A second list may be found at Tea Party Day.

Be sensible. These parties are both a grassroots movement and the efforts of a number of regional and national groups with agendas. The followers of Ron Paul are heavily involved in some areas. The Libertarian Party is also an organizer in places. If Barry Obama’s “real” birth certificate is not something you worry about, or the actions of the Tri-Lateral Commission bore you, you might find some of the people at a Tea Party just a little off-putting.

A large number of people with a variety of beliefs are joining together for this movement. Bite your tongue or keep it firmly planted in your cheek if you must, but the overarching message of the movement must come through to the media and those undecideds. We are tired of graft, corruption, taxation and the lack of control over our own lives and our own earnings.

Play nice for the cameras. If interviewed, be concise and direct. Taxes, pork and government out of control. A, B and C.

In response to this H1N1 outbreak, the Coast Guard has released numerous ALCOASTs and messages to help prepare and protect our Coast Guard family against this emerging disease. Timely information on H1N1 can be found on the Coast Guard portal. Additionally, I broadcasted a series of informative H1N1 webcasts that can be found on the Coast Guard H1N1 website. For family preparedness, CG-111 has created a Family Readiness page which has a wealth of resources.

All Coast Guard members should ensure they have taken the appropriate Influenza training modules located on E-Learning . These modules focus on influenza awareness and prevention. Additionally, Coast Guard cutters that are experiencing connectivity issues can use the H1N1 Influenza PowerPoint to educate their members on H1N1 Influenza until they obtain better connectivity. Note however this PowerPoint is not an alternative to the current mandatory Influenza GMT located on the Coast Guard Learning Portal.

I posed the following question and he was kind enough to respond:

Q. DoD is reporting 8 USCG active duty personnel have been diagnosed with novel H1N1.

Since your people work so closely in many of the duty stations, how will you handle an outbreak that affects an entire station or post? I could foresee, as an example, the Rochester NY station having enough personnel ill that response would be affected. Are you able to “fill in” for some of these more isolated posts, or will there be a short period of time when the mission might be affected?

A. Chuck,

You raise a great point and {we} are planning accordingly. We anticipate providing our units guidance within the next month on how to deal with a scenario like the one you pose.

The guidance will be based on the degree of degradation of personnel readiness and discuss procedures for backfill either by reallocating personnel from other units or recall Reserves. It will also discuss risk-based decision making to reprioritize missions during periods of degradation.

Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye stands before fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, during a ceremony in Vicenza, Italy, June 30, 2009. Begaye was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions during an enemy ambush Nov. 9, 2007, in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo

Even as Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye relived the firefight that took the lives of his fellow soldiers, and even as he was awarded the military’s third-highest honor for valor yesterday, his thoughts were on his comrades.

Begaye, a Navajo from Black Canyon City, Ariz., said he wants the story of his actions in Afghanistan to help younger soldiers understand the importance of training, leadership and motivation. For troops eager to see combat, he said, he hopes his story instills a sense of the reality of war.

“It should open their eyes. A firefight is a life-altering experience - one that I’m still living through,” Begaye said following a June 30 ceremony here in which he received the Silver Star. “Soldiers should understand … this is real life, and people do die.”

On Nov. 9, 2007, Begaye, an Airborne Ranger with the 503rd Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, was part of a unit that had just met with local leaders in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. They were hiking along rugged terrain when his squad, his platoon’s headquarters sections and a squad of Afghan soldiers began taking fire from enemy positions above.

Pinned down at first, Begaye was struck in the arm while returning fire and directing his men. Begaye bounded over a cliff, calling to his troops to follow him down the rocky slope to find cover.

Keeping his composure against overwhelming odds, Begaye directed and encouraged his fellow soldiers under heavy fire. One paratrooper had been shot in both legs and was still taking fire. Begaye called out to him to play dead, knowing the enemy would shift their fire away if they thought the soldier was killed — quick thinking that likely helped to save that soldier’s life.

Ignoring his own injuries, Begaye moved a wounded soldier to a nearby cave to protect him from enemy fire. Using a radio, he called his higher headquarters and directed mortar fire onto enemy positions - essentially ending the battle. Then he motivated a soldier to organize a defensive perimeter of Afghan soldiers to prevent their unit from being harassed or overrun.

Twenty-one months later, with his comrades standing quietly on the parade ground behind him, Begaye listened as Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, spoke here, where Begaye began his service 10 years ago.

“Today, we honor a noncommissioned officer whose bold actions turned the tide of battle and saved the day, … [and] whose courage under fire and fierce loyalty to his men still astounds us all,” Garrett said. “Outnumbered, wounded, and initially pinned down in the kill zone of an enemy ambush — he didn’t hesitate to leap forward, literally, and take charge of the fight.”

Garrett spoke of the “warrior ethos” that guides soldiers: place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit, and never leave a fallen comrade.

“These are just words to some people,” Garrett said. “But the warrior ethos is a way of life to Staff Sergeant Begaye. Amazing acts of bravery and valor were commonplace that grim day. But this morning, we recognize Staff Sergeant Begaye for his courage - and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve with such a man.”

After the ceremony, Begaye’s wife, Air Force Staff Sgt. Idellia Beletso, a flight medic based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hugged her husband. Hundreds of red-bereted paratroopers lined up to shake Begaye’s hand, many of whom served with him in combat.

“There are people who have passed on that deserve this,” said Begaye, who served three combat tours. “There were five men who died. I’ll accept and wear it in honor of them, not for my actions, but for theirs.”

Begaye said he would have preferred a simple handshake or a pat on the back. After all, he said, infantrymen don’t fight for medals, they fight for each other. That’s why Begaye felt grateful to have soldiers from his unit, Chosen Company, behind him on the parade field during the ceremony.

“What happened there is something I think about every day,” Begaye said. “It’s not easy to forget about.”

DoD
By Army Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo
Special to American Forces Press Service

Lt. Michelle Mathis, embarked aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), hands stickers out to local children during a Continuing Promise 2009 medical community service project at Loma Larga school. Continuing Promise is a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance mission to seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Comfort is scheduled to be in El Salvador until July 2. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian Finney/Released)

Symptoms of combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder for wounded warriors include continual nightmares, avoidance behaviors, denial, grief, anger and fear.

Some servicemembers battling these and other symptoms, can be treated successfully as an outpatient while assuming their normal duties, but for others; however, returning to work and becoming their old selves again were challenges recognized by several mental health professionals across the European theater.

“We were looking at how we can best meet the needs of our clientele, and we were identifying that a lot of the Soldiers needed more than once a week outpatient, individual therapy and probably needed more than once or twice a week group therapy,” said Joseph Pehm, the chief of Medical Social Work at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

NEW PROGRAM
The solution came in the creation of an intensive eight-week therapeutic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Day Treatment Program called “evolution” that began in March 2009 at LRMC. During the eight-hour days, patients enrolled in the program participate in multiple disciplines and interests, including art therapy, yoga and meditation classes, substance abuse groups, anger and grief management, tobacco cessation, pain management and multiple PTSD evidence-based practice protocols.

“I am a great believer in the kitchen sink, meaning I throw everything, including the kitchen sink, and something will stick,” said Dr. Daphne Brown, chief of the Division of Behavioral Health at LRMC. “And so we’ve come with all the evidence-based treatment for PTSD that we know about. We’ve taken everything that we can think of that will be of use in redirecting symptoms for these folks and put it into an eight-week program.”

Doctor Brown, Mr. Pehm and Sharon Stewart, a Red Cross volunteer who holds a Ph.D. in psychology, said the program is designed from research into the effects of traumatic experience and mirrors successful PTSD programs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as programs run by psychologists in the U.S.

“We are building on the groundbreaking work that some of our peers and colleagues have done and just expanding it out,” Doctor Brown said.

TREATMENT METHODS
During treatment, patients begin the day with a community meeting where they discuss how well they feel and any additional issues or concerns since their last meeting. The remainder of the day depends on the curriculum scheduled for that week.

The first few weeks focus on learning basic coping skills such as how to reduce anxiety and fight fear, as well as yoga and meditation for relaxation. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, an evidence-based practice for treating PTSD, is also conducted during the early phases of the treatment program.

“The concept behind EMDR is that, essentially, memories become fixed in one part of our brain and they maintain their power and control over our emotions as long as they are fixed there,” Doctor Brown said. “And if we can activate a different part of the brain while we’re experiencing that memory, we can help to remove some of that emotional valence from it. So we use physiological maneuvers to activate both sides of the brain.”

The goal at the beginning of the PTSD program is to provide patients with a number of tools they can use to help them calm down when feeling overwhelmed, especially before more intense therapy begins in the latter weeks. Cognitive processing therapy is used throughout the program. EMDR and prolonged exposure therapy are also available on an individual basis at the Soldier’s request. All three techniques are research-based treatments.

When life-changing events occur, Doctor Brown said perceptions about the world may change. For example, before Soldiers experience combat trauma they may think the world is safe. Following combat, a Soldier’s perceptions may change; a majority of the world may now seem unsafe. Cognitive processing therapy attempts to readdress experiences and reshift a Soldier’s perceptions.

Prolonged exposure therapy is behaviorally based and addresses a Soldier’s fears, which are seen as reflex reactions to a stimulus. To decondition the reactions, a patient is continually exposed to the stimulus by retelling the story repeatedly, minus the negative outcome. Doctor Brown compared it to riding a roller coaster over and over again to overcome a fear of roller coasters.

“So they’re getting EMDR, they’re getting cognitive processing therapy, they’re getting individual therapy, they’re getting group therapy, they’re getting education, anger management, self-esteem, relationship issues, grief and loss, yoga, meditation exercise, skill building — a little bit of everything across the board,” Doctor Brown said. “Not everything’s going to resonate with everyone who comes through, but something’s going to resonate for everyone who comes through.”

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
In addition to the overall core curriculum, Doctor Brown and her staff have programs such as pain management, relationship enrichment and tobacco cessation to help individualize treatment.

“The core of the group and individual education is consistent for everyone,” Doctor Brown said. “But we recognize that every patient is different, and we have to tailor make it to give an individualized treatment plan. We don’t keep people in pain management if they’re not in pain. We don’t give them tobacco cessation if they’re not smoking. So we do try and tailor as much of it as we can.”

Spirituality, relationship enrichment and gender-specific issues are also areas of focus.

“The program is holistic,” Mr. Pehm said. “It looks at people from different spheres, not just the medical model because everything is impacted when someone has combat stress or PTSD; not just the individual Soldier, but everybody who comes in contact with them.”

The intensity, length and “kitchen sink” qualities are not the only aspects that make this program unique, Doctor Brown said. It is a joint military and civilian effort accomplished entirely by volunteers. The staff is as diverse as the therapy options, and includes chaplains, social workers, Red Cross volunteers, psychiatrists, a nurse practitioner, enlisted psychiatric technicians, and graduate students. Brown said having a sundry of personnel keeps the program fresh and the staff excited.

“The patients get perspectives from people from a number of different backgrounds,” Doctor Brown said.

STAFFING
Thus far, the staff outnumbers the program’s participants.

“By design we started out small, and we were able to establish a really good working relationship with the local Warrior Transition Unit people … It’s been a wonderful working relationship with them,” Mr. Pehm said.

Evolution is currently on it second eight-week course, with five patients enrolled. The first class had four. The goal is to keep the class size small in order to benefit from the program’s intensity. Thinking small also helps keep the impact large by successfully returning Soldiers to their units, while also expanding access outside the WTUs. However, Mr. Pehm said they would like to expand the program to include patients from throughout the European Command.

“Ideally, we’d like to max it at about 10 because it is so intensive,” Doctor Brown said. “These are folks we hope to remediate and return to the Army to be functional members again. Also, if they go back to their communities and their providers or spouses see the changes that have come about, that will increase the willingness or desire of more people to be here.”

SIGNS OF SUCCESS
Though few have completed this young program, signs of success have already started to surface.

“With the last group, the shift from ‘I have to be here’ to ‘I’m so glad I came’ was really phenomenal,” Mr. Pehm said.

“One of them said that he didn’t think he was getting anything out of the program,” Doctor Brown said. “It was about week six until he saw himself react differently to a situation that came up, and watched himself do it differently using skills that he didn’t know he learned. He went, ‘Wow, maybe I am getting something out of this.’”

It is too early, and the numbers are too small, to generalize the early trends, but self-completed PTSD checklists showed a significant decrease in reported symptoms for three of the four patients in the first cohort. Additionally, anxiety and depression symptom measures decreased.

“The whole idea is that we know all the changes aren’t going to take place here,” Doctor Brown said. “But we hope we give them enough learning to send them in a different direction. My hope is that we can build a program to provide valid, effective treatment to folks who have put themselves in harm’s way at the request of their country, and help them live happier and better lives.”

Air Force
by Capt. Bryan Lewis
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Public Affairs

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took time to pose for photos with military policeman at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. Palin traveled to Kosovo to visit Alaska Army National Guard troops stationed in the region as part of the Kosovo force peacekeeping mission. Photo by Sgt. Adam-David Pepper

Soldiers from the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ got a huge morale boost when Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, and the state’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, trekked the approximately 5,000 miles to see their National Guard troops from the 49th state and to show their support for the service members of the Multi-National Task Force-East KFOR 11 mission.

“Our Soldiers are America’s heroes and I want to do whatever I can do to show them support and take the time to do so, to travel and to see them,” said Palin, who became Alaska’s 11th governor in November 2006 and the first female to be elected.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was presented an Alaskan flag encased in a plaque; the flag was flown over Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, where Alaska Army National Troops are currently stationed as part of a peacekeeping mission to the region. Photo by Sgt. Adam-David Pepper

The 130 troops, assigned to 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment, who wear the patch depicting the stars of the Big Dipper and the North Star, form the bulk of Task Force Arctic Eagle, who’s main contribution to keeping the peace in the Kosovo region is commanding the skies with their UH-60 Black Hawks.

“I truly appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. I have such a sincere, great appreciation for all that you are doing to serve your state and your country,” said Palin.

Camp Bondsteel Soldiers welcomed with smiles, flash bulbs and a whirlwind tour. That evening she met with senior leadership hosted by the commanding general of MNTF-E, Brig. Gen. Keith Jones, and was briefed on the current situation in the eastern sector. The next morning Palin was treated to a unique breakfast of pancakes and smoked salmon by her fellow Alaskans and to hear what the rank and file had on their minds.

“[The governor] is real down-to-earth and as a mother of a teenager, she is someone I can relate to,” said 1st Lt. Sarah Payeur, Task Force Arctic Eagle, aviation liaison officer, 1-207th Avn. Regt. “With her son in the Army, serving in Iraq, she completely understands what we are going through and to me that is important when it comes to knowing what family support is all about,” said the Eagle River, Alaska native.

Following a meet-and-greet opportunity, interested service members at the CBS theater, Gov. Palin and the Alaskan delegation were whisked away to visit a Task Force Arctic Eagle adopt-a-school program in the nearby town of Ferizaj/Urosevac.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin poses with children that the Alaska Army National Guard teach English to at the Ferizaj/Urosevac community center, Kosovo. The Alaska troops are currently deployed to Kosovo, as part of the United Nations Kosovo force mission bringing stability to the region. Photo by Sgt. Adam-David Pepper

“I think it is great what our troops are doing in helping these students learn English,” said Palin, who took a sidewalk tour of the town with one of the students, Albana Mani, who explained what the program is all about. The teenagers learned more about her during an exercise that involved reading and answering questions about her biography.

“We are very proud of our program and to show it off to the governor was an honor. It was important to let her see how we interact with the local community, to let her know the impact we are having with these students,” said Spc. Robert Sapp, a chaplain’s assistant with the 1-207th Avn. Regt., from Anchorage.

The tour of her short visit wound down when she returned to the flight line of CBS and took part in the pinning of newly promoted Soldiers and awarding achievements.

“The characteristics that you all embody; your self-determination and self-sufficiency, combined with teamwork that is needed in order to get the job done. You embody that. You have that discipline and tenacity and that patriotism that I pray our younger generation will adopt. Our country will be better off if we have more of you out there serving something greater than self,” concluded Palin.

“It was an honor to host Gov. Palin for her visit to Camp Bondsteel. The Soldiers were elated to see her and appreciated that she made the long trip from Alaska to show her appreciation for their service,” said Maj. Matthew Schell, the 1-207th’s acting battalion commander.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Paul Wade

States reported in this color have either stopped publicly reporting pandemic flu case numbers or the data has proven difficult to locate on their sites. States with this color in their data have a lower reported total than the CDC reports.

Pandemic Novel H1N1 or Swine Flu trend based on CDC numbers for 6-25-2009. Click on the graph for a larger version.

States marked in this color are those which have stopped posting their pandemic flu case numbers on line, or the numbers are not easily found at their site.

Staff Sgt. Logan Cortes, combat skills training instructor, Combat Skills Training School, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, displays the Bronze Star he received at Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 25, for his actions during Operation Steel Curtain. During an attack to clear houses in New Ubaydi, Cortes' platoon moved in to clear a small single-story building and was engaged by an enemy ambush. Cortes, 33, from Stockton, Calif., left his position three times, running through enemy fire to save two Marines and retrieve ammo for his machine gunner. Cortes is currently an instructor with the 1st MLG Combat Skills Training School at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The students taking courses at the Combat Skills Training School don’t doubt their teacher’s knowledge, but it’s hard to see the man behind the information as a decorated combat veteran.

Staff Sgt. Logan Cortes, an instructor with the 1st Marine Logistics Group’s CST at Camp Pendleton, Calif., is a Bronze Star recipient and currently teaches Marines how to use the weapons systems he had first-hand experience with in Iraq.

“He is a great role model,” said Lance Cpl. Jose Laguna, CST instructor, Combat Skills Training School, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st MLG, 26, from Dallas.

Even though he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions, he still thinks about the Marines who were there with him that day.

“I don’t think I deserve a Bronze Star for my actions out there,” Cortes said. “I wasn’t the only person out there. There were the other Marines covering me when I went out to recover those guys.”

It started with Marines storming door-to-door looking for insurgents in New Ubaydi, Iraq. But for 2nd Platoon, Nov. 16, 2005 turned into an ambush and proved one Marine’s courage and commitment to his fellow Marines.

Cortes was a machinegun section leader with Company F, Battalion Leading Team 2/1, Regimental Combat Team 2, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, when his unit moved in to clear a small single-story building and was engaged by an enemy ambush.

“We were told that there were three insurgents inside one of the houses we were clearing that day,” said Cortes. “So I led a team into a position so we could help engage the enemy. It turned out to be an ambush,” said Cortes, 33, from Stockton, Calif.

During the heated firefight with the enemy combatants, Cortes was informed that there were casualties inside one of the buildings.

He dashed from his covered position to retrieve a Marine who suffered wounds to both of his legs from a grenade blast, and pulled him to safety as bullets from allies and enemies flew past his body.

“After I pulled the Marine to the covered position, I saw the machine gunner lying on the ground,” Cortes explained. “I was like ‘are you OK? Why are you lying on the ground?’ Turns out he was out of ammo so I ran back to grab some more for him. After I brought back the ammo an insurgent jumped out with an AK-47.”

Cortes quickly dispatched the enemy combatant. He saw more casualties and once again left his position to recover another wounded Marine.

For his courageous actions that day, Staff Sgt. Cortes was awarded the Bronze Star, the fourth-highest combat award. Cortes also recognized Lance Cpl. Roger Deeds, who was the only Marine in his fire team killed during the operation that day.

“I still think I don’t deserve the Bronze Star,” Cortes said. “I believe [Lance Cpl. Deeds] traded his life for mine.”

Other than being a great role model, Marines that work with Cortes have many good things to say about him.

“He treats you like a Marine, but first as a man,” said Sgt. Jared Louis Thom, CST instructor, Combat Skills Training School, CLR-17, 1st MLG. “He’s the first to help you and makes sure you’re setup and doing the right thing for yourself. He will stand up for what is right no matter what the consequences are.”

He also added that meeting Marines like Cortes isn’t an everyday occurrence.

Students at the CST benefit from learning from this Marine who has had experience on the battlefield and passes what he knows on to them. He encourages them to do the right thing at all times.

Someone pointing at a PowerPoint presentation may not look like a Marine who ducked and dodged bullets to save his fellow Marines’ lives in Iraq, but the man behind the information has a lot to offer.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Jennifer Brofer

Staff Sgt. Selina Joy Wadsworth, squad leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, poses in front on a Humvee at Contingency Operating Base Q-West, June 25. Photo by Sgt. Keith Anderson

“Take a deep breath and drive through it.”

That’s the advice from Staff Sgt. Selina Joy Wadsworth, squad leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade.

The force protection non-commissioned officer from Bellingham, Wash., doesn’t literally “drive through it” in a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle, though. But she never gives up.

“Take the good with the bad, as anyone would with any type of job,” said Wadsworth. “Each person is going to come to a moment in their Army career where they will want to get out and quit, but do not base it on one single moment, or one single assignment. Don’t be too quick to give up on what you have worked for.”

Wadsworth, who is on her second deployment, said all-in-all, her 14-year career has been positive.

“There have been a number of bad or frustrating moments in my career; however, there have been far many more magnificent challenges and opportunities that outweigh any of the negative ones,” Wadsworth said.

Wadsworth said she was grateful for all the mentorship and guidance she’s gotten in her Army career.

“I would have to say that nearly every NCO that I have worked for has made an impact on my career, whether positive or negative,” Wadsworth said. “I’d say that the greatest leader that I had was back in my active duty unit. He showed me what it meant to be a leader and told me that to be the greatest type of leader is to be the one that you would want to lead you. I have held strong to that idea and always been a leader to my Soldiers that I would want leading me.”

She said you can’t always tell if you’ve made an impact on a Soldier, but there have been a few times where she got some positive feedback.

“I only know of a few times where a Soldier has written me a card and let me know how my service has impacted their service, and each time it has impacted my own career in such a great way,” Wadsworth said. “I was told that through my leadership and work ethic, it had renewed a Soldier’s sense of pride in serving and that I was the main reason that the Soldier reenlisted and continued to stay in the Army.”

Being a good NCO requires a little study time, Wadsworth said.

“I would advise a new NCO to attend Warrior Leader Course as soon as possible, which just touches the surface of all the information that a new sergeant needs to know,” Wadsworth said. “Find a leadership manual, I have a few different ones, and continually read about what it means to be a leader, what different type of leadership styles there are and what a leader needs to know and do. Lastly and most importantly, find a senior NCO to talk with and be your mentor.”

Throughout her career, the camaraderie has been important to her, Wadsworth said.

“It seems like only yesterday I was pinned my sergeant stripes, and now I have my staff segeant, but to look over the short time that I have already been an NCO, I’d have to say that I will always remember how hard I worked for my soldiers and how amazing my squad has worked even harder for each other,” said Wadsworth. “I clearly remember one moment out on patrol where I wrote and gave the mission’s operational order and saw each person doing the work that needed to get done. It was amazing to know that I had that type of influence to be able to set soldiers out to accomplish a mission.”

She has noticed some changes in Iraq this tour, from the last time during 2004 to 2005 when she was at what is now Joint Base Balad, Wadsworth said.

“While for the most part the country is basically still the same, the Iraqi military has greatly improved,” Wadsworth said. “The Iraqi soldiers were simple farmers, working a few days out of the week as a soldier in barely much of a uniform, with hardly any equipment. Today, looking at the Iraqi army while we are out on missions, they have come leaps and bounds with uniforms, equipment and training.”

This deployment has gone by much more quickly than the previous deployment, Wadsworth said.

“This deployment has been fast, much quicker then I even thought it would end up being,” said Wadsworth. “I have been challenged and been given an incredible opportunity to be responsible for a squad of 16 Soldiers. Being a medic on my last deployment, I was responsible for their medical needs, and in this deployment I was responsible for every aspect of their mission readiness, day-to-day needs and overall success as a squad and platoon.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Keith Anderson

Staff Sgt. Ronald White, squad leader, 51st Transportation Company, 30th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, poses with two Kurdish soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Q-West. \

“I want to be a part of history,” said Staff Sergeant Ronald White, squad leader, 51st Transportation Company, 30th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade.

“I want to look back one day and have stories to tell my children and grandchildren that will last for generations,” White said. “I want them to be proud to say, ‘that is the stuff I am made of: I am my father’s child.’ When history is written and all is said and done, I want to be remembered.”

When the 29-year-old, father of four daughters was inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club during this deployment, it was an opportunity for him to inspire his Soldiers.

“My Soldier, Spc. Walton, said to me ‘Sgt. White, if you can make Audie Murphy after trying so hard, I can be a sergeant before I leave, or at least promotable,’” said White. “It is moments like this that let me know that Soldiers are watching. Soldiers do listen, as long as you are doing, or have done, what you are telling them to do or be.”

White knows that Soldiers are willing to follow excellent leaders, not only from his Soldiers, but from his own experiences as a Soldier. White said that when he transitioned from the Marines to the Army in 2003, his first sergeant, who used discipline and an infantry mindset, taught him that genuine care for the Soldiers was the right leadership and mentoring he needed to focus on.

“First Sergeant Judd showed me how to balance the hard line of discipline with compassion,” White said. “He taught me how to display a stern, unwavering demeanor, yet speak to and treat Soldiers with dignity and sincerity. He was a senior non-commissioned officer who gave, and sacrificed, more than me daily, without regards to his personal comforts. He put his Soldiers’ needs first. He was a leader who held us to the standards, but never stood above us. He set the bar for me and gave me the tools to reach the top.”

To White, the first sergeant possessed the qualities a leader must have, and he applied them to his own style of leadership, something that has helped the Chicago, Ill., native, shape his Soldiers’ careers.

“A Soldier of mine in a previous unit, Spc. Nava, had an outlook on the military that was negative,” White said. “He looked forward to getting out, but he was deployed with me and later assigned to my squad. As I spent more time with him I realized it was not him, but the influences of his negative peers that had him ready to get out.”

White said he took the Soldier under his wing.

“I began to continuously mentor him and show him how he could use his Army career to achieve his future goals,” said White. “Later, after I left the unit, I got an e-mail from Sgt. Nava thanking me for taking the time to get to know him and show him a different way of thinking. He is just another reason why I continue to serve.”

His concern for Soldiers and their well being can be seen in his leadership philosophy.

“As non-commissioned officers, we have the opportunity to assist in molding well-rounded Soldiers for the future of our Army and Corps, and we have the opportunity to transform these young, motivated minds into productive members of society, the leaders of tomorrow,” said White.

White eloquently expressed the function of the NCO.

“It is the job of the NCO to take the mission and Soldiers given to them and teach, educate, advise and mentor each young mind through in-depth leadership engagement,” White said. “This will fortify the legacy and bond between Soldiers and NCOs, like so many non-commissioned officers that have come before us have done, carrying on the traditions of camaraderie and esprit de corps our honored profession of arms was built upon.”

When he’s not wearing his uniform, his greatest joy comes from playing with his four daughters, Tiara 13, Zaria 10, Christian 8, Amari 7.

“My favorite hobby is to play with my daughters and let them run me ragged each day when I am with them,” said White.

White’s other hobbies include going outdoors and enjoying the sights and sounds of mother nature, as well as bowling, skating and reading Log Home Living magazine.

“I want to build my own log home one day,” said White.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Adam Shaw

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Landon Church, an electrician from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-5, inspects a portion of the Camp Leatherneck Garrison Combat Operations Center, June 2. Since March, the Byron, Mich., native has served as project lead electrician in building the operations centers here. Photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

For several nights he has walked down an empty, wooden hallway partially lit by a mixture of moonlight and a spotlight off in the distance, stopping sporadically to observe different sections of the structure. After he moves on, he leaves the building as calm as it was when he found it.

Being at a construction site before anyone else arrives is a nightly routine for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Landon Church, an electrician from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-5.

Church, a native of Byron, Mich., is the project lead electrician in building the combat operation centers here. Since March, his knowledge and experience have been essential in the progress made here by Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan and its subordinate elements.

“This has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Church said. “I knew in the beginning that the MEB project was crucial to the beginning of operations here and it has been an honor to head up and manage the electrical portions of the project.”

Church, 24, has less than four years in the Navy and is in charge of planning and estimating the electrical requirements of the three buildings.

He and his team of four electricians completed the electrical portions of the brigade’s command center less than two weeks ago and installed more than 10,000 feet of wiring throughout the building that will run power to hundreds of computers, telephones and more.

“I spent many hours reviewing building codes for electrical components and making sure I had an overall knowledge of every aspect of the project, down to the very last detail,” Church said. “With that knowledge, I had the best idea of how to go about tasking, coordinating and managing my troops.”

Church was trained as an electrician in Wichita Falls, Texas, from May to July 2006. It was then where he learned about electrical distribution and interior wiring, motors and controls, and how to climb utility poles and troubleshoot electrical problems.

From Texas he was then sent to his current duty station at Port Hueneme, Calif., and deployed to Kuwait from September to November 2006, and later to eastern Afghanistan’s Camp Salerno from December 2006 to February 2007.

Nine months before coming here he was assigned to his battalion’s convoy security element. There he focused on weapons training, improvised explosive device awareness and urban combat.

Shortly after arriving here, he was handed the blue-prints for three of the largest projects he’d ever fathomed, even though he hadn’t worked as an electrician for almost a year.

“I kind of stared at the blue-prints for a while, wondering how I would ever plan this out,” Church reminisced. “I chose to push through it one item at a time, and pretty soon the plan came together and eventually evolved into one of the biggest projects the Seabees have seen in quite some time.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Garrison Hardisty, project supervisor, said he had no doubt in Church’s ability to adjust to the challenge, and proof of that is the recent completion of the MEB-Afghanistan COC.

“That’s what Seabees do, we make do with what little we have,” Hardisty said.

Church attributes his success to the hard work and commitment of the electricians in his team. He said he’s happy with the results he’s produced so far, but said that wouldn’t be the case if not for his men.

“I’ve tasked them, and they haven’t let me down yet,” Church said. “They put in the extra effort to get the mission done.”

Seaman Apprentice Aaron Bluitt, 36, an electrician from Santa Barbara, Calif., said he found inspiration in following Church, a leader 12 years his junior. He said Church is always well organized and puts forth a lot of extra time in planning and executing every task he’s given.

“I’m glad I’m able to be a part of his crew,” Bluitt said. “His positive leadership has helped us get the job done. He’s very good at what he does and I’m happy that I’ve been able to learn as much as I have from him.”

Bluitt said Church gave him the opportunity to install the circuit panels inside the MEB-Afghanistan COC, a task not normally given to a junior electrician. Because of this, Bluitt said, Church developed a lasting impression as a leader in the eyes of his troops.

“The best thing to do as a leader is to give the troops a sense of accomplishment,” Church said. “Once they see that it all works and comes together, they develop a trust in you.”

Church sees the success achieved by his team every evening before he leaves the job site. He said he’s blessed to have the opportunity to lead such a meaningful project and to lead sailors who help him succeed.

“At the end of the day I go home, get in my rack and think about what I did that day,” Church said. “I’ve always felt satisfied.”

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

Coalition forces launched precision airstrikes overnight, June 29, against senior Haqqani commanders and command posts in the remote mountains of western Khost province.

These militants are responsible for aiding in the movement of foreign fighters through the Khost-Gardez Pass and throughout Afghanistan.

Coalition forces planned and coordinated the airstrikes when intelligence sources indicated militant activity at this rugged location earlier in the day. Coalition force aircraft were called in and destroyed a pair of command bunkers, killing more than a dozen militants.

The Haqqani network remains one of the most lethal Taliban organizations operating out of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Area. Haqqani leaders conduct operations in conjunction with other Islamic militant groups with similar goals and interests. The network focuses operations against the government of the Islamic republic of Afghanistan and Afghan national security forces and seeks to expel coalition and NATO forces from Afghanistan to maintain its influence in eastern provinces.

DVIDS

CNN has this report:

Talk of swine flu parties has emerged on Internet forums. The idea is that exposing a child to the H1N1 virus while it remains relatively mild will give the child immunity if the virus returns in a more virulent form later on.

The idea is an extension of chicken pox and measles parties that were once a popular way of exposing children to those diseases so that they might acquire resistance to subsequent infections.

It is not clear if this is just a rumor or if it is a “movement”. It is a terrible idea.

Influenza, including novel H1N1 or swine flu, is an illness that affects the entire body. It renders the patient ill for more than a week and even when mild can produce dehydration, high fevers and respiratory distress.

While the data is not firm, an unusual number of young people with no prior health issues are being hospitalized and even dying after catching swine flu. It seems stupid, at the very least, to risk your child’s life by deliberately infecting him with swine flu.

Even if your child does have a mild case, he or she risks infecting any number of people they come into contact with who may not be so lucky. Grandma with the bad heart could catch it, Uncle Lou the diabetic, cousin Sarah who’s pregnant, or little brother Ricky who is four weeks old. Every family has relatives, friends or neighbors who are a much higher risk for death from the swine flu than little Junior who you just purposely infected.

Please, don’t be an idiot. Say no to swine flu parties.