Operation Recap 1 of 12: ULYSSES II was 22nd MEU's first major foray into Afghanistan

[thedrifter]

Thanksgiving Comes Early for Afghan Children

By Sgt. 1st Class Darren D. Heusel 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KABUL, Afghanistan — About 30 members of the U.S.-led coalition got into the Thanksgiving spirit a little early this year when they delivered 602 winter coats to an all-boys orphanage Nov. 12 here.

“Back home, you usually give orphans stuffed animals and toys,” Marine 1st Lt. Stephen Salmon, program coordinator for the Tahia-e-Maskan and Alludin orphanages, said. “But over here, these kids look to having their basic needs met first.”

According to Salmon, the coats were purchased by donations from citizens in the United States through a non-profit organization called SOZO International.

“They’re an organization based out of Kentucky that basically collects the money for us and provides the contributor with a tax-free receipt,” said Salmon, 31, a resident of Sanderson, Texas, on loan from Central Command in Tampa, Fla., to the Office of Military Cooperation in Afghanistan.

“The money they provide us helps save the donor money on shippingand allows us to purchase supplies locally and put that money back into the local economy to help it grow,” he added.

Salmon said a number of volunteers from Kabul Compound, which is also home to the headquarters for Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, go out to the orphanages at least once a week, sometimes even more than that depending on the operations tempo.

Normally a 53-D Sea Stallion helicopter pilot stationed in Kaneoke Bay, Hawaii, Salmon said it’s important to remember the children because, after all, they are the future of Afghanistan.

Salmon said his volunteers see an average of about 1,400 boys twice a month. But many of them aren’t orphans in the traditional sense.

“Many of them are there because they lost their mother or father after two decades of war, and they actually have it better at the orphanage,” he said. “Most single parents in Afghanistan just can’t provide them with the means necessary to survive.”

Salmon said he first got involved with the project because he wanted to get out and experience some of the culture and get a feel for what Afghanistan is all about. But the more he went to visit the children and saw how much it affected them, the more he wanted to go back.

“When I first got here, I was counting down the days until I left,” he said. “Now, I’m thinking about extending.”

Even if Salmon’s extension is not approved, he said he will continue his fund-raising effort once he returns to the states.

“Most of the money that the government of Afghanistan has goes into equipping the police force and the national army,” he said. “As a result, the children are kind of forgotten about so I want to continue to solicit those donations.”

Pfc. Sheila Marie Rivera, 19, who is originally from Amsterdam, N.Y., but now hails from Springhill, Fla., was making her third trip to the orphanage and said she is dedicated to going back.

“Even if it’s to go and shake a child’s hand, the feeling I get is indescribable,” she said.

Rivera, who works as the night time administrator for Lt. Gen. David Barno, CFC-A commander, said she didn’t see a lot of opportunity to volunteer for projects back home. So, being able to do something worthwhile in Afghanistan is “something really special.”

“I didn’t really have a choice to be here, so I’m just trying to make the best of it,” Rivera said.

And that’s exactly what she intends to do.

“I’m straight out of basic and AIT (Advanced Individual Training), so I

“I know we’re making a difference. I just wish there was more I could do.”

According to Said Enayetulla, the orphanage director, the Americans are doing plenty.

“America is an old friend of the Afghan people, so these contributions to the orphanage are nothing new,” he said. “The U.S. has helped the Afghan people during the Soviet invasion and today in the fight against terrorism.

“The contributions these Soldiers are making to the Afghan children is another positive step, and we appreciate all they are doing.”

Enayetulla went on to say that even though the U.S. Soldiers are busy trying to defeat the hard-line Islamic Taliban regime and all those who wish to bring harm to the Afghan people, “they haven’t forgotten the children.

“Their donations mean hope, kindness and freedom for the Afghan children,” he said.

One child who can relate to the generosity brought on by the Americans is 12-year-old Nabor.

“I am very happy that the Americans are helping us,” said Nabor, kicking a soccer ball around while sporting his brand new coat. “These donations will allow us to stay warm this winter.”

The middle man in all of this is Bob Shir, an Afghan-American who runs a modest construction and trading business in the capital city.

A resident of Freemont, Calif., since 1986, Shir has been contracting with the U.S. Army for the past three years and said he is very happy to do so. Shirsaid he even plans to build a new roof over one of the structures at the orphanage.

“When I went to the orphanage and saw those kids, my heart just dropped,” he said. “To think those kids don’t have any parents is really sad. I want to do everything I can to help them.”

For more information on how to donate to the orphanages, go to www.adopt.thinkbigadventures.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Plans New Afghan Operation
Associated Press
December 1, 2004

KABUL, Afghanistan - Thousands of U.S. soldiers are preparing an operation against Taliban insurgents to preempt an expected spring offensive which could upset plans for Afghan parliamentary elections, a senior American general said in an interview Tuesday.

The operation will begin within days of the Dec. 7 inauguration of Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan's first directly elected president - an event that itself is a potential target, Maj. Gen. Eric Olson told The Associated Press.

"There could be an unhappy coincidence between the enemy's spring offensive and the parliamentary elections," Olson said at the main U.S. base at Bagram, north of Kabul.

He said the aim is to tighten the Afghan-Pakistan border by sending special forces on raids against rebel leaders.

Olson said the offensive - which will cover the entire U.S.-led force of about 18,000 - would attempt to disturb militants in their "winter sanctuaries" so that they will be in no shape to move against the parliamentary vote slated for April.



The military will be "attempting to attack him in those sanctuaries while he's resting and refitting, staging and planning," said Olson, the operational commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The new operation, dubbed Lightning Freedom, follows Lightning Resolve, a security push begun in July to protect the October presidential election, the first vote since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

Forty people were reported killed on election day, Oct. 9, but Taliban holdouts failed to make good on threats to assault polling stations across the country.

More than 8 million Afghans voted, handing Karzai a majority that foreign donors bankrolling the country's democratic rebirth hope will bring stability after more than 20 years of fighting.

Still, violence continues to plague the south and east, where militants are strongest. A roadside bomb killed two U.S. soldiers in Uruzgan province last week, and American officials say militants continue to cross to and from neighboring Pakistan.

To reinforce the frontier, Olson said the U.S. military would establish several new camps close to the border. He said Afghan forces would also reposition "along and astride" routes used by militants. And he promised to strengthen cooperation with Pakistani forces across the border.

U.S. special forces already have been moved to near the main Torkham border crossing in Nangarhar province, where the U.S. military recently conducted raids on suspected al-Qaida targets, Olson said.

He said there was concern militants could attempt a "spectacular act" during Karzai's inauguration. The event is expected to attract officials from around the world, though it is unclear who will represent the U.S. government.

Still, the general said the military had no information on any specific plans to attack the ceremony.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

December 02, 2004

Battalion returns to Lejeune from Afghanistan

By Christian Lowe
Times staff writer


Nearly 900 Marines are returning to Camp Lejeune, N.C., today from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan. The leathernecks of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, deployed to Afghanistan in May, replacing 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, based at Bagram Air Base near Kabul.
The 3/6 Marines deployed to help secure the country for elections held October 9, patrolling provinces in the eastern part of the country, including the former al-Qaida stronghold of Khost.

“The best way to describe our operations is a counterinsurgency,” said Maj. Peter Huntley, battalion executive officer, in a telephone interview.

“Our operations ran the gamut from kinetic operations to building schools … which is really what it takes to win those kind of things.”

The unit spread companies throughout the region, forming “mini-task forces” to help with reconstruction and humanitarian projects in rural villages. The Marines also hunted down anti-coalition militia forces, as they are known there, engaging in several firefights that cost three Marines their lives.

“We figured them out in that area,” Huntley said of the enemy forces. “We had them pretty much shut down. They couldn’t move without getting whacked.”

Though the battalion suffered 15 wounded from improvised explosives, mortar rounds and direct fire, Huntley said his Marines were able to secure their provinces for the October elections — the first in Afghan history.

“Our biggest one contribution was our ability to limit the operations of the insurgents to a degree that it enabled a very successful election,” Huntley said.

Huntley’s battalion was replaced in November by the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, which joined another Hawaii-based unit, the Army’s 25th Infantry Division, in the ongoing hunt for Osama bin Laden, al Qaida and Taliban holdouts, as well as to secure the country for the inauguration of president-elect Hamid Karzai in December and for parliamentary elections this spring.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. base in Afghanistan hit by mortars; no U.S. casualties

Associated Press


KABUL, Afghanistan — Insurgents rained mortar rounds on a U.S. base in Afghanistan, wounding three Afghan government soldiers, while 14 suspected Taliban were arrested, American and Afghan officials said Monday.
Eleven mortar rounds fell near the base in southeastern Paktika province in the past 24 hours, a U.S. military spokesman said.

The wounded soldiers from the new U.S.-trained Afghan National Army were evacuated to a field hospital at a larger U.S. base in neighboring Khost province and were in stable condition, said the spokesman, Maj. Mark McCann.

No American soldiers were reported hurt.

McCann said eight Taliban members were detained in a raid about a week ago in Char Cheno district of Central Uruzgan province after American forces received intelligence on their whereabouts.

One was believed to be a brother of the former Taliban governor of Kandahar, the southern city that was the hard-line regime’s capital. McCann declined to identify him.

Afghan troops seized another six suspected Taliban in the same province on Saturday, Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Zaher Mohammed Azimi said. Two were Taliban commanders called Mullah Ghulam Nahim and Abdul Qadir, he said.

Azimi also reported the injury of six Afghan civilians in an explosion Saturday near Asadabad, in eastern Kunar province. Three were taken to the main U.S. base at Bagram, north of Kabul, where they were recovering after treatment, he said.

The cause of the explosion was unclear, although the area has seen roadside bombings aimed at Afghan and U.S. security forces as well as clashes between rival Afghan factions.

About 18,000 mainly American troops continue to hunt militants in southern and eastern Afghanistan, three years after U.S. and allied forces ousted the hard-line Taliban regime for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

The U.S.-led force last week began a new winter-long offensive aimed at weakening rebels ahead of parliamentary elections slated for the spring, and at persuading Taliban militants to accept an Afghan government amnesty.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Commandant, Sergeant Major Visit Marines in Afghanistan
by Cpl. Rich Mattingly
Marine Corps News
January 05, 2005

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps visited the Marines and Sailors of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom just before Christmas.

General Michael Hagee and Sgt. Maj. John Estrada congratulated the troops for their dedication to duty at the forward edge of the battle area.

"The American people know what a good job you're doing here," said Hagee, hands on his hips surveying the crowd. "And we know what a good job you're doing here, too."

Estrada echoed the sentiments of the commandant and assured the troops that they were making a difference by being in the fight.

"Stay vigilant. You're doing important things here and you must always remember that you are a Marine," said Estrada.





The commandant and the senior enlisted man then took questions from the gathered service members who were eager to ask about future deployments, even as they were still in the first few months of their current deployment.

"It was exciting to get to see the commandant and sergeant major" said Lance Cpl. Tim Davis, rifleman with India Company, 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines. "We asked him about maybe going to Iraq. A lot of guys are interested in going where a lot of our friends have gone."

After answering questions and passing out coins, the heads of the Marine Corps took time to take pictures with all of the Marines.

"Meeting the "boss' got me totally pumped up," said Lance Cpl. James O'Brien, team leader with India Co. "Getting to meet him before we went out [for operations] in the Korangal Valley was motivating."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines Deliver School Supplies in Nangalam
by Cpl. Rich Mattingly
Marine Corps News
January 03, 2005

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, manning a base along the Pakistan border recently began a campaign to distribute much-needed school supplies to the children of Nagalam, near one of the battalion's forward operating bases.

"Whenever we can get out and we have the supplies to distribute, we go out," explained Spc. Chris Ifill, an Army civil affairs specialist from Philadelphia who has been attached to I Company. "It's been interesting working with Marines for the first time. They're focused more on combat, but they've been really receptive to integrating me into the unit."

The coupling of Marine and Army personnel has been effective in realizing the humanitarian portion of the Marines' current mission to stabilize and support the democratic government of Afghanistan.

"Having a civil affairs soldier with us has added another tool for us to interact with the local populace, a way to provide something to them that would otherwise be hard for us," said Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Yantosca, logistics chief and information operations officer.

Instead of adopting a purely combat-oriented mission posture, the battalion has become multi-faceted in its approach to its security and support mission in Afghanistan. By winning "hearts and minds," as the adage goes, the Marines and sailors currently operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom are able to undercut remaining support for insurgency in an area where attacks on Coalition Forces are not infrequent.





"When you start helping them, they start helping us out," said Ifill, "They can directly see the benefit of working with us when we can hand them supplies their children need."

"You've got to be able to flip the script," shared Yantosca. "One minute you're on a patrol, the next minute you're passing out school supplies."

On a trip last week to a school in the province, Ifill and Yantosca passed out book bags full of pens and pencils and notepads to local school children. As in many other free Islamic cultures, education is extremely important to Afghans.

The first thing most children who approach Marines in southern Afghanistan ask for is pens. Thanks to donations from private citizens in the United States, and the Commander's Emergency Response Program and Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid funds, the Marines can start to provide these supplies on a regular basis as Afghanistan still struggles to recover economically from decades of fighting.

Yantosca says the school supplies donation goes deeper than just helping Afghan children for the short term.

"These children are the future of president Karzai's country," said Yantosca while distributing book bags to the smiling kids. "Building a relationship with the kids in this way means that as they get older, the relationship can be one of mutual respect."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S.: Bin Laden Could Be in Afghanistan

By STEPHEN GRAHAM
Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Osama bin Laden and other militant leaders could be hiding in eastern Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. forces along a key stretch of the Pakistani border told The Associated Press on Monday.

Col. Gary Cheek, who controls U.S. forces in 16 Afghan provinces, also said Taliban leaders appear to be losing control of a stubborn insurgency, three years after their ouster for harboring the al-Qaida leader.

Forces loyal to Taliban commanders such as Jalaluddin Haqqani, and to renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar still attack U.S. forces near the mountainous Pakistani frontier, and Cheek said the rebel leaders could also be present in his area of responsibility.

"Leaders like Hekmatyar, Haqqani, bin Laden could possibly be in our region, but any information we have on them would be very close-hold (closely guarded) for operational reasons," Cheek told AP by e-mail.








American officials insist there is no let up in the hunt for the al-Qaida leader, who is believed to have escaped Afghan and U.S. forces near the Tora Bora cave complex in eastern Afghanistan in late 2001.

There are now about 18,000 mainly American soldiers in Afghanistan, pursuing militants in the south and east as well as helping the government of President Hamid Karzai to regain control of the war-ravaged country.

Speculation about bin Laden's whereabouts has centered on the border region, particularly areas of Pakistan populated by tribes who share the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam and where foreign veterans of the 1980s war against Soviet forces in Afghanistan settled.

Pakistan has mounted a series of bloody military operations there, claiming to have killed or captured hundreds of foreign fighters and that they found no trace of the chief suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

American generals and senior diplomats have said recently they have no firm intelligence of where bin Laden is hiding. However, Karzai said last month that bin Laden was "definitely" still in the region.

Cheek said that while insurgents remained a danger to his forces, the number of foreign fighters among them was not "significant."

Moreover, militant activity in the east had been "sporadic over the past six months and does not appear tied to any specific strategy or agenda."

"It would appear that the Taliban in particular may be fragmenting and that its central core of leadership is unable to direct coordinated actions," Cheek said in a written response to an AP reporter's questions. "I would guess that there are a lot of things the Taliban and others want to do, but their ability to do those things are limited."

He said most of the leaders he was tracking are field commanders suspected of attacks and bombings.

A roadside bomb killed one U.S. soldier and injured three more on Jan. 2 in eastern Kunar province, but Cheek suggested criminal activity was a bigger problem in that region, where Hekmatyar loyalists are believed to find sanctuary among sympathetic villagers.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Afghans Ask Neighbors to Return Warplanes

By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan - Twenty-one years ago, Capt. Mohammed Nabi Karinzai pulled down his visor and roared down the runway in his Soviet-made Su-7 jet for the last time — not for a bombing run against Afghan mujahedeen, but for a dangerous sprint into Western exile.


Karinzai, now in the United States, never returned since that daring flight from then-communist Afghanistan (news - web sites) to neighboring Pakistan, except for a brief incursion as part of a guerrilla unit fighting Soviet occupiers in 1984.


But with a new government in Kabul trying to rebuild the country and its defenses after more than two decades of warfare — this time with American rather than Soviet assistance — Afghanistan is finally asking for its planes back.


In all, the Afghan Defense Ministry is seeking the return of 26 aircraft — nine helicopters, five bombers, eight fighters, two trainer jets and two transporters. Officials say 19 are in Pakistan and another seven in Uzbekistan.


"I believe the reaction of the neighbors will be friendly," Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Abdullah said Tuesday. Like many Afghans, Abdullah uses only one name.


Some of the planes, like Karinzai's Sukhoi fighter-bomber, are believed to have been used for dramatic escapes, while others were deliberately moved out of the country to save them from destruction.


Most are Russian-built relics of an arsenal including MiG-21 jet fighters and Mi-24 helicopter gunships built up during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s to combat the resistance of the U.S.-backed mujahedeen, or holy warriors.


Some planes were captured and used by all sides during the civil wars that followed Moscow's withdrawal. But U.S. bombing destroyed virtually every plane still airworthy in Afghanistan when it ousted the Taliban three years ago.


At present, the Afghan army has 28 aging helicopters and transport planes kept running with spare parts from the cannibalized wrecks that still litter many Afghan air fields. Russia overhauled 11 of the aircraft last year.


It was unclear whether any of the planes in neighboring countries are in any state to join them.


"The life of some of those planes is almost gone," Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Zaher Mohammed Azimi said.


It also remains to be seen if they will be any strategic use to the new Afghanistan.


The ministry this month refounded the air corps as part of a new U.S.-trained Afghan National Army, supposed to reach a strength of 70,000 troops by 2007.


The first objective is to provide airlift for President Hamid Karzai, who travels virtually everywhere — even to the dentist — with the help of U.S. military helicopters.


Maj. Gen. Craig Weston, the U.S. officer responsible for the new army, said Monday that Afghan officials were discussing which aircraft "fit their missions for the future."


He said it was unclear who would pay for any new planes, or if they would include the kind of aircraft that could replace the American A-10 ground-attack planes or Apache helicopter gunships currently seeking Taliban holdouts in the mountains.


"We would imagine that would be some time in the future," Weston said.





Karinzai, now 51 and living in Los Angeles, recalled his escape from Afghanistan on Nov. 20, 1983, with pride.

"I knew there were other Russian planes around with air-to-air missiles who would shoot me down, so I told them I had engine trouble and dropped to a low altitude where they wouldn't see me," he said in a telephone interview. "They told me to turn back, but they didn't find me. It was a great feeling."

If his plane could be found and was airworthy, Karinzai said he would be delighted to fly it home and join the new air corps. But he said Afghanistan would be better off with some new American-made F-16s.

The old bomber should be put in a museum to help explain the suffering of his country under communism.

"I don't think it would be much use now, but they could collect a piece of Afghan history," he said. "All the disaster and turmoil that has hurt this country was caused by the Russian invasion."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Military Releases About 80 Afghans

By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S. military on Sunday freed about 80 prisoners held in Afghanistan (news - web sites), and the country's most senior judge said the government was negotiating for the release of hundreds more Afghans from American custody.


In a move which could help a reconciliation drive with former Taliban, two buses brought the 80 Afghan men from the main U.S. base at Bagram to the Supreme Court in the capital, Kabul, where they were received by the chief justice.


Fazl Hadi Shinwari congratulated them on their freedom and told them to be grateful to return to their families for the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, which begins Jan. 20.


"Don't sabotage the security or the government and God will be pleased with you," the white-bearded cleric told the men, seated in a hall at the court before they were allowed to complete their journey home.


An aide to president Hamid Karzai, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the prisoners had been held either at Bagram, at a U.S. base in the southeastern city of Khost or at Kandahar in the south. Court officials initially announced that the men were from the U.S. jail at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but later said they were mistaken.


American and allied Afghan forces captured thousands of suspected Taliban and al-Qaida members in Afghanistan during and since the bombing campaign which ousted the repressive Taliban government in late 2001.


Hundreds have been classified as "enemy combatants" and transferred to the prison at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, while many others have been held at American bases in Afghanistan.


The U.S. military has suggested it is minimizing detentions and that a reconciliation program to be organized by Karzai's government could reduce the numbers further.


Shinwari said the release was part of that program and that Afghan officials were negotiating for the release of about 400 people still in U.S. custody in Afghanistan as well as an undisclosed number in Guantanamo.


"The government doesn't want one prisoner to be left in jail," he told reporters at the court. "They will be released."


Karzai has repeatedly called on former Taliban supporters to make their peace with the new Afghanistan and throw themselves into the effort to rebuild the conflict-plagued country in return for freedom from prosecution.


American commanders are promising not to arrest former militant foot-soldiers who come forward, and are pressing Karzai to finalize a list of fugitive leaders who security forces will continue to try to kill or capture.


U.S. military officials in Kabul had no comment on Sunday's release.


Groups of Afghans were released from U.S. custody on several occasions last year, including about 10 men brought from Cuba to Kabul in September at the request of the Afghan government. Karzai's office said at the time that it was working for the release of more.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

3/3 Marines honor former Commander and Commandant in Afghanistan

Submitted by: Combined Joint Task Force - 76
Story Identification #: 20051169571
Story by Cpl. Rich Mattingly



CAMP KRULAK, Afghanistan (Jan. 16, 2005) -- Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, recently dubbed their new home in Afghanistan “Camp Krulak” after the man who not only once led the Marine Corps, but was also once the Lima Company Commander as well as the Battalion Commander who first gave “America’s Battalion” its name.

Being the most well-known Battalion alumnus was not the deciding factor in naming Camp Krulak after the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak (ret.). However, as Capt. Eric Kelly, Lima Co. commander, explained.

“Force Lima has a proud legacy. As we look back on the history of Lima, there are a number of Marines and Sailors who have stood up and answered the call. General Krulak epitomizes the spirit and tradition we want to keep alive.”

Kelly went on to say that it was Krulak’s bravery and devotion to duty under fire that made him a clear choice as a name to associate with Force Lima’s current role in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Krulak joins Navy Cross recipient Col. John W. Ripley (ret.), the hero of the Dong Ha Bridge in Vietnam, as a Lima Company, America’s Battalion alumnus with an operating base named in his honor. Ripley was honored by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit last May when they founded “Camp Ripley” in southern Afghanistan.

"America's Battalion is fortunate to have a history of superb company commanders, particularly during the war in Vietnam," said Lt. Col. Norm Cooling, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment commanding officer. "That is especially true in Lima Company's case. Not many companies in the Marine Corps can claim both a Navy Cross winner and a Silver Star winner who went on to become the Commandant,” explained Cooling. “I have been fortunate to serve with both Colonel Ripley and General Krulak. Most of us who decided to make the Corps our career hope that we can one day claim that we contributed half as much as either of those two men to our Corps and our Nation. I can also assure you that this battalion's company commanders today, here in Afghanistan, are living up to the legacy set by their forbearers. They are superb."

At the entrance to Camp Krulak is a sign board where Lima Company Marines and Sailors can keep updated on the latest America’s Battalion news. General Krulak’s Silver Star citation is also posted there so Lima can learn about their company history in Vietnam.

According to the official citation, General Krulak was awarded the Silver Star, one of America’s highest battlefield honors, for his actions during operations west of Con Thien in Vietnam.

In June of 1969, Krulak was instrumental in saving his company from an enemy mortar assault when he skillfully maneuvered his troops away from danger and called in accurate air strikes and artillery while exposing himself to enemy fire. Then, refusing to be evacuated despite his wounds, he sent his troops to attack and subsequently defeat the enemy force that had been attacking them. Only after moving his men to a new patrol base did he allow himself to be evacuated the next morning.

“All the platoon sergeants and commanders thought ‘Camp Krulak’ would be the most fitting,” said Cpl. Josh Wartchow, training noncommissioned officer with Lima Company from Doylestown, Pa. “We’ve put a lot of work into the camp, and the Marines take a lot of extra pride knowing that we named it after one of our own,” he continued.

The Marines of Force Lima have roofed the “hooches,” or living quarters, they inherited from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment in the camp. “It’s beginning to feel not quite like home, but definitely a place we look forward to coming back to after going out on missions,” said Wartchow. The Marines and Sailors take great pride in Camp Krulak and enjoy improving their surroundings, as a recent project to spread gravel throughout the entire camp made evident. With its hot chow, warm buildings and the ability to send e-mail home, Camp Krulak is a welcome respite for a Company which keeps over half its strength continuously “outside the wire” on patrol in the villages and mountains of Afghanistan.

Force Lima continues to operate in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of Combined Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Swan Song at FOB Salerno

Vietnam Combat Veteran Deploys for One Last "Oorah" in Afghanistan



By SSgt Rusty Baker



From where does the term "old Corps" come? Where does the "old" stop and the "new" begin? "Back in my day" has been barked by seasoned Marine veterans observing fresh new faces turn the next page in Marine Corps history.

But is there a written date that places one in the category of that special few?

Maybe it's not a date that puts those seasoned Marines on a pedestal for others to look up to that makes them "old Corps"; maybe it's the way those Marines carry themselves when no one is looking.

Master Sergeant Harry E. Williams is considered "old Corps" by some. He joined the Marine Corps in 1967 and served two back-to-back combat tours in Vietnam, both as a radio operator and an infantry squad leader. He's served as a coach-instructor on the rifle range, with security forces at a Marine barracks, and as a heavy equipment operator, an operations chief and a Reserve first sergeant. He probably was considered "old Corps" when, as a reservist, he was deployed as a bulk fueler to support Operation Desert Storm in 1990-91.

What makes the master sergeant "old Corps" is his humble response when you ask him about his service to his country. What makes him "old Corps" is the work ethic he has developed both at work and at home. What makes him "old Corps" is his constant devotion to duty and teaching those under him to put 110 percent into everything they do.

Two years ago his Washington state Marine Reserve unit reorganized and relocated, sending a small detachment packing more than 2,000 miles south to Texas. Not ready for retirement and not able to leave the family business, Williams placed himself in the Marine Corps' Inactive Ready Reserve. Since then, he has gone back to his roots full time by harvesting blueberries on his cattle ranch in Everson, Wash. A life of working on the farm has given him a work ethic that is rivaled by few and a reputation for fixing things before they become problems.

Not long ago, MSgt Williams had just finished dinner with his family when the phone rang. On the line was a familiar voice that he had heard periodically for the past 15 years while working as an active reservist at Whidbey Island, Wash. Then-Gunnery Sergeant Michael J. Mingus, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 473, Detachment "Bravo" in Fort Worth, Texas, had a job offer. He wanted Williams once again to lead Marines in a potentially dangerous combat environment. Weeks later, MSgt Williams was on a chartered flight to Afghanistan.

"At first I thought it was overkill to activate a master sergeant for a third combat tour," Williams said. "After all, war is different now. We don't fix bayonets and lead mass rushes toward the enemy; we refuel aircraft."

Since Oct. 3 of last year, MSgt Williams has been the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of six bulk-fueling reservists from MWSS-473 stationed in Afghanistan on Salerno, a tiny forward operating base (FOB). The terrain is not compatible for giant fuel trucks to lumber around inactive aircraft, so the Marines must work at the speed of a stockcar pit crew under the whirling blades and screaming jet engines of both Army and Marine Corps helicopters to provide several thousand pounds of jet fuel at a moment's notice.

His Marines are a mixture of MWSS-473's major detachments in Fort Worth and Miramar, Calif. Many of the reservists came to know each other on the 2003 training deployments to California and Arizona. On the civilian side, these 20- to 30-year-old Marines range from college students to restaurant managers. Their fast-paced lifestyle strikes an overwhelming contrast to Williams' seemingly simple life on the farm. Williams quickly realized that he had more than a generational gap on his hands; he needed to nudge his crew in the right direction to do more than their job description.

"Not only Marines, but most young folks are willing to please," said Williams. "They want to do a good job. It's just that a lot of them haven't grown up on a farm where at the end of the day you need to have something done."

Williams was impressed with the knowledge and quick thinking of his Marines, but it was the basic skills that he had been taught and had passed down to his children that they didn't know. Within the first few days, he realized half his Marines had never driven a standard-transmission vehicle or tied a knot other than the ones on their shoes. He began classes immediately, teaching his Marines skills that might help them survive their seven-month tour in Afghanistan and back at home.

"When they leave here, I want them to think, 'I learned a lot. I learned a good work ethic,' " said Williams.

His Marines have admitted to learning quite a few things just within the first month of working with the master sergeant. The most important lesson Lance Corporal John N. Brown of Waxahachie, Texas, learned was, "If you're going to get anything done, you're going to have to work hard for it."

"When I walk through a worksite, I think how I can make it better, more proficient or safer. I think the Marines here are starting to get it," said Williams. "We need to do more than just fuel aircraft and play Game Boy."

GySgt Mingus met Williams when they were sergeants on full-time support orders as reservists in Washington. Mingus was tasked to give a combat leadership class for an aircraft group. Having never been in combat and not wanting to go by the book, Mingus decided to ask Williams to help.

"I knew he was a Vietnam veteran with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star," said Mingus. "He gave me some words of wisdom with things to do and not to do in combat. I gave my class, and it was a complete success."

People like Williams brought Mingus back to Whidbey Island for a second tour. Once the unit disbanded, the reservists didn't have many options: find another Reserve unit, transfer to another service, retire or go to the Inactive Ready Reserve. Mingus followed the detachment to Fort Worth where his unit is home-based. After knocking on several doors and searching for positions near Washington, Williams decided to focus his time on the farm, so he opted for the IRR.

"One of the things we said when I left was, 'If I come up with any missions or projects, I will call you up and get you on the job,' " said Mingus.

He did just that. In 2003 at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz., supporting a weapons tactics and instructors' course, Williams taught a crane-licensing class for a heavy weapons platoon. Once again after a simple phone call, Williams was back on active duty, but this time it was in Afghanistan at FOB Salerno.

Prior to his unit's deployment, Mingus was able to tour the three bases of operations for which MWSS-473 would be responsible. Because of its close proximity to the Pakistan border, Salerno's chances of possible attacks either by rocket or ground outweighed the others. Mingus assigned Williams to Salerno, thinking that if it did take the heaviest hit, Williams' confidence would put his Marines at ease during the toughest times.

Once in Salerno, the team of seven settled into their 18-foot-by-36-foot field tent, overlooking the forward arming and refueling point (FARP). Bolted to the dusty plywood floor, three Y-shaped beams keep the roof from collapsing with the violent gusts from helicopter rotor blades whirling nearby. With the potential of 200,000 gallons of jet fuel igniting from a terrorist rocket attack, the FARP is located several hundred yards from the rest of Salerno. Getting a shower or using a phone can be a 45-minute ordeal. Their tent is surrounded by rocket-deflecting Hesco walls and sandbagged fighting positions. Unlike the rest of FOB Salerno's personnel who hunker down in concrete-reinforced bunkers during a rocket attack, the bulk fuelers must man their fuel pump and hoses to keep incoming aircraft airborne.

In the days leading up to the Afghan election on Oct. 9, the Taliban's resolve to obstruct the voting turnout was kicked into overdrive. Each night would be more and more intense with the skyline and surrounding mountains becoming a private light show for the curious fuelers standing on the berm to get a better look.

The night of the elections was eerily still. Sandstorm-producing winds calmed over Salerno, causing a brown haze to choke the starlit sky. After eating dinner and watching a couple of movies left over from the last squadron, the crew was awakened by a shuddering thump. As they gathered their body armor, Kevlar helmets and rifles, an even louder thud shook their tent. The team raced outside toward the fuel pumps when a 12-foot, 122 mm rocket slammed into the ground approximately 70 yards away from their uncovered position.

Williams was taken back immediately to his combat days in Vietnam. "Those rockets haven't changed a bit in the last 30 years," he said.

Bright-orange shrapnel cascaded from the explosion like sparks from a high-powered firework. The blast felt like it sucked the breath away from their lungs.

Leading the charge to the FARP, Williams stood ready with his Marines to refuel any aircraft that might need it. Six rockets in all rained down. Smoke from the first rockets loomed in the air, causing some to choke from the sulfurlike stench. Soon the familiar sound of chopping rotor blades could be heard soaring overhead. Two AH-1W Super Cobras from Marine Light Attack Squadron 773 landed to be refueled before scouting the terrain for any sign of the Taliban.

"I was real pleased by the way everyone acted that night," said Williams. "They did what they were supposed to do in a situation like that. They did their jobs."

With a couple of short-term rattled nerves and the curiosity of real combat resolved, the Marine fuelers realized that they could perform well under pressure. Even the master sergeant, who hadn't seen combat in more than 30 years, was pleased that he still had nerves of steel. True to his humble nature, Williams believes the pilots of the Cobras deserve all the credit.

"If I ever had to pick a Marine to go to war with, I would pick Master Sergeant Williams first and foremost," said recently promoted MSgt Mingus. "He's been through more than any of us could ever imagine. This is just a trip to the zoo for him."

Admittedly, MSgt Williams is ready to retire after his tour in Afghanistan. His love for his family and his dedication to the family business give him a feeling of homesickness that he never before experienced in combat.

"This is my twilight tour. While I'm here, my job is to share knowledge with my Marines, bring them up to our level and beyond. If I can do that," Williams said, with a smile and a gleam in his eye, "my job is done."


Editor's note: SSgt Baker is the public affairs chief for Marine Aircraft Group 41, Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing, Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. At the time he wrote this article for Leatherneck, he was attached to MWSS-473 in Afghanistan.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Force Lima 3/3 seizes munitions, drugs:
America’s Battalion steps up raids in Afghanistan
Submitted by: Combined Joint Task Force - 76
Story Identification #: 200511953617
Story by Cpl. Rich Mattingly



KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Jan. 19, 2005) -- In what proved to be America’s Battalion’s most successful seizure of munitions and drugs to date, Force Lima discovered a large cache of rocket-propelled grenades and 7.62mm ammunition, five kilos of opium and nearly two thousand pounds of hashish in the town of Achin this week.

Operating with information from a local source concerning a possible weapons cache, 1st platoon, Lima Co. swept into Achin in coordination with the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. After establishing a cordon and security with the Afghan forces, Lima sent in its Marines to do a detailed search of the houses where they suspected the weapons were hidden.

“We entered the compound of the third building and saw several Afghan women gathered in the corner, standing next to a large pile of burlap sacks,” said 1st Lt. Michael Berentson, Lima executive officer. “When we checked one bag, we discovered it was full of hashish,” he continued. “It didn’t take long to realize that all of the bags were full of hashish. We searched the house from there and found more, smaller bags of hash hidden all over the place. All together, we estimate that the bags equaled a little over 1800 pounds in weight.”

The Marines’ find was further increased after Lance Cpl. Justin Raack, one of Lima Company’s attached 81mm mortarmen, shimmied down a 25-ft. tunnel to find the target they were originally looking for, a large cache of RPGs and 7.62mm rounds. Nearly every week, Lima Company’s work has taken significant amounts of arms and ammunition out of the hands of the enemy. Insurgents are well known to hide weapons and explosives in cache sights to be used against Coalition and Afghan government forces at a later date.

After the successful seizure, everyone involved was thrilled with the success of the raid, which again hilighted America’s Battalion’s efforts to work closely with Afghan forces when conducting operations.

“The teamwork between U.S. Marines, Afghan Soldiers and the Afghan National Police is what made this operation such a success,” said Staff Sgt. Vinny Russo, a Lima Co. platoon sergeant. “Having the ANA and ANP at the forefront of these operations lets the Afghan citizens know that their government is serious about drug eradication and eliminating support for terrorists.”

Drug eradication has, in fact, become a significant goal for the Afghan government. President Hamid Karzai pledged to eliminate what has been a large source of income for terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan in his inaugural speech last month in Kabul. The current Coalition policy is that narcotics discovered in the course of conducting security and stability operations are seized and destroyed by Afghan forces.

“The Afghan people are beginning to realize that poppy cultivation and opium production is destroying innocent lives in Afghanistan and around the world,” said 2nd Lt. Erik Muniz, 1st platoon commander.

Afghan forces and 3/3 will continue to conduct joint security and support operations throughout Afghanistan. As Afghan military and police units become increasingly capable of addressing security challenges, the Marines will shift from a primary to a supporting role. For the Marines of America’s Battalion, their ability to do that is a measure of their effectiveness.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

NBCD Equipment Consolidation

by Col Douglas C. Redlich, USMC(Ret) & CWO4 Dennis J. Litalien, USMC(Ret)

For intervals between wars, the nuclear, biological, and chemical defense equipment (NBCDE) readiness in the Marine Corps has been like the neglected stepchild. With the global war on terrorism all around us, the authors identify a much needed change in our NBCD posture.

Background
In November 2003, the Commandant of the Marine Corps released ALMAR 070/03, directing the consolidation of NBCDE funding, acquisition, and management under the Program Manager (PM), NBCDE at Marine Corps Systems Command. PM NBCDE (as the responsible officer) is employing contractor logistics support (CLS) to manage unit inventories from consolidated storage facilities (CSFs) for Marine Forces (MarFor) and the Marine Corps National Capital Region.


The first two NBCD CSFs were officially stood up at Camp Lejeune and at the Marine Forces Reserve, Dallas-Fort Worth facility during the summer of 2004. The remaining 10 CSFs will be established throughout the Marine Corps by May 2005. (See Figure 1.)


A number of mask issue and recovery points will be strategically located at Camp Pendleton and Okinawa, Japan to provide field protective mask (FPM) issue and turn-in support for individual Marines in the widely dispersed units at both geographic locations. The primary objectives for NBCDE consolidation are to increase and sustain NBCDE readiness and to ensure that Marines possess serviceable NBCDE to improve survivability on the battlefield.


The Case for Consolidation
In recent years the General Accountability Office, the Department of Defense Inspector General, and naval audits have consistently identified shortfalls in the Marine Corps’ ability to effectively manage NBCDE and accurately report readiness levels. A key deficiency often cited was lack of accountability for serviceable NBCD individual protective equipment (IPE), including consumable items, such as Saratoga and joint service lightweight integrated suit technology chemical-biological protective suits, gloves, overboots, field protective masks, canister filters, and individual decontamination kits.


During the initial workup to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, it was evident that a significant number of Marine Corps units had not replaced IPE items as the shelf life expired, resulting in a substantial gap in serviceable IPE to support sustained NBCD operations. Fortunately, those IPE deficiencies were effectively identified and sourced prior to forward deployment of Marines to the Middle East. The critical lesson learned is that with all four Services and the Coast Guard competing for the same limited textile industrial base and sources of supply, the Marine Corps may not be able to correct IPE deficiencies so readily the next time.


In addition to NBCDE accountability, serviceability, and readiness issues, there has been an ongoing concern within the NBCD community relative to the military occupational specialty devoting too many man-hours to logistics—supply, warehousing, and maintenance management functions for NBCDE—and not enough time on unit operational and training requirements. This operational concern is underscored by the fact that the Marine Corps will soon receive both the light armored vehicle (LAV) and HMMWV variants of the joint service lightweight NBC reconnaissance system (JSLNBCRS)—a highly sophisticated suite of NBCD detection and identification technologies (the replacement for the M93 Fox vehicle). JSLNBCRS will require frequent hands-on training to ensure that Marine 5711 operators understand and can successfully conduct NBCD reconnaissance missions in support of expeditionary operations.


The Marine Corps is scheduled to receive 22 LAV and 37 HMMWV variants beginning in fiscal year 2006. Each JSLNBCRS will be crewed by three enlisted NBCD specialists (one vehicle commander, one surveyor, and one driver), for a total of 171 enlisted NBCD Marines. (Current on-hand strength is about 772 Marines.)


Consolidation Concept Development
As a result of these and other NBCD-related concerns, Mr. Douglas Bryce (PM NBCD), briefed the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations (PP&O) during the PP&O-sponsored Integration Day in December 2002. PP&O concurred with these concerns and tasked PM NBCD to develop processes to ensure that NBCDE readiness issues were addressed as a part of the overall Marine Corps reconstitution effort.


In response, PM NBCD established the NBCD Strategic Logistics Asset Management (SLAM) Team. The SLAM Team conducted an independent logistics assessment to determine what changes to the concept of support for the NBCD commodity were warranted. Eventually, three courses of action (COAs) were forwarded to the MarFor and subordinate commands for review and comments. Their preferred COA was sent to the Marine Requirements Board for review in August and September 2003 followed by the Marine Requirements Oversight Council in October 2003, which recommended adoption of the proposal, which was followed by the subsequent approval of the Commandant. The approved COA was based upon the following assumptions:

Status quo for NBCDE management will not solve readiness concerns.


• CLS will significantly reduce long-term costs caused by excessive handling and losses.


• Future fund management for NBCDE will be centrally controlled by PM NBCD to stabilize funding requirements, provide dedicated replacement/repair of equipment, and ensure program objective memorandum visibility. Funding for procurement and fielding is based on Operating Forces requirements.


• PM NBCD will coordinate all CSF functions and perform all fielding and procurement of new equipment items as well as requisitions for NBCDE from the Operating Forces through the SLAM Program Management Office (SLAM PMO) which has been established in Quantico. The intent is for SLAM PMO to be the 24 hours a day/7 days a week conduit for NBCDE support to Operating Forces worldwide.


• Consolidation will maximize efficiencies by using fewer personnel to maintain equipment, reducing total force warehouse footprint, and increasing the effectiveness of the total force shelf life surveillance/management program.


• The initial focus of effort for CSFs is developing NBCDE blocks for Marine expeditionary units (special operations capable) and air contingency Marine air-ground task forces (MAGTFs).


• Each local CSF will be a “one-stop shop” for units requiring NBCDE (training or combat stocks) in support of scheduled deployments and contingencies.


• The CSF will provide embarkation information (e.g., MAGTF Deployment System II data) in support of mount-out requirements.


• Consolidation will ensure flexibility for meeting surge requirements and contingencies by providing serviceable NBCDE to units (as prioritized by Headquarters Marine Corps).


Training allowances (T/As) (established by Marine Corps Combat Development Command), including suits, gloves, boots, and decontamination kits will be maintained by local units and replaced by the CSF as required.


• Principal end items (PEIs), such as detectors, radiac meters, and decontamination equipment will be used as both T/A and combat stocks. Units will be responsible for conducting organizational maintenance only. PEIs in requiring higher echelons of maintenance will be exchanged at the CSF. The CSF is responsible for evacuating PEIs to intermediate-level maintenance.


• Individually issued M40 series FPMs, enhanced NBC, and M93 Fox NBCD reconnaissance vehicles will be centrally funded through PM NBCD, but shall remain with individual units. FPMs not individually issued will be turned in by units to the CSF along with their NBCD table of equipment (T/E) stocks. Once a unit’s FPMs are turned in, any new-joins mask issues or subsequent personnel mask turn-ins due to departures will be conducted at the local CSF. Status of resources and training system reporting requirements in support of NBCDE consolidation are being established through the Readiness Branch, PP&O.

continuedd,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[thedrifter]

Total Asset Visibility Is Key
A key component of the NBCDE consolidation effort is the integrated data network that will provide total asset visibility of all equipment items managed by the CSFs. The network will provide a controlled environment to capture and maintain accurate data on all NBCDE and throughout the life cycle. This capability will give Marine commanders visibility of the NBCDE they rate under unit T/Es. Visibility of unit equipment will be available through a web-enabled interface based upon a user’s granted access level. This up-to-date data will be available to any authorized user with an Internet connection and a web browser.


Conclusion
Even when consolidation of the majority of the Operating Forces’ equipment is complete, follow-on efforts to ensure accountability and serviceability of NBCDE held by decentralized units (e.g., the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), Marine Security Guard Battalion, Marine Security Force Battalion) will be required. This initiative will vastly improve both NBCD operational and equipment readiness and provide our MAGTFs with greater flexibility in support of expeditionary operations.


>Col Redlich retired from the Marine Corps in 2002 and is employed as a senior logistician with Kalman and Company, Inc.


>>CWO4 Litalien retired in 1999 as the senior NBCD officer with the CBIRF. He is employed as a senior logistician and NBCD analyst for Kalman and Company, Inc.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Gen. In Afghanistan Urges Care On Iran
Associated Press
January 25, 2005

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - A senior American commander overseeing efforts to capture Taliban and al-Qaida remnants in Afghanistan said Monday his mission could be harmed by any instability in neighboring Iran.

Maj. Gen. Eric Olson told The Associated Press that the 18,000 mainly American soldiers under his command also were working to intercept spies or militants entering the country from the west, which includes Iran.

"I think it is in Afghanistan's interest to see stability in Iran and anything that is destabilizing or causes turmoil in Iran, especially close to the border, would not be good for Afghanistan and would not be good for my mission," Olson told the AP after making a presentation to Kabul-based diplomats at the main U.S. base north of Kabul.

Olson told the diplomats that Taliban militants had been so weakened by U.S. operations and the advances of President Hamid Karzai's government that his forces would soon spend more time on reconstruction than on pursuing militants.

Military planners said a national reconciliation program, to be announced soon by Karzai, already had persuaded about 70 "mid-level" commanders from the Taliban and renegade Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar willing to give up the fight.




The militants' failure to disrupt Afghanistan's October presidential election showed "that their capabilities are very limited," Capt. Heidi Urben told diplomats from countries including Pakistan, Germany and France. "The intent is starting to fade away as well."

In response to a media report last week, Olson said he knew of no U.S. spying missions in Iran.

The New Yorker magazine reported that the U.S. military has been carrying out undercover reconnaissance operations to gather intelligence and targeting information inside Iran "at least since last summer."

Olson said he was unaware of any such operations, but he also said they would not come under his control.

U.S. Defense Department officials said the article by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Seymour Hersh was filled with mistakes but did not deny its basic point.

Ellie