxes from it,” said Miller. “The people should become less volatile, because their lives have stabilized, they have food and won’t worry about their children going hungry.”

DVIDS

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/apples-pressing-impresses-afghans/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/marine-pilot-returns-to-afghanistan-in-command http://northshorejournal.org/marine-pilot-returns-to-afghanistan-in-command#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:00:41 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=18471

Lt. Col. Alison Thompson stands beside a CH-53E Super Stallion just before a mission in the early morning hours of Sept. 10, 2011. Thompson, the commanding officer of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, served as a CH-53E pilot with Task Force 58 during the initial invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Now Thompson is back in the region as the first woman to command a Marine squadron in Afghanistan. Photo by Cpl. Brian Adam Jones

It’s Sept. 12, 2001. The wreckage from the attacks the day before still smolders. An aircraft carrier with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit lies off the eastern shore of the United States.

Several CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters with engines running rest on the deck. The flight lead is a young Marine captain, Alison Thompson. Her freckles and biting blue eyes are veiled by her visor and flight helmet.

She wants to take off.

“We had six 53s turning on the line. I kept calling to get clearance,” Thompson said. “The plan was we’d load supplies, embark the MEU, go up to New York City, provide any support they needed with our helicopters and go straight over [to the Middle East] from there. I kept calling for clearance to take off and at that point all aviation was grounded, civilian and military.”

The mission was ultimately called off. According to Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, then mayor of New York, thought a visible military presence might instill panic among the people.

The day before, Thompson was at home in Jacksonville, N.C., asleep when the phone rang. It was her dad. She sprinted downstairs and turned on the T.V. just in time to see the second tower get hit.

A few short months later, 9,000 miles away, the 53s are once again on the deck of the ship, turning on the line and Thompson is once again in the pilot’s seat.

This time they’re cleared for take-off. This time they will push into Afghanistan.

The Marines entered Afghanistan, some riding in Thompson’s helicopter. They took Camp Rhino and Kandahar Airfield, then pushed north into the Tora Bora mountains, continuing to seek out the enemy.

Ten years later it’s September 2011 and Alison Thompson is back in Afghanistan. Now she’s a lieutenant colonel at the helm of a new mission – commanding Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464. As the first woman to command a squadron in combat, she leads the only CH-53E squadron in the region.

Thompson’s experiences over the course of her career have prepared her for command. She spent time as a military legislative assistant for former North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, served as an aide for the Deputy Marine Corps Commandant for Aviation and returned to HMH-464 as the operations officer.

But she said her most cherished experiences came in 2001.

“I felt very fortunate to be where I was when I was,” Thompson said. “It was very expeditionary, a lot of tough terrain, a lot of unconventional things we were doing.”

“It was a strange period, kind of eerie. It was exciting too,” said Lt. Col. Pete Gadd, commanding officer of HMH-463, a CH-53D Sea Stallion squadron adjacent to HMH-464 on the Camp Bastion flightline. As a major, Gadd was part of the CH-53E detachment with Thompson in 2001 and accompanied her on many of the missions. “It was the Wild, Wild West back then. We operated out of a lot of mud huts and thatched rooms.”

“She was a great pilot back then, she’s a great pilot now.” said Maj. Dennis W. Sampson.

Sampson, a CH-53D pilot with HMH-463, and the squadron’s operations officer, also participated in the initial invasion, flying some of the first missions in Afghanistan a decade ago.

“We did a lot of raids and take-downs. She was our tactics officer and it was vital for us to be able to follow her lead back then,” Sampson said.

Now Thompson leads several hundred Marines and sailors – pilots, crew chiefs and aircraft maintainers, among others.

“She’s going to do great things in Afghanistan,” Gadd said. “HMH-464 is in great hands.”

“I just want the opportunity to make a difference,” Thompson said, “whether it be tactically or with the individual Marines. From a unit standpoint I take care of them so they’re not fighting internal friction so they can focus on their job.”

Thompson grew up in Michigan, Nebraska and Kansas wanting to be a pilot but never imagining being a Marine. When she attended the Naval Academy women were not allowed to serve in combat in aviation.

“It just so happened that three weeks before I had to service select at the Naval Academy and I had to decide what I was going to do, congress lifted the combat exclusion,” Thompson said.

As one of the first women to pilot a Marine aircraft, and now as the first woman to command a squadron in combat, she said the feeling is the same – don’t mess it up.

“She’s a great leader,” Sampson said. “She’s got great strategic and tactical experience but more importantly, she cares passionately about her Marines and providing support for the Marines on the battlefield.”

Story by Cpl. Brian Adam Jones
DVIDS

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/marine-pilot-returns-to-afghanistan-in-command/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/my-recent-yahoo-news-articles http://northshorejournal.org/my-recent-yahoo-news-articles#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:30:09 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=18444

There is no good way to create an RSS feed for those articles that I write for Yahoo! News. This link pulls most of them up, but they cannot be sorted by date. Curiously, Google seems to do a better job indexing these pieces than Yahoo.

In any event, here is some of the news reports I’ve written recently.

• The Famine Crisis in Somalia
• Is Weiner’s Congressional Seat Up for Grabs?
• Is America’s Military Body Armor Defective?
• Navy Goes Green
• Biofuel a Navy Priority
• Hurricane Irene: Military, Coast Guard Prepare
• Hurricane Irene: Flood Threat in Upstate New York
• Radiation Still a Concern at Fukushima
• Moving Out of Iraq Underway
• Historic Earthquake in D.C. Results in Historic Senate Session

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/my-recent-yahoo-news-articles/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/100-k-afghan-troops-complete-literacy-training http://northshorejournal.org/100-k-afghan-troops-complete-literacy-training#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:17:46 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=18368

Afghan National Army Private Mohammed Khaili, the 100,000th BWC graduate to go through literacy training, is awarded a plaque and pen at Kabul Military Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 28, 2011, in recognition of the Afghan National Security Force's accomplishments in the realm of education and literacy. Basic Warrior Training Kandak 162 graduated 1,287 soldiers, all of whom will continue military and literacy training at various Afghan National Army Branch Schools or the Consolidated Fielding Center in Kabul. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael James

The Afghan National Army graduated 1,287 soldiers from Basic Warrior Training at Kabul Military Training Center, July 28, including a special commemoration marking the graduation of the 100,000 Afghan National Security Force literacy program trainee.

ANA soldier Mohammed Khalil, graduating with BWT Kandak 162, was chosen to represent the 100,000th literacy graduate. He was awarded a commemorative certificate and writing pen.

“Education is vitally important. When we become educated, it gives us the ability to recognize our friends from our enemies,” said Khalil. “Education will take us from the darkness to the light.”

The recognition of the 100,000th graduate of literacy training represents a milestone in the professional development of the Afghan National Security Force, which consists of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and Afghan Air Force.

Literacy training was integrated into the ANSF required curriculum in November 2009 and has been expanding rapidly since. There are currently more than 86,000 soldiers and policemen enrolled in some level of literacy training.

“I am the eldest of six brothers; I do all I can to provide for them,” said Khalil. “I am now able to take the lessons I learned in Basic Warrior Training and share them with my brothers.”

The goal set by Afghan and coalition leadership is for all literacy program students to read at a first grade level by the end of basic training. The literacy education received by such large numbers of young Afghans is expected to have far-reaching effects throughout Afghan culture.

“Literacy is the basic tenant for building partnering capacity and professionalizing an already very capable ANSF,” said U.S. Army Col. Ken Lenig, Force Integration Director, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan.

Today’s graduates of the Basic Warrior Training course will go on to attend branch schools and leadership courses offering specialization in military proficiencies as well as continued literacy training.

NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan
By: U.S. Navy Petty Officer Michael James

]]> http://northshorejournal.org/100-k-afghan-troops-complete-literacy-training/feed 0 http://northshorejournal.org/the-youth-of-sangin http://northshorejournal.org/the-youth-of-sangin#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:05:50 +0000 Chuck Simmins http://northshorejournal.org/?p=18362

Female Engagement Team 13 member Lance Cpl. Jacqueline Veres smiles as she gives a backpack full of school supplies to an Afghan girl at the closing of the Sangin Youth Outreach Shura at Forward Operating Base Jackson, Aug 17. With a literacy rate of seven percent in Sangin, District Governor Mohammad Sherrif has recognized the need for education here. Through his outreach shuras to the community he impresses on the people the need for the children of Sangin to become educated so one day they will be able to assume leadership roles within the up and coming Sangin government. Sherrif realizes and tells the people “children are the future of Sangin.” Veres is from Canton, Ga.

More than 85 children from around Sangin attended the Sangin Youth Outreach Shura held by Female Engagement Teams assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, at Forward Operating Base Jackson, Aug. 17.

“It is important to work with the youth of Sangin because just like the kids in the U.S., they want to grow up to be something,” said Sgt. Juanita Towns, the FET 13 team leader. “So it is just best that we try to start them off on the right path at a young age vice letting them join the (insurgency) now.”

When on patrol with the battalion’s infantry squads the team members spread the word about the youth shuras and have recently had Afghan Uniformed Police officers help them in their endeavor to reach out to the children of Sangin.

The children, ages 1-14, were split into three groups in which they participated in age-appropriate informative stations and activities. This enabled the FETs to reach out to each age group more effectively, and is modeled after the cultural breakdown the children often gravitate towards on their own.

“It’s the first activity in Sangin for the kids, focused on the kids,” said FET member Lance Cpl. Jacqueline Veres. “So we are just trying to get them to see that we are here to help them, they can come to us and they can trust us.”

“The first one we had was a hygiene shura. The shura that we just had was a healthcare, education and activities shura,” said Towns, a Richmond, Va., native. “They played soccer, they did their time tables and the smaller kids just played with educational toys.”

With a literacy rate of seven percent in Sangin, District Governor Mohammad Sherrif has recognized the need for education here. Through his outreach shuras to the community he impresses on the people the need for the children of Sangin to become educated so one day they will be able to assume leadership roles within the up and coming Sangin government. Sherrif realizes and tells the people “children are the future of Sangin.”

“Children are the innocent ones in most cases,” said Towns, a parent herself. “If they are not educated there is just a repetitive cycle of insurgency and drugs. If you educate them when they are small there is an opportunity for them to be better than that and do positive things.”

Until last year, these children had not been afforded opportunities to break the trend and reach new levels. However teaching children how to do this is a challenging task since they lack the focus levels of adults. So the team had to mix things up to captivate their young audience and keep them interested in the shura.

“We know that they have a short attention span and if we talk to them for an hour like we do with the women then we are not going to get anything accomplished,” explained Towns. “If we have different activities and different things for them to do, they are going to participate, we are going to hold their attention longer and they are going to come back.”

Sometimes when the children do come back to the gates of the base they are looking for free hand outs and naturally are not interested in discussion of long term solutions. Other times the children show up wanting just to spend time with the teams. This requires the engagement teams to improvise and make the best of each situation.

“Even in between shuras we go to the gate and have 20 to 30 kids wanting to just come and talk to us,” said Veres a Canton, Ga., native. “We don’t really have anything planned sometimes, but we will just sit down and hold a mini-shura.”

The youth shuras in Sangin will continue to further expand their horizons to a new way of life that breaks the trend that plagues the region. In short, the activities give the youth something better, which is important to developing and educating the next generation of citizens and leaders in Sangin.

Youth shuras take place in several locations across Helmand province including the districts of Musa Qal’eh, Now Zad, Garmsir and Marjah.

“I think as soon as we stop having youth shuras we will see more insurgent activity, because we have actually given them something to look forward to every two weeks,” said Towns. “If they didn’t have that outreach on life then they would just do something bad that we are not ready to take the fall for.”

First Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.

Story by Cpl. Benjamin Crilly
DVIDS

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