By James K. Sanborn - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 8, 2010 8:31:29 EST
After almost seven years of bloodshed, 850 Marines killed in action and a pedigree of hard-won victories that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime, propped up a new government and quelled a tenacious insurgency, Col. Scott Aiken’s boots will be among the very last in the sand.
But before he can step on a flight home, Aiken must lead Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Responsible Drawdown and coordinate shipment of thousands of pieces of remaining equipment and Marines out of Iraq.
In late January, Maj. Gen. Richard Tryon, the Marine commander in Iraq, transferred authority over Anbar province to the Army’s 1st Armored Division, which also oversees Baghdad. The ceremony in Ramadi leaves the Corps without an area of operations in Iraq and marks an official end to the Corps’ large-scale commitment in the country.
All remaining U.S. combat troops are slated to withdraw from Iraq by August, President Obama said during his State of the Union address Jan. 27. The only Marines who will continue to operate there include a handful of embedded trainers, the Marine Security Guard detachment at the U.S. embassy and limited administrative staff in Baghdad.
With combat operations in Iraq over for the Corps, the mission is now a logistical one. As of Feb. 3, about 900 Marines and just a few thousand pieces of equipment remained, and those numbers continue to plummet daily.
“Getting people to go home is the easy part,” Aiken said. “But getting them to go home correctly takes a little more finessing. You only have one time to do it right.”
Aiken, an infantry officer who has commanded the II Marine Expeditionary Force Forward Headquarters Group in Iraq for almost a year, describes the process as something more complicated than bubble wrap, boxes and moving trucks. In a three-pronged approach, equipment must be accounted for and shipped to various locations. Personnel must be logged, scheduled for flights and tracked as they ship out. And facilities at Al Asad Air Base must be cleaned and prepped for the airmen and soldiers who will take over.
Adding to the job’s complexity, equipment ranging from behemoth trucks to minuscule radio components must be rated as “in need of repair” or “suitable for use” and directed to the U.S. or Afghanistan. So far, almost 16 million pounds of gear have been flown to Afghanistan. About 25 percent of what still remains may also be flown there as Marines intensify their fight against the Taliban.
Still, Aiken said he is confident he will meet his February deadline.
The number of personnel will drop off by the hundreds “as flights come and go,” he said by phone from Al Asad Air Base on Jan. 22. “It has been surprisingly smooth so far, and we’ve been hitting the deadlines right on.”
In fact, the number of Marines left in Iraq could drop to just 600 by early February, he predicted.
That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the more than 20,000 Marines who operated in Anbar province during that war’s most violent years. Mayhem reigned there from 2004 to 2007 when Marines clashed with insurgents regularly, highlighted by epic battles in Fallujah and Ramadi.
Now, just one infantry unit remains. Third Battalion, 24th Marines, a Reserve battalion based in St. Louis, Mo., arrived in September primarily to conduct convoy security, guard border crossings and train Iraqi troops. They have not fired a shot in anger since arriving and have been hit by only one improvised explosive device, which caused no injuries.
When the last piece of gear has been packed and properly labeled, Aiken’s unit will be the last to leave the country, something he called a privilege.
“For me, I would say that it is definitely an honor to be among the last few out. I’m proud of our efforts since we’ve been in Iraq,” he said, citing security improvements since his first deployment to the country in 2005 as commander of 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines.
“We have lost fine Marines and sailors out here, but given the people of western Iraq a fine chance to carry on here.”
By Erik Slavin, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, February 7, 2010
Senior officers who have spent long careers picking up the pieces in countries devastated by floods, earthquakes and other catastrophes fill out an impressive number of the more than 6,000 people attending Cobra Gold.
However, none of the military officers and aid workers here were willing to offer up an armchair-quarterback’s view of the relief effort in that small Caribbean nation.
Instead, they said they hope to learn anything they can from the earthquake-ravaged country’s example.
While the Haitian response has borne some public criticism, officials here said it is better organized now because militaries and charities have addressed problems that slowed aid during previous Southeast Asian relief efforts.
The United Nations reports following the 2004 tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people illustrated a system of overlapping efforts from host nations, aid groups and militaries that ultimately slowed down distribution.
Part of the problem was that militaries and charities weren’t very good at talking to each other.
“The first thing a general asks is: Who’s in charge?” said Bobby Ray Gordon, humanitarian operations advisor for the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, a U.S. Pacific Command group. Gordon has worked on international aid projects in Darfur, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
“The way the humanitarian community operates is on a consensus basis,” Gordon said. “There is no vertical chain of command, which is absolutely foreign to a military officer.”
To better coordinate the myriad groups, the United Nations developed a “cluster” approach in 2005 that gave everyone involved a little more of the structure that militaries crave.
The approach appoints lead agencies for each need area; for example, UNICEF is leading the water and sanitation cluster in the Haiti relief effort. Any group contributing to that cause attends that U.N. cluster meeting and coordinates with that organization.
The system got off to a bumpy start when it launched following a 2005 Pakistan earthquake, but officers like Singaporean Lt. Col. Ng Sin Ain say it has since made a big difference.
Ain, who spoke with senior officials from five nations about the cluster system at Cobra Gold last week, said he was able to “plug in” to the big picture effort during the 2009 Indonesia earthquake in a way that wasn’t possible following the 2004 tsunami.
“It very much depends on the tactical leadership on the ground,” Ain said. “But when the leadership is good, the [cluster approach] seems to work.”
For a military to be effective under the system, it normally concentrates on what it should be best at — quick response and security — while leaving long-term efforts to the relief agencies, Ain said.
Dividing labor along those lines also means that the military’s effectiveness depends on its ability to take a back seat.
“The military is not in charge; they are in support, which is a unique role for them,” Gordon said.
From all indications at Cobra Gold, that lesson has been learned as well.
In the fictional peacekeeping exercise taking place on computer screens at Utapao Air Base, the U.S. is working with multiple nations and has humanitarian-assistance role players standing by, should they need to coordinate with aid agencies.
“We’re coming together to support a joint task force,” said Army Col. Al Neyland. “The U.N. passed a resolution, and we’re enforcing that mandate.”
]]>By Lynne O'Donnell (AFP) – February 7, 2010
A huge force of US Marines leading NATO and Afghan soldiers is expected to launch the offensive -- said by commanders to be the largest assault against Taliban-led militants since the war began -- in Helmand province within days.
Operation Mushtarak ("Together") will "send a strong signal that the Afghan government is expanding its security control," said US General Stanley McChrystal, who leads 113,000 US and NATO forces fighting the militants.
The operation is to be centred on the Marjah plain in the central Helmand River valley, home to around 80,000 people and said by military officials to be the last bastion of Taliban control.
As part of his counter-insurgency strategy emphasising development and governance, McChrystal said the Marjah operation was not about killing Taliban fighters but eradicating the militant threat.
Whether fighters left the region or rejoined society -- as President Hamid Karzai's reconciliation programme encourages them to do -- the aim was to establish Afghan civilian governance, he said.
"We're trying to make this not a military operation only, but a civilian and military operation because the thing that is changing is not just going to be the level of security in the area but the governance," McChrystal said.
"So all the planning for this operation has been led by the civilian side with the military in support -- and of course this is an Afghan-led operation."
The head of the provincial refugees and repatriation department said authorities were preparing to receive up to 10,000 people, as about 2,000 had already left Marjah.
"Around 400 families have been displaced from the Nad Ali and Marjah areas," said Ghulam Farouq Noorzai.
Authorities had set up an emergency response committee in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah to provide food and shelter for those fleeing, he said.
A mini-van driver who would not give his name, told AFP: "I have made five or six trips between Marjah and Lashkah Gar today, bringing people out of the area."
Marjah, home to 80,000 people, is a major base for growing poppies, the raw material of opium and heroin, which help fund the insurgency. Officials say farmers are coerced by militants into growing poppies rather than other crops.
"For individuals who live in Marjah, who right now live under Taliban control with narco-traffickers there, they don't have a lot of choices," McChrystal told reporters.
"We are trying to communicate to them that when the government re-establishes security they'll have choices."
"They'll have choices on the crops they grow, they'll have the ability to move that produce to appropriate markets, they won't be limited to narco-traffickers who can force them into that," he added.
Mushtarak echoes assaults last year -- the British Operation Panther's Claw and the Marines' Operation Dagger -- that were seen as successfully eradicating militants who had controlled other poppy-growing regions in the Helmand valley.
Preparatory operations around Marjah, south of Lashkar Gah, have been going on for weeks, with leaflets dropped on the area from NATO helicopters warning residents of the assault to come.
Military officials said the operation had been planned in cooperation with Afghan authorities, and would enable them to move in to establish civilian institutions, including police, education and health.
Mark Sedwill, NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, who started his new job Sunday, said Marjah would provide an example of how "governance and development follows up any advances we make in security".
"To the Afghan citizen what matters is can his kids get to school, is the school open, is the clinic open, can they get decent justice from the Afghan government rather than the Taliban?" Sedwill said.
Sedwill, until this month British ambassador to Afghanistan, echoed McChrystal in saying "the situation in Afghanistan remains serious but is no longer deteriorating.
"Both of us are confident... that at the end of 2010 we will be in a much better position than we are now," he said.
Abdul Malek
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan
Sun Feb 7, 2010 9:44am EST
U.S. Marines are set to launch a massive operation within days to take Marjah, a dense warren of canals and lush farmland in the center of Helmand, the country's most violent province.
Military commanders are dubbing the area the last big Taliban enclave in the province. The offensive, one of the biggest of the eight-year-old war, will mark the first major show of force since U.S. President Barack Obama ordered in 30,000 extra troops.
Washington hopes the Marine operation will help decisively turn the momentum this year in a war that commanders accept has not been going their way. They have also not kept the planned offensive a secret, hoping the militants will give up the fight.
"It has to do with letting people know what's coming in the hope that the hardcore Taliban, or a lot of the Taliban, will simply leave, and maybe there will be less of a fight," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in Turkey on Saturday.
According to some of the villagers escaping Marjah in fear of their lives, fighters are digging in rather than fleeing.
"The Taliban are not going to leave Marjah. We have seen them preparing themselves. They are bringing in people and weapons. We know there is going to be a big fight," said Abdul Manan, a man from Marjah who had fled to Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah.
"The Taliban are very active in Marjah. They are planting mines there and in the surrounding areas," said another villager, Abdul Khaleq, after arriving in Lashkar Gah with his family.
The Taliban have stepped up their fight against Afghan and foreign troops in recent years. They have largely shied away from face-to-face combat, relying instead on deadly homemade bombs.
Abdullah Nasrat, a Taliban commander in Nad Ali district where Marjah is located, told Reuters by telephone there were some 2,000 insurgents there ready to fight to the death.
"We are well prepared and will fight until the end. We don't have sophisticated weapons like the Americans with tanks and air planes, but we have Islamic zeal. That is the power we have to fight against the infidels," he said.
"WRATH OF AMERICANS"
Around one hundred families have fled Marjah and surrounding areas, seeking refuge in Lashkar Gah over the last week, the provincial governor's spokesman Dawood Ahmadi said. Afghan families average around six members.
Some of those had fled from areas around Marjah where British "shaping" operations have been taking place ahead of the Marine offensive.
"On the government side, we are ready to help these people. We are ready to help up to 50,000 displaced people," he said, adding there was a possibility of more people fleeing. Those who fled said they feared for their lives.
"We know that the wrath of the Americans is coming upon us. We left Marjah to save our lives and our families' lives," Khaleq said.
"We have no shelter, no property. We left our farms. We appeal to the government to help us," he said, adding that other families had fled to nearby Sangin and Nawa districts.
Many of those arriving in Lashkar Gah told Reuters they had set up in open-air compounds normally used for storage in the city. Helmand has a harsh desert climate where temperatures can soar in summer and drop below freezing in winter.
"We don't know what will happen to Marjah and to our property. This could go on for months," said Manan..
(Additional reporting by Jonathon Burch in KABUL, Ismail Sameem in KANDAHAR and Adam Entous in ANKARA; Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by Myra MacDonald)
]]>Sgt. Jefferson Haney is a rarity, and his fellow Marines look at him with just a little bit of envy.
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, February 7, 2010
The artilleryman with the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment is one of few who have done what they spent countless hours training for: firing his howitzer at the enemy.
“Two rounds on an enemy bunker,” recalled Haney as he stood near the firing line at Fiddler’s Green, a combat outpost in Helmand province.
“The bunker was destroyed.”
With new and more stringent rules of engagement imposed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal in an effort to reduce civilian casualties in Afghanistan and to win over the population, the men who fire the cannons are finding it harder and harder to get their shot at the enemy. As a result, artillerymen now find themselves in the awkward position of having insurgents within range, but being forced to stand down when calls for help come in from Marines under fire in the field.
“It’s frustrating when you get Marines out there calling for fire and that request gets denied,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jason Reynolds of 3-10’s India Battery.
Cpl. Ernest Brown, an artillery section chief, added, “It plays with your emotions when you know there are Marines out there taking fire and there’s nothing you can do.”
For Marine artillerymen, it’s tough to balance the desire to defend their comrades in the field with counterinsurgency objectives and rules of engagement that sometimes require letting the enemy escape.
Now, as more Marines arrive in Helmand province as part of an effort to reverse the gains insurgents have made in recent years, the artilleryman could soon get a chance to fire. But more than likely, Marines say they will continue to lend support in different ways: firing illumination rounds in the night and walking in the boots of their infantrymen counterparts.
“As a young Marine it was harder, but now I understand it,” Sgt. Brian Northcutt said as he led a group of Marines on a recent patrol in central Helmand province. Though he’s never fired a cannon in combat, Northcutt has conducted countless patrols during his deployments, during which he’s talked with locals and tried to build good will.
“I understand now that firing artillery isn’t the way you win this kind of war,” Northcutt said.
But taking on the roles of infantrymen also means taking on greater risk. Since 3-10 deployed late last year, the battalion lost one Marine to a roadside bomb. In December, the unit’s sergeant major lost both of his legs during a foot patrol when he stepped on a pressure-plate bomb. And there have been numerous cases in which Marines have suffered concussions during vehicle patrols, according to the unit’s commanding officer.
“We’ve paid a pretty stiff price in that (infantry) mission,” said Lt. Col. Todd Finley.
The unit recently saw its role reduced with the arrival of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, which took over several of the 3-10’s patrol bases near the insurgent-heavy city of Marjeh. Some Marines are holding out hope that they’ll get some of that territory back once their infantry counterparts make their push into Marjeh, one of the last major Taliban strongholds in Helmand.
“There was probably some frustration or disappointment for some of the Marines, but in the bigger scheme I think the Marines understand the real reason why we came here was to provide supporting fires,” Finley said.
First Lt. Courtney Boston, executive officer for 3-10’s India Battery, said his Marines have accepted their new roles, but still crave the chance to fire.
“Marines love to do what they’re trained to do. If the stars align, we’ll shoot and we’ll be good at it,” said Boston. “At the same time, there is a greater objective. Sometimes shooting may be detrimental. It’s actually a victory if we’re not shooting.”
]]>Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Christen McCluney
Date: 02.05.2010
Posted: 02.05.2010 01:06
"It's a large problem to the Army and the soldiers," Thomas Meitzler, a scientist at the Army center, said during a Feb. 3 interview on the Pentagon Channel podcast "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
He was also joined by Joy Hirsch, professor at Columbia University and director of the Program for Imaging and Cognitive Sciences.
Soldiers who are exposed to blasts associated with roadside bombs often are not aware of any resulting mild TBI and return to duty without proper medical diagnosis and treatment. The study, a cooperative research and development agreement between TARDEC and the Columbia University Medical School, is helping to determine what areas of the brain are susceptible to damage and measuring how the brain is engaged while performing certain functions.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a specialized MRI that captures high-resolution images of the brain and identifies regions engaged during specific mental tasks, allows the researchers to ask patients to do tasks and look at what parts of the brain are working during a specific function.
"Oftentimes in traumatic brain injury, patients have symptoms of injury, but the physical evidence is not obvious," Hirsch said. "When we apply a functional MRI, then we can begin to understand the neurophysiology that underlies the behavioral disabilities."
Participants are asked to do cognitive, language and memory tasks so researchers can understand how the brain works during target acquisition in the field. "We have a battery of tests that are aimed to probe people's ability to control emotions, memories and to solve problems," Hirsch said.
Meitzler added that understanding how the brain works is important in helping to optimize tasks, and doing this provides a window into how the brain works during decision making, identification and search in the field.
The researchers also are proposing that Soldiers be scanned before they are deployed and then upon their return to provide a basis for comparison.
"We hope to store that information on a digital dog tag so that [it] is always carried with them and can be referred to at a later time," Meitzler said.
It would be a great baseline of information, Hirsch said, and doing the comparison when soldiers return from deployment also would help to start treatment of brain injuries much earlier and before behavioral signs kick in.
The results of using this imaging will be used to guide and monitor therapy, and prevent compounding injury by multiple blast exposures.
"Functional MRI has become the backbone of neuroscience," Hirsch said. "We can use it for new ways to think about treatments."
The team also is looking into putting sensors inside armored vehicles so that they can record the magnitude and location of roadside-bomb blasts. With information about the size or type of blast the vehicle has experienced, the team can relate that to patients and be more proactive in treatments of future patients who experience similar injuries.
With this information, future vehicles could be developed so that blasts cause fewer injuries, the scientists said.
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, February 5, 2010
But being poised to take part in a large offensive where casualties are a virtual certainty still makes for dark thoughts.
"Sometimes I wake up in the morning with a pit in the bottom of my stomach," McGuinn said during a recent patrol in some of Helmand province’s most volatile territory. "Sometimes, when I’m walking around (on base), I’m so focused on it that I’m looking at the ground, watching where I step."
For the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based infantrymen of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment who will be participating in the battle for control of Marjeh — the Taliban’s last major stronghold in Helmand province — it’s a time of quiet reflection as they prepare for what in the weeks ahead is expected to be one of the largest, and potentially most dangerous, military operations of the past year.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of bombs are likely to be buried around Marjeh, which features a sprawling network of canals and poppy fields mixed together with a busy marketplace, according to Marines.
With too few troops to challenge the Taliban in the past, the city has festered into a place where insurgents can plan attacks in other areas and also access opium stockpiles that are key to its financing.
"As of right now, we’re living day by day," said Staff Sgt. David Murray, 28, at a patrol base near the city. "We know we’ll take casualties. All of us know we may not be here the next day, but we’re willing to accept it. The reason we do it is for the Marines next to us."
Lt. Col. Todd Finley, who commands the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, said it’s difficult to know whether the number of mines awaiting the Marines in Marjeh is as high as some intelligence estimates forecast.
"Is there a big threat? Certainly," said Finley, who commands an artillery unit near Marjeh that will be giving support to the infantrymen making the push into the city.
"Is it like the Normandy beachhead with mines?" said Finley, referring to the danger of improvised explosive devices in Marjeh. "I don’t know, but I would certainly make the assumption it is" when preparing for battle, Finley continued.
The Marines of 1-6, who deployed in December as part of the 30,000 extra troops being sent by President Barack Obama, have already taken losses in the build-up to the offensive. Last week, two of them were killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol just outside Marjeh.
Those deaths weigh heavily, according to Lance Cpl. Christopher Lima, a 21-year-old from Louisiana.
"I don’t want to lose any more friends," Lima said as he pondered the Marjeh battle.
Lima said he’s trying to stay focused on the mission at hand, imagining scenarios he will likely encounter.
"Last year, they (the insurgents) didn’t know how to fight," said Lima, who is stationed at Patrol Base Mahafiz. "Now they’re using better tactics."
Other Marines also say they expect to encounter a tougher enemy than they found on previous Afghanistan deployments.
"The Taliban are better shots. They don’t spray (bullets) the way they used to," said Lance Cpl. Miguel Otero, 24. "They’re doing more complex ambushes."
Thinking about his 2-year-old son and new baby due in March help take his mind off the danger ahead, Otero said. "I think about home a lot," he said.
McGuinn, who enlisted four years ago at age 31 and is one of the oldest lance corporals on active duty, said he was motivated to join the Marines to be a part of missions like Marjeh. The anxiety at the pit of his stomach on some mornings turns into resolve as the day goes on, McGuinn said.
In Marjeh, McGuinn will be working with the local population, seeking to build alliances through projects and humanitarian relief. During a visit to a small village bordering the site of the looming battle, there have been some cold shoulders from local residents during the Marines’ civil affairs missions. Taliban intimidation of residents is commonplace still, he said.
"They will stay intimidated until we take Marjeh," McGuinn said.
Marines have been advertising their intent to go into Marja and take it away from the Taliban for months. The beat of those drums has grown faster and stronger in recent days prompting many to ask, why tip one's hand to the enemy?
]]> http://abcnews.go.com/International/Afghanistan/marines-skip-element-surprise-coming-attack-marja/story?id=9747065&page=1Map of Area where Operation Moshtarak will take place:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=113592914559279501679.00047ec7be87cb71d3f1b&ll=31.896214,65.390625&spn=13.264053,20.742188&z=6
By MIGUEL MARQUEZ
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan Feb. 4, 2010
Brigadier Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, has a pretty simple answer. "Where else would we go? It's the only place left in the Marine area of operation that we're not in."
Speaking to a small group of reporters in a dusty corner of his headquarters at Camp Leatherneck situated in the middle of Helmand Province, Nicholson emphasized that there's really no reason not to let the insurgents know that Marines, U.S. Army soldiers, British, French and the largest contingent of Afghan forces ever are coming.
They have even released the name of the offensive, Operation Moshtarak, a Pashto and Dari word meaning joint operation.
Until now U.S. and Afghan military officials believed they didn't have the forces to effect the sort of change they were hoping for in the central Helmand town. Now with the addition of forces ordered up by President Obama, the confidence in their mission and ability to carry it out is palpable.
"We are coming," said Nicholson. "Deal with it. Could be easy or could be hard, but we are coming."
The muscular talk and crystal clear intention is already paying dividends says Nicholson.
"From that position of strength people have been coming out of Marja to talk to us," he said.
Marines say since they made their intention clear beginning last November they have held dozens of meetings with elders from Marja.
"Because of the inevitability of the operation, people have decided that they want to talk. There's a lot of influential people, people of import or businessmen. They don't want to be on the wrong side of this thing when it flips," Nicholson said.
The full throttle approach raises concerns about the possibility for civilian casualties. The area Marines will be operating in is home to as many as 125,000 people. It is densely populated and urban.
Major Gen. Nick Carter, commander of Regional Command South, says civilians will be fine if they just stay inside. "What we hope to see happen here is that population, metaphorically speaking, shuts their front doors, stays put until the forces of the government have control over the areas that have got to be controlled."
Nicholson underscored the point saying a heavy handed approach will reduce the chance for civilian casualties.
"Our feeling is if you go big, strong and fast, you lessen the possibility of civilian casualties as opposed to a slow methodical rolling assault. You go in and you dominate. You overwhelm the enemy," he said.
There's another good reason to advertise the coming offensive: the Marines would prefer it if the Taliban simply left.
Given the goals of counter-insurgency operations to bloody and weaken one's enemies while protecting civilian populations, Marines would rather establish control of Marja and raise the Afghan flag at it's town hall without ever firing a shot.
Since Marines now enjoy such overwhelming force in Helmand they can afford to secure a town and allow the nacsent local, district, provincial and national government structures to grow. Insurgents would be in the unenviable position of having to fight their way back into the city, a much harder task.
When the fight for this small but strategically important area of central Helmand Province kicks off is still subject to debate, but Marines here give every indication they'll take Marja sooner than later. It's a promise Marines have made before in places like Now Zad, Garmsir and Nawa. So far they've kept all their promises.
Kristen Forse will always remember her brother's bravery — on and off the battlefield.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
by Courtney Pomeroy | Staff Writer
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith's fierce devotion to his convictions and undying bravery were apparent to all who knew him, she said, recounting a favorite story.
One night, when Smith was staying at his mother's house, a burglar tried to break in. Smith ran outside in his boxers and bare feet, chasing the suspect and demanding his mother's purse.
It was Smith's acts of kindness and courage, and his lovable and goofy nature that make Forse certain her brother is in the special "Marine heaven" he imagined in life.
Smith, a 2002 Frederick High School graduate, died Jan. 26 from injuries he sustained in combat in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan on Jan. 23, the Marines confirmed Monday. He was 25 years old.
"He believed that once you were a Marine, when you died, you didn't die and go to heaven. When you died, you just went to the next battlefield," she said. "He had no fear of death, he loved the action."
Smith served with the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Company B, headquartered in Frederick, according to a press release.
"He was destined to be a Marine," said John Bodnar, a teacher at Frederick High School who coached Smith in soccer. Bodnar listed Smith's love for physical challenges, his determination and his positive attitude as reasons. "He obviously was a special kid because eight years later there's a lot of things I remember about him."
Bodnar recalled a specific instance when he started Smith in a soccer game, despite the fact that he was a reserve player. The starting players were getting a little too cocky during a winning streak and "needed an attitude adjustment" and Smith "deserved to start" more than them, he said.
"He was the kind of athlete and kid who didn't talk a good game, he just went out and worked hard every day ... coaches are always grateful and thankful when they have athletes that have those intangible character traits. I was blessed to teach him and coach him," he said.
Brett Templeton, the assistant soccer coach at the time, agreed, calling Smith "an incredibly positive influence" on his peers. Smith was a popular student with teachers and with students, and was good at making people feel "as though you were appreciated and as though you were special," Templeton said.
He said Smith had a lot of school spirit, maintained good grades, played soccer, lacrosse, football and wrestled at various points in his high school career, and "was a cheerleader at all times" for his teammates and school. "Black and gold through and through," Templeton added.
He said it is a Frederick High School tradition for all the boys in the senior class to run onto the field in costume during the annual pep rally, but during his junior year, Smith single-handedly organized the junior boys to do the same, exemplifying his fun-loving attitude.
Forse said her brother's personality is one thing she will miss most. He displayed his silly nature in all sorts of ways, like when he was goofing around with her son, Logan, or wearing a cowboy hat while rapping in a YouTube video with one of his college friends, she said.
Another thing she will miss is how devoted he was to their close-knit family. Smith loved coming home to visit, and would cook for the whole family and then sit on the couch after meals and just talk and joke, she said. When he was deployed or at college in North Carolina, Smith kept family close to his heart. One way he did that was through storing a video of his nephew, Logan, in his cell phone.
"He would show it to everybody, he was so proud of him," Forse said.
Ann Rudd, a Thurmont resident and a cousin of Smith's through marriage, said many of his friends from East Carolina University will be traveling to Frederick to attend the funeral. She said she isn't at all surprised that her cousin made so many friends everywhere he went.
"He was full of life. He enjoyed his life. He was rather light-hearted and there wasn't a lot of negativity that came out of him. You hear it all the time, ‘The good die young,' and in this case it's very true," she said.
Smith joined the Marines in December 2003, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in April 2009. His awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, according to a Marines press release.
E-mail Courtney Pomeroy at cpomeroy@gazette.net.
A viewing for Marine Sgt. David J. Smith of Frederick is planned for noon to 9 p.m. Monday at Frederick Christian Fellowship Church, at the Lynfield Event Complex, 10142 Hansonville Road, Building No. 5, Frederick. A funeral service will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the same location. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Photos:
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=images/images_gallery.php&action=viewimage&fid=247549
Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde
Date: 02.04.2010
Posted: 02.04.2010 12:55
In a matter of days, the Marines have made Camp Belleau Wood into a functional military camp that is continually growing and improving at an exponential rate.
The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based battalion moved from Camp Dwyer earlier in the week to their current location at Camp Belleau Wood. From that point, the battalion has been conducting military operations while continuing to build the camp from the ground up. Marines around the battalion have been impressed with the hard work of everyone involved to get the camp up and running.
"There were Marines out here that were tasked to do things besides their (military occupational specialties) in order to get this place finished," said Cpl. Michael J. Ayotte, a combat photographer with 3/6. "Marines worked with no questions asked because they knew what needed to get done."
Lance Cpl. Nhan B. Ngo, a basic equipment repair specialist with the battalion, has been tasked with maintaining power for the entire camp, and has been working almost non-stop since arriving here.
"As soon as I got (to Camp Belleau Wood), I started laying down the generators. From there, I spread out the power lines," said Ngo, from Festus, Mo. "I'm the only one over here in my entire MOS field. That's why I've been so busy," he added.
The base, which was built in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, is still in its infancy and is currently a community of tents. It lacks permanent structures, running water and a dining facility. Nevertheless, the Marines of 3/6 are determined to adapt to their current situation and overcome any discomfort they may face.
"We might be sleeping in dirt, but at least we're sleeping in a tent," said Ayotte, from Albion, N.Y. "Even if we had to sleep outside, we could still do it."
]]>By MIGUEL MARQUEZ
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Feb. 3, 2010
There are about 15,000 Marines in Helmand, about 4,000 of them arriving since Obama called for an increase in troops in December, Marine Col. George Amland, deputy commander in Afghanistan, said.
The Marines in Marja are "the leading edge of the president's surge force," he said.
Marines in Marja could face the biggest number of hard-core insurgents yet. An estimated 400 to 1,000 Marines may stay and fight.
Marja and the surrounding area, with an estimated population of 125,000, are more heavily populated, urban and dense than other places Marines have so far been able to clear and hold. Vast quantities of opium are produced in the center of the Helmand River Valley. Profits from drug sales often fund insurgent operations.
A large contingent of Marines moved into Now Zad in northern Helmand Province in December. They were able to quickly rout enemies and take full control of the village. Now Zad had been a ghost town before Marines moved in. The once-thriving market community is now beginning to return to life, with shops and schools opening for the first time in years.
Life is returning to normal in Garmsir and Nawa after Marines cleared the towns last summer. Another encouraging sign for Marines is that intelligence from locals has grown significantly since they took the towns. More residents are telling Marines whom to look out for, where bombs are being planted and, in some cases, even pointing out exact locations.
A major difference between the latest strategy in Marja and earlier operations is that there will be many more Afghan soldiers and police; about two Marines for every Afghan in the field, commander Amland said.
"It will be a joint Afghan army, police, U.S. Marines and ISAF forces [International Security Assistance Force] operation led by Afghans," Afghan defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi told reporters in Kabul today.
The ratio was about 10-1 in July's offensive in Kanjar.
Published: 2/02/2010 at 03:29 AM
Online news: Local News
The US army describes Cobra Gold as the largest of its type in the world. About 11,500 personnel, including 6,000 from the US, will take part this year.
The annual war games were opened at a joint ceremony presided over by Adm Wallop Kerdphol, deputy supreme commander, and US Ambassador Eric G John at U-Tapao naval airbase.
Singapore, Japan and Indonesia also sent troops, and for the first time South Korean soldiers are participating in the games, scheduled to end on Feb 11.
Armed forces from more than 20 countries are participating as observers.
Cobra Gold is a regularly scheduled joint and coalition multi-national exercise hosted annually by Thailand. Cobra Gold 2010 marks the 29th anniversary of this regionally significant training event.
Mr John earlier told a press conference that Cobra Gold is America's "largest military cooperative effort in the Pacific" and signals "the US commitment to the security of our friends and allies in the Asia-Pacific region."
"The training is based on a "computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX), field training exercises linked to the CPX, and humanitarian and civic assistance projects," he said.
The joint activity is designed to improve the American Pacific Command's ability to carry out joint and multi-national military operations and to improve the ability of the participating countries' armed forces to work together.
The computer-era exercise combines Thai, US, Singaporean, Japanese, Indonesian, and South Korean participants in a coalition grouping.
Thai, US, Singaporean, Japanese, Indonesian, South Korean, and United Nations military force personnel will participate in the field training, modelled after the UN's multinational peace support operations scenario. (TNA, agencies)
]]>February 2, 2010, 3:09 pm
By C.J. CHIVERS
Less than an hour later, after walking in a staggered column through freshly tilled fields and an ankle-deep bog, they slipped inside the concertina wire at Spin Ghar. There they set aside helmets and body armor. Platoons quietly assembled in formation. They had come to bid goodbye to Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole Jr., whose portrait rested on the wooden easel beside the base’s small landing zone. A helicopter arrived, carrying Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, the commander of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan. A ceremony began.
Marines carrying a rifle, a helmet, a pair of boots and dog tags marched slowly forward and placed them on a memorial stand.
Lance Corporal Poole was killed on Jan. 24 on a security patrol toward the Taliban’s lines. At a halt on the patrol he took a knee, his fellow Marines said. The ground beneath him exploded. He was killed instantly, the victim of a hidden makeshift bomb. He was 22 years old and on his second combat tour. He had wanted, his friends said, to be a songwriter.
He was the second Marine from Bravo Company to be killed in action in January. Lance Cpl. Jacob Meinert, a Marine also on his second tour, had died two weeks before.
Capt. Thomas J. Grace, the company’s commander, addressed the formation. “It is my honor to command young men like Tim, who commit to something greater than themselves, working long hours in the worst of conditions for a pittance of pay compared to what we are asked to do,” he said. “Once again, we must muster the courage to carry on our mission.”
Lance Corporal Poole was from Jacksonville, Fla. Pfc. Justin R. Legette, 24, a Marine who grew up in the same city just a few traffic lights away, stepped to the microphone. He offered words few infantrymen use lightly; a platoon’s ultimate compliment.
“Poole may not have had the highest of high-and-tights, or been the poster-boy Marine,” he said. “But to me, he is one person I would want to cover my back or trust with my life in-country.”
Lt. Carl P. Rhoads, the battalion’s chaplain, addressed Bravo Company. First he spoke of their loss, and of Lance Corporal Poole’s sacrifice, and of trying to find meaning in grief. Then he gently issued a warning. Counterinsurgency is war by many means. Violence is only a part of it. The chaplain asked Bravo Company to guard against rage.
“Marines and sailors, friends of Lance Corporal Timothy Poole, we honor our fallen brother not by exacting revenge or trying to even the score, but by completing the mission that we are assigned to do. I caution you not to harbor anger in your heart, because it will eat you like a cancer, perhaps clouding your judgment, perhaps causing your behavior to become uncontrollable.”
He added: “We have a clear mission ahead of us to accomplish, my friends. We have goals and tasks that must be completed. We also have boundaries. And we have rules. Let us not stoop to the level of our enemy, and be baited into a trap by losing our focus and our discipline.”
A loudspeaker played “Amazing Grace.”
A Marine standing near the chaplain stood locked at parade rest as his tears dropped steadily onto the gravel at his feet. He was Lance Cpl. Kevin T. Perez, 20. He had been Lance Corporal Poole’s fire team leader. He kept his eyes fixed ahead.
Bravo Company’s senior enlisted Marine, First Sgt. Sean R. Greenleaf, stepped in front of the formation. He began a roll call.
“Lance Corporal Lopez!” he shouted.
A shout shot back from the formation. “Present!”
“Lance Corporal Goode!”
The Marine who had been called answered. “Present!”
“Lance Corporal Masle!”
“Present!”
“Lance Corporal Broadwater!”
“Present!”
“Lance Corporal Poole!”
There was no answer. Bravo Company stood in silence.
The first sergeant called again. “Lance Corporal Timothy Poole!”
He waited for an answer that did not come. He made a third try. “Lance Corporal Timothy Poole Jr.?” he said.
No one in the company moved.
The first sergeant issued an order. “Honor the dead,” he said.
Seven Marines aimed their rifles skyward and fired three slow volleys. They lowered their weapons. “Present arms!” a voice shouted. Bravo Company saluted. The first notes of taps rose through the late-morning air.
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Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. James W. Clark
Date: 01.29.2010
Posted: 02.02.2010 05:50
Sucking and sloshing sounds follow in their wake as the members of the patrol wrench one foot out of the mud, only to embed the other in wet clay moments later. Making their way out of the damp, uneven gully, the Marines and soldiers stalk across fields, where farmers have begun to emerge from their homes in the early morning to tend to their crops.
In the distance, men on foot and others on motorbikes trail the patrol, but are watched cautiously by designated marksmen, peppered throughout the column. At every compound where they stop, the unit leaders meet with the heads of the household, trying to get a sense of the community's concerns.
Having recently moved into the region, replacing Alpha Company, 1/6, the Marines with Charlie Company, conducted census patrols in order to get acquainted with their surroundings, as well as their neighbors. The Marines' intent to build rapport with local communities is made all the more hazardous and challenging due to near constant harassment and outright attack by insurgents operating in the area.
"It's a difficult area – it directly borders the Taliban [stronghold] adjacent to us," said 1st Lt. Aaron B. MacLean, 2nd platoon commander, Charlie Company, 1/6. "It's stressful, but it's what we do – pleased to do, to be here at the front of the fight. Our goal, which is to kill the enemy while reducing civilian causalities, is difficult because the [Taliban] know that's our priority. It's difficult to go out and be manipulated like we are, but we follow the rules."
"A lot of foreign fighters have been moved into our area of operations," said MacLean "As we flooded in, so did they. The Taliban sent in a crack group of insurgents to counter ours. Their preferred method of killing is through the use of improvised explosive devices. Marines are in heavy combat out here and facing the jihadist A-team, but we're defeating them regularly and protecting the locals."
The fighting in the area has intensified in recent weeks, with Charlie Company.
"Our platoon was hit hard and we lost key leaders," said MacLean. "Our hearts go out to their families and we think about them all the time."
In addition to facing imminent danger, the Marines are finding themselves frequently put in positions where they cannot engage insurgents, due to their enemy's manipulation of the rules of engagement.
"We're facing a thinking enemy, they adapt to our tactics in order to counter them," said MacLean. "They are very cynically taking advantage of our rules of engagement. We've seen them multiple times, fleeing the area with women and children as human shields. Their spotters frequently have kids on the backs of their mopeds to deter us from firing."
"Improvised explosive devices are the biggest threat right now, coupled with them accurately firing and maneuvering on us," said Lance Cpl. Joseph S. Jones the fifth, a team leader with Charlie Company, 1/6. "Compared to last year the Taliban is more organized this time," said Jones, who was with 1/6 on their last deployment to Afghanistan where they served in the Garmsir District under the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. "They're ready for us this time – they know it's tough for us to use air, and even once helos showed up, they kept firing. They weren't scared at all. It really does suck, when we could take them out with indirect fire or air support, but we can't because they're near a compound or have civilians with them – now we have to maneuver under heavy enemy fire."
"We're forced to rely on the organic weapons in the platoon and not on outside assets," said Jones. "It definitely messes with our heads. It generates doubt instead of letting us focus on engaging the enemy, so you have to work at keeping your Marines' heads in the game and keep them focused on their job."
However, for all the difficulties the Marines face due to insurgents in the region, they have been able to positively interact with the civilians in the area who want the Taliban pushed out.
"Some parts of the area of operations you can sit down and hold a shura or speak with key leaders," said MacLean. "They want the Taliban gone, but are scared and need them pushed away."
The Afghan army soldiers are able to represent the government and its role in fighting insurgency in the region.
"I spoke with the villagers in order to build relationships and rapport with them, mostly speaking with the children," said Maj. Shakatklah, an Afghan national army soldier with Charlie Company, 1/6, through an interpreter. "It's not our first time doing this, we've been at it for years. I can talk with the people and speak with them. This is a good area, the enemy can't succeed here. It's our job to fight for our country and to fight this enemy."
While meeting with the villagers and taking notes on their concerns and grievances, the patrol served the dual purpose of allowing both parties to get to know one another personally.
"We wanted to let them know we're here and why, which is to get them the freedom they need, not take their land like the Taliban says," said Cpl. Jarrod St. Onge, a squad leader with Charlie Company, 1/6. "We were definitely welcomed. The Afghan national army soldiers being there helped to put an Afghan face on our efforts here. Our partnering with them helps to strengthen their faith in the Afghan government."
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Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Walter Marino
Date: 02.02.2010
Posted: 02.02.2010 05:54
While surgeons operated on one critically wounded Afghan, an increasing amount of blood platelets was needed. As more and more blood was used, resources began to dwindle.
Luckily, 1st Medical Battalion had a plan.
"Yesterday we had several patients. But one individual needed 12 pints of blood. I talked with a surgeon, and clinical decision was made to initiate the walking blood drive," said Cmdr. Steven M. Blackwell, an anesthesiologist for 1st Medical Bn.
Phone calls were made to different units throughout Camp Dwyer asking for any available Marines and sailors willing to donate blood. The response was immediate, as Marines and sailors lined up.
"After a few calls to a few different units on base, there was a line of Marines going out the door to donate blood," said Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra L. Bridges, the center of command leading petty officer for 1st Medical Bn.
The fact that the injured were Afghans and not fellow service members did not play a factor for the Marines and sailors.
"It goes to show how willing we are to come together for the good of the people and make sure this world is a better place," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Darell L. Jenkins, an X-ray technician for the battalion.
Approximately 10 pints of blood was collected, but 1st Medical Bn. believes there is always room for improvement.
"We're trying to push pre-screening, so that we can get the paper work done before the blood drive begins," said Petty Officer 2nd Class, Ernesto Santanaa, a lab technician for the battalion. "Doing that would speed up the process."
"Pre-screening would chop off about thirty minutes," Blackwell said.
Although speed is an important factor, the safety of their patients is placed as a top priority during the process. Service members are screened for the correct blood type, and diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis B, and syphilis.
"One time we had a guy say, he was B-positive, but was actually B-negative. That's why we pre-screen," said Santanaa.
Through the battalion's hard work, innocent lives were saved, and will continue to be saved. However, to do so, the medical staff needs its resources, and thus relies on the willingness of the service members to donate blood.
"We need service members who belong to Camp Dwyer and predominately stay on base," said Blackwell, from Mobile, Ala. "We collect blood every Friday and Saturday."
As the battalion works to increase their walking blood drive, the importance of their work was realized.
"They don't have any medical infrastructure here. We're the only medical place around for them," said Blackwell. "Not too long ago, a child with tetanus was brought here. We don't see tetanus back in the United States because we all get vaccinated. We took care of that child. Hopefully his family was aware that we did that for him. I think we're not only here to save lives, but I think we're also here to make a positive impression on the people, and win the hearts and minds."
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