Photo by Staff Sgt. Monika Comeaux Photo by Sgt. Marshall … · 2006-08-03 · she said....

Vol. 3, Issue 16 April 16, 2006

New joint mail centeropens at LSA Anaconda

Medical repair teamkeeps equipment running

at Camp Taji

pg. 11

pg. 3

Range tRange tRange tRange tRange to to to to to tararararargetgetgetgetget812th Quartermaster Company stops anti-coalition forces after leaving range

Staff Sgt. Chris Ruth (right), combat logistics patrol commander with the 812th Qm. Co., teaches Soldiers from the 16th Corps Support Group how to properly use the M 203 grenade launcher.Photo by Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda

Photo by Staff Sgt. Monika Comeaux Photo by Sgt. Marshall Thompson

Pg. 8Pg. 8Pg. 8Pg. 8Pg. 8

APRIL 16, 2006ANACONDA TIMES

Anaconda Times is authorized for publication by the3rd COSCOM for the LSA Anaconda community. Thecontents of the Anaconda Times are unofficial and arenot to be considered the official views of, or endorsedby, the U.S. Government, including the Department ofDefense or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Anaconda Times is a command information newspa-per in accordance with Army Regulation 360-1.

Anaconda Times is published weekly by the Stars

and Stripes central office, with a circulation of 5,000papers.

The Public Affairs Office is on New Jersey Ave. inbuilding 4136, DSN 318-829-1234. Anaconda Times,HHC 3rd COSCOM, APO AE 09391. Web site atwww.mnf-iraq.com/publications_theater.htm

Contact Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey S. Mullett [email protected]

3rd COSCOM Commanding GeneralBrig. Gen. Rebecca S. Halstead

Chief of the Anaconda Consolidated Press CenterLt. Col. Brian McNerney

Deputy Public Affairs Officer207th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment CommanderMaj. Curtis Carney

207th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment NCOICSgt. 1st Class Jeffrey S. Mullett

EditorSgt. Ty Stafford

Staff WritersStaff Sgt. Monika Comeaux Spc. Spencer CaseStaff Sgt. Engels Tejeda Spc. David ChapmanSgt. Mitch Armbruster Spc. Mary FergusonSgt. Judith DaCostaSgt. Jason MikeworthSgt. Marshall Thompson

RRRRReligious supporeligious supporeligious supporeligious supporeligious support team prt team prt team prt team prt team practices more than jusactices more than jusactices more than jusactices more than jusactices more than just faitht faitht faitht faitht faithBy Lt. Col. Barbara Sherer3rd COSCOM Chaplain’s Office

How do you plan training for chaplains and theirassistants who are expected to remain proficient in awide variety of skills? It is certainly a challenge.

Although chaplains are non-combatants, they arestill expected to be proficient in all Soldier skills notrelated to the use of weapons. They just might be askedto jump out of a perfectly good airplane, road march 25miles, then provide a field worship service for theSoldiers who have joined them on this trek. But this isonly one of many skill sets required of a chaplain.Along with the Soldier skills, chaplains must also beexperienced counselors, preachers, teachers, advisors,and leaders.

Chaplain assistants have an even greater challenge.Basic Soldier skills are not enough. They must betrained to serve as security for the chaplain, as a mem-ber of the battle staff and religious support team (RST)planner.

They also have to be aware of the requirements andpractices of a variety of faith groups, and of course,handle administrative tasks. Both chaplains and assis-tants serve as trainers for a variety of unit classes such assuicide intervention and homecoming/reunion issues.

The RSTs of Logistical Support Area Anaconda havedeveloped an aggressive training plan that ensures theyremain current in these required skill sets.

“We have been training on both chapel support aswell as administrative tasks, and now are focusing onpersonal security, first aid, land navigation, and other

tactical skills,” states Staff Sgt. David Thomas, trainingNCO for the 3rd Corps Support Command RST. “Partof each training plan also includes updates on currentevents and country briefings, which give the chaplainassistants experience in briefing techniques.”

Chaplains and assistants recently trained on suchtopics as Sexual Assault Response, reading and writingoperation orders, the role of the chaplain assistant,requirements and practices of different faith groups,religious support operations during a mass casualty,suicide intervention skills, and improving counselingtechniques.

The many skills developed through this aggressivetraining plan will help the ministry teams to meetcurrent challenges in the ever-changing environment inwhich they perform their mission.

By Sgt. 1st Class John Wagner35th Area Support Group Historian

For the Soldiers taking an early morning run, itseemed like just another day of duty. Then they heard anorder blaring over a loudspeaker.

The sound of “Incoming! Incoming! Take cover!”would change the life of 1st Sgt. Jesse Acosta forever asmortar rounds were hurdled through the air in January.

A round landed about 50 feet away from Acosta andshrapnel and shock waves flew through the air knockingdown Acosta and Spc. Jimmy Caceras.

Acosta, with a detachment from the 376th PersonnelServices Battalion out of Long Beach, Calif., was hit byshrapnel that cut through his face. He was taken to ahospital in Landstuhl, Germany, and then was on hisway home.

He is now blind. But there’s no moaning and groan-ing from the 48-year-old NCO who held his troopstogether like glue.

“I accept this as a whole new chapter in my life,” saidAcosta in a phone interview from his home in Santa FeSprings, Calif. “I haven’t even had time to say ‘Why didthis happen to me?’” Acosta has hit the ground runningwith a quest to overcome defeat and continue his lifewith a warrior’s attitude.

“I’m grateful that I’m still alive,” he said. “I’ve giventhanks to God. I can still walk and hug my wife andchildren.”

Acosta has been in training at the Palo Alto (Calif.)Department of Veterans Affairs School for the Blind.

“They’re teaching me all the techniques to survive,”he said. “My hands are my new eyes.”

He is learning to walk into a room and, using hishands, get oriented touching the chairs and walls andget a mental picture of front, back, right and left.

He also said he is learning about new technology inwhich someone can scan a sheet of paper and it reads

the letters to the person.“It could be a bank

statement, a 401-K orsomething else impor-tant,” Acosta said.

Acosta has receivedgreat support from hisSoldiers who havecalled him at homemany times. First Lt.Lisa Christenson, the376th PSB Headquar-ters and HeadquartersDetachment com-mander, had escortedhim for two weeks toGermany and then toWalter Reed Army

Medical Center in Washington D.C.“Even though he learned there was little chance of

regaining his sight, he was still upbeat and helpful andwanted to know if the Soldiers were all right,” she said.“He is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever known,”she said. “Everything he did was about taking care of theSoldiers.”

Spc. Helen Lee, 376th administrative clerk, was ontower-guard duty the morning of the attack. “I heard themortars coming in,” she said. “I thought, ‘Oh, gosh. That’swhere we go running.’ “

She recalled that Acosta did a superb job guiding thedetachment through its mobilization training at Dona AnaBase Camp, N.M.; a sub-post of Fort Bliss, Texas. Thedetachment had been formed up quickly from many unitsand most were strangers.

“Nobody knew each other,” she said. But Acosta hadthem running early-morning PT, rumbling along inhumvees and practicing combat skills in the desert environ-ment. “He took our group and guided us in the right

direction. I’ve never had that kind of leadership in my fouryears. He took his time even with the shy individuals.”

Staff Sgt. Sarah Gotbeter, nuclear, biological andchemical NCO praised him as well. “He held everybodytogether,” she said. “At Dona Ana, he made sure we wereall on time, in correct uniform and he kept everybody inline. He was like a father figure.”

At Anaconda, his tight leadership continued. “He showed us a lot of tough love,” said Spc. Efrain

Arteaga, S-1 clerk. “He had a lot of rules, but it wasbecause he cared for us and wanted to keep us out oftrouble.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Albert Montano of the detachmentoffered his thoughts as well.

“He wanted to do more than his job descriptionrequired. He looked at force protection. He looked atsafety. One Soldier never had a driver’s license. He gaveher training so she could drive a military vehicle. But healso wanted the Soldiers to enjoy some things. He wantedthem to be aware of things such as flag football, availablemovies and entertainers coming through.”

Acosta’s wife, Connie, praised her husband and voicedher support.

She said she lays items out in the bathroom and kitchenso her husband can mentally grasp where they are.

“If he’s in the shower, he knows where the soap is andwhere the shampoo is,” she said. “At dinner, he knowswhere the food and drinks are at the table, potatoes at 12o’clock, vegetables at 3 o’clock.”

“He knows I’m here for him,” she said. “He’s adjustingvery well. He’s amazing. He’s trying very well to beindependent.”

Meanwhile, Montano spoke of the future reunionbetween Acosta and his Soldiers, when they’ll have a“Welcome Home” ceremony.

“We’ll get the Soldiers off the bus and he’ll be there,”Montano said. “He’ll feel their hands and hear the tone oftheir voices. I’m really looking forward to that day.”

FirFirFirFirFirssssst Sert Sert Sert Sert Sergeant blinded bgeant blinded bgeant blinded bgeant blinded bgeant blinded by mory mory mory mory mortttttar drives on in new lifar drives on in new lifar drives on in new lifar drives on in new lifar drives on in new lifeeeee

ACOSTA

APRIL 16, 2006 ANACONDA TIMES

Question of the Week

Which baseball team is your favorite ?

Airmen 1st Class Preston Davis332d Expeditionary Medical Group“LSU, because I’m from Louisi-ana and I grew up watchingthem.”

Sgt. Matthew Ingalls2-44th Air Defense Artillery“The Red Sox. I’ve always likedthem since I was little.”

Staff Sgt. Kendrick Lucas117th Field Artillery“San Francisco Giants. I likeBarry Bonds.”

Spc. Jason Arias2-44th Air Defense Artillery“The Red Sox, because I’m fromBoston.”

Staff Sgt. David Rook142nd Field Artillery“Long Beach State, but prettymuch any college baseball teambecause they play for the game.”

RRRRRepair team maintepair team maintepair team maintepair team maintepair team maintains vitains vitains vitains vitains vital eqal eqal eqal eqal equipmentuipmentuipmentuipmentuipmentBy Staff Sgt. Monika ComeauxStaff Writer

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - While there are dozensof unit supply clerks, mechanics or cooks onCamp Taji, some military occupationalspecialties are very hard to find.

Spc. John Cranford from Headquartersand Headquarters Company, Special TroopsBattalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, is amedical equipment repairer on Taji.

As a repairer, Cranford and othersprovide maintenance support to all sick-callclinics, the optometry clinic, and dental clinic

Spc. John Cranford, a medical equipment repairer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Sustain-ment Brigade works on a dental X-ray machine at the Iraqi army clinic at Camp Taji.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Monika Comeaux

and even to a clinic on the Iraqi side of CampTaji.

“I think that our job is the best job in theArmy,” said Cranford. “We are proud to bedoing the job we are doing here.”

Arriving in October, he first worked at theWrangler Clinic. Before long, he was ap-proached by another medical equipmentrepairer from the base.

“When I came to Taji, I knew there wereother medical maintenance people on the post,and I was trying to see if we could worktogether, instead of working separately,” saidStaff Sgt. Wilmer L. Tapia, a medical equip-

ment repairer with the 226th Medical LogisticsBattalion. The small team checks with theclinics periodically, making sure all theequipment is operational. They also startedvisiting the clinic on the Iraqi side, to seewhether they needed any assistance.

“I feel like I am doing something good,”Tapia said. “The first time when we went tothe old Iraqi clinic, I felt sorry for them. Therewas a lack of supplies and equipment.”

When the team found out that the Iraqiswere opening a new clinic, they jumped at thechance to help to get the clinic’s equipmentoperational. “[It was] nothing we had to do,

we just want to help them out . . . The soonerwe get them set up, the sooner we can get out ofhere, hopefully,” Cranford said.

They worked on several pieces of newequipment at the Iraqi clinic, some straight outof the box.

“A lot of the stuff we have to figure out onour own,” Cranford said. He and his fellowmedical equipment repairers sometimes haveto pick up manuals, and figure out how toassemble new equipment.

“As soon as we got the X-ray machinegoing, they started seeing patients that day,”Cranford said proudly.

The small team made friends with theclinic’s staff. Most of the doctors speak someEnglish and are able to translate between themedical equipment repairers and the Iraqimedical staff who operate the equipment.

“They do a good job,” said Iraqi army Sgt.Abaide, a nurse at the Iraqi clinic. “When we geta mechanical problem, they come and help usout quickly.”

The Iraqi clinic sees between 80 and 100patients a day – soldiers and civilians workingon the post. Abaide is very grateful for the helpthe medical equipment repair team provides tothe Iraqi clinic.

As both Cranford and Tapia noted, the funpart of their job is to work on a new piece ofequipment every day.

“I think the most difficult part is to getparts,” Tapia said. If they work on olderequipment, they have to contact themanufacturer for parts, and often themanufacturer no longer makes thatparticular type of medical equipmentand may not have a part for it at all.

Although Cranford has only worked inhis MOS for a short time, he is veryconfident at what he is doing. He said thathis 11-month Advance Individual Train-ing was really difficult, but prepared himwell for the job.

“He is a hardworking medical mainte-nance guy,” said Tapia. “He is veryreliable and knowledgeable.”

April 16, 2006ANACONDA TIMES

By Sgt. Mitch ArmbrusterStaff Writer

FOWARD OPERATING BASEENDURANCE, Iraq - Improvisedexplosive devices cause seriousincidents on the roads of Iraq, andhuman error contributes to accidentsfor Soldiers driving vehicles insupport of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Soldiers working for the 71st CorpsSupport Battalion took over theCombat Logistics Patrol (CLP) Readi-ness Center at Forward OperatingBase Endurance and institutedchanges to help alleviate problems forCLP commanders.

The readiness center offers CLPcommanders one location to get thelatest intelligence on main supplyand alternate supply routes. Maps,sand tables, and food are just some ofthe things the center has available forSoldiers to make their trip as success-ful as possible.

“We have a checklist for safety,”said Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Wallace,the CLP Readiness Center NCOIC.“We double check to see if the Sol-diers have done it.”

Readiness center Soldiers have thedifficult job of checking up on Sol-diers preparing to leave the FOB onmissions. They check weapons,vehicles and the cargo to make sureeverything is safe.

Staff Sgt. Kristopher Harris ex-plained that Soldiers weren’t recep-tive to the changes at first, it tooktime for them to get used to beinglooked after by the readiness centerteam.

“We’ve helped safety while we’vebeen here,” Harris said. “Sometimesyou need someone to check and

Quality assurance leads to quality controlQuality assurance leads to quality controlQuality assurance leads to quality controlQuality assurance leads to quality controlQuality assurance leads to quality control

Soldiers with the 425th Transportation Company stage their vehicles in front of the CLPReadiness Center and await inspections at Forward Operating Base Endurance.

Photos by Sgt. Mitch Armbruster

recheck the work you’ve done.”Soldiers weren’t used to the team

taking the time to look at their weap-ons or make sure their kits for signal-ing were in order.

“It takes explaining the rules tohelp people see the reasons,” saidWallace.

Soldiers are now more responsive to

the work the center does.“We’ve grown on them,” ex-

plained Harris. “They lay out theirstuff now. They have things ready forus. Before they might have forgottenit but now they know we are going tocheck.”

A Quality Assurance, QualityControl (QAQC) team works with thecenter making sure vehicles haveworking lights, the loads on trailersare secure, each truck has a radiothat works and vehicles receiveproper maintenance.

Spc. Miguel Collazo, a communi-cations specialist with the QAQC,said they started working with thetrucks because they were noticingtrailers with burned-out taillights.

He explained with the new rulestrucks aren’t allowed to leave FOBEndurance without all of theirequipment working properly.

Collazo and the QAQC teamNCOIC Sgt. 1st Class Michael Leeagreed it’s challenging to get Sol-diers to see the need for the inspec-tions but after a period of time, theynow see the importance.

“Little by little the Soldiers respectwhat we do to keep them safe,” Leesaid.

The center was working with fiveto six CLPs a day, but the 71st hasinstituted some changes to reducethe number to help keep Soldiers safeand vehicles off the road during the

Spc. Miguel Collazo, a communication specialist with the Quality Assurance, Quality Control team at the Combat Logistics Patrol ReadinessCenter on Forward Operating Base Endurance, checks the turn signals on a humvee before the CLP leaves the FOB.

higher volume traffic hours.Although the readiness center is

open 24 hours a day, the new CLPhours allow the staff a chance to do amore thorough job inspecting theCLPs for safety concerns.

The center is full of tools to helpSoldiers visualize the roads andpossible incidents they could face.The team worked hard to add addi-tional stations, such as a wall withthe current frequencies for many ofthe areas these CLPs go into.

They also post safety reports andbulletins released by 3rd CorpsSupport Command or the 101stSustainment Brigade.

All of the stations offer Soldiersuseful information whether on theroad or staying the night on the FOB.

Soldiers, and their commanders,like the work of the CLP ReadinessCenter. They’re looking out forSoldiers and doing what they can tohelp with those last minute checks.

Harris and Wallace agree theyaren’t as popular as the honey bunsavailable for the Soldiers to eat, butthey are helping Soldiers realizesafety saves lives.

Harris spent five months as a CLPcommander, so he knows how it feelsright before a mission.

“You have so much on yourmind,” Harris said. “You do every-thing you can to make sure you get itright for your Soldiers lives.”


48th BCT Soldier48th BCT Soldier48th BCT Soldier48th BCT Soldier48th BCT Soldiers ess ess ess ess estttttablish marablish marablish marablish marablish markkkkket in Tet in Tet in Tet in Tet in TallilallilallilallilallilBy Spc. Spencer CaseStaff Writer

LSA ADDER, Iraq - Each day, the Ur Market attracts adiverse stream of customers, including Soldiers, airmen andmultinational forces, to its wooden booths that displayDVDs, rugs and a smorgasbord of local novelties. While thetroops are comfortably browsing, there is little need to thinkabout the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the marketrunning smoothly.

It is a different matter for Soldiers working in the civilaffairs section of the 48th Brigade Combat Team. Six days aweek, they pick up the Iraqi workers at the visitor controlcenter and bring them back when the market has closed.During the day, they watch for suspicious behavior fromboth the vendors and the customers.

The civil affairs section also makes sure the Iraqis areprovided with lunch. They have also spent long daysupgrading the vending booths.

To Sgt. Robert Stanfield, the NCOIC of the Ur Market,the efforts have been worthwhile.

“It provides a place for the Soldiers to come andhave a little down time and do a little shopping, but it’sgood for the local economy, too,” Stanfield said.

The market was first conceptualized by the civilaffairs section of the 56th Brigade Combat Team, whostarted meeting with Sheik Ali Muhammed Al

Photos by Spc. Spencer Case

At Logistical Support Area Adder, troops browse electronic goods at the Ur International Market which was built by Soldiers from the 48th Brigade Combat Team.

Manshed, the leader of the Al-Gizzie tribe, last year todiscuss the possibility of having a market at LSAAdder. Once plans had been finalized, Soldiers fromthe 220th Engineer Company, 48th BCT, built woodenstalls for the vendors and installed HESCO barriersaround the chosen site.

When the Ur Market was officially opened on Nov.19, Sheik Ali, who presides over a tribe of 600,000individuals, was present along with U.S. militaryleaders. Since then, the market has come a long way.

Originally, the workers had only unadorned woodenboxes without shelves or roofs. Since then, the handful oftroops, with the then-current Ur Market NCOIC, Sgt. Maj.Calvin Wilcox, in the lead, added shelves, painted thebooths and added roofs and overhangs to keep customersand shopkeepers out of the sun. They also added guardbooths in the front and back.

“A tremendous amount of work has been done toremodel these booths, so that the vendors are more comfort-able, so that their materials are protected when it rains, thatsort of thing,” said Maj. Joseph Rohrer, the OIC of the UrMarket. Rohrer added that at times Wilcox would often stayup “all hours of the night” working on the booths.

Rohrer said the civil affairs section continues to meetwith Sheik Ali to ensure goods are being provided for afair price.

So far the market has run smoothly, with no serious

infractions either by the Iraqi vendors or the troops.“The biggest problem we’ve had out here is people

trying to come in PTs,” Stanfield said.The entrance has a sign warning Soldiers not to talk

about sensitive subjects such as tactics, techniques andprocedures, but Stanfield said this has not been aproblem.

Staff Sgt. Little Dixon, a combat logistics patrol commanderfor B Company, 121st Infantry Regiment, pays for a watch atthe Ur International Market.


Al Asad begins consAl Asad begins consAl Asad begins consAl Asad begins consAl Asad begins construction of wtruction of wtruction of wtruction of wtruction of watatatatater bottling planter bottling planter bottling planter bottling planter bottling plantBy Sgt. Marshall ThompsonStaff Writer

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Con-struction is underway at Al Asad AirBase on one of six water bottlingplants planned for U.S. troops inIraq.

Soldiers at Logistical Support AreaAnaconda are already drinking thein-house bottled water from a similarplant built last year by AL-MorrellDevelopment. The plant at LSAAnaconda turns out unlabeled bottlesof clean drinking water in ampleamounts for the nearly 25,000servicemembers and civilians withinthe gates.

Soon there will be similar plants atCamps Victory, Al Taqqadum, and AlAsad, Q-West Base Complex, FowardOperating Base Speicher, as well asLSA Anaconda . The purpose of theplants is to cut the costs of drinkingwater and to reduce the number ofcombat logistics patrols.

“Any time we can produce the waterhere, it eliminates the need for a con-voy,” said Reid Dimick, a projectmanager for AL-Morrell. “We’ll doanything we can to help, because livesare at stake.”

Water is important for good health,especially during the extreme heat inthe summer when dehydration is amajor hazard. Dimick remembered ayoung Iraqi boy who worked for himlast year and how he would always geta bottle of water for his little brotherwho was sick.

“Every night, he’d get a bottle of

Reid Dimick (left) and Tim Thompson (right), both project managers for AL-Morrell Develop-ment, inspect the pre-fabricated pieces of what will be a water bottling plant at Al Asad AirBase. This will be one of six new facilities that will save money and cut down on combatlogistics patrol in theater.

Photo by Sgt. Marshall Thompson

water,” Dimick said. “I’d always makesure he got an extra one.”

Dimick and others have workedwith people from a variety of differentcountries to finish the constructionprojects in Iraq. He said at first it’shard to communicate, but soon handsignals can convey even complexideas.

Tim Thompson, a project managerfor AL-Morrell, and Dimick discussedthe difficulties in building the facili-ties. Preparing the ground is the firststep. Thompson works with a rockcrushing operation that makes gravelfor the base. The developers need tocover the ground with layers of gravelto avoid, as Dimick said, “this fineIraqi mud that we have over here.”

Then the crews lay the foundation incement. This is precision work becausea separate company pre-fabricates thewater bottling facility in Saudi Arabiaand ships it in. If the footings are off byeven an inch, the pieces of the buildingwon’t fit.

About a third of the building hasalready arrived and once the crew laysthe foundations, the facility will startto take shape, said Frank Knodel, atraining manager for AL-Morrell.

“We hope to be up and running byMay,” Knodel said. However, headded that scarcity of materialsmight delay the opening a bit.

Knodel said he feels good aboutsetting up water bottling plantsbecause “it saves room in the convoysfor things that are more importantand it costs less to manufacture it onbase, than to buy it.”


By Sgt. Jason MikeworthStaff Writer

CAMP AL TAQQADUM, Iraq - Moving materialand supplies across a theater as large as Iraq is nosimple task, but the Soldiers of the 21st Cargo Trans-fer Company’s 4th Platoon at Camp Al Taqqadummake it look easy.

The 21st has expanded operations at the CentralReceiving and Shipping Point (CRSP) for Camp AlTaqqadum.

“We get some Marine stuff, some Navy and someAir Force stuff, but mostly it’s Army stuff,” Sgt.Cassandra Bridick, the NCOIC of the CRSP yard,said. “Now a big mission is battle-damaged vehiclesgoing on to Kuwait.”

Bridick said the CRSP serves a collage of customerunits, processing everything from letters and bolts toCONEXs (Container Express) and vehicles.

“We’re just sort of the distributor,” said Bridick.“We have everything from rolling stock to Air Forcepallets.”

Some improvements the 21st has made are creatingstorage lanes based on the destination of the cargo.

“We built lanes here to sort cargo by destinationand implemented pallet position numbers,” Bridicksaid. “It speeds things up. It’s a pretty big yard so ithelps to know where everything is.”

Bridick said she hopes her mission helps improvesafety for Soldiers in Iraq.

“One of our biggest goals is to keep drivers off theroad. The more stuff we can fly, the less it takes tomove it,” said Bridick. “As long as we can keep themoff the road we’re happy.”

Combat logistics patrols (CLPs) are greeted at thegate and assigned to a lane to receive or unloadcargo. The CLP liaison then informs the CLP com-mander of how long of a wait is expected.

Bridick said her Soldiers take pride in assistingany customers who need their help.

“We’ll move Marine equipment if the Army istransporting it,” Bridick said.“Like the Marines here thatare redeploying. Since theArmy is handling that, we’llmove their equipment.”

She added that the amountof work they accomplish eachday contributes to her Sol-diers’ pride.

“To my knowledge, we’rethe only CRSP yard in theaterthat handles the containers,the cargo, Fed Ex, rollingstock as well as the aircargo,” said Bridick. “We’redefinitely one of the busiestyards.”

Spc. Jason Hunsaker, aCLP liaison, explained howthe service begins when CLParrives at the yard.

“We greet convoys, down-load and upload cargo, andtry to figure out where cargois going,” said Hunsaker.“Maintaining the yard is afull-time project itself.”

Hunsaker added thatpaperwork can provechallenging for the CRSPstaff.

CarCarCarCarCargo comgo comgo comgo comgo company epany epany epany epany expands ops at Txpands ops at Txpands ops at Txpands ops at Txpands ops at Taqqadumaqqadumaqqadumaqqadumaqqadum

Spc. Jason Hunsaker, a combat logistics patrol liaison with the 21st Cargo Transfer Company at Camp Al Taqqadum, buildsshelters for the central receiving and shipping point to beat the coming summer heat.

Photos by Sgt. Jason Mikeworth

“The paperwork varies, so there’s a lot of detectivework involved,” Hunsaker said. “Sometimes stuffwill come in with just an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifica-tion) tag, so you have to hope that was burned correctly.”

He noted that efficiency at the CRSP has increased withthe new systems the 21st hasimplemented.

“There was almost nothingin place when we got here. Noweverything is broken down intolanes by the major areas weserve. Everything has been spedup a lot,” said Hunsaker.“We’ve become a yard peoplecan depend on, and that we canbe proud of.”

Pfc. Justin McSorley, aforklift operator, said thebiggest challenge for him isadding to the speed of the newsystem.

“It can be challengingwhen you get a 30 truckconvoy in at 3:00 p.m.,” saidMcSorley. “You’re runningaround trying to get it loadedor unloaded while there’s stilldaylight, or if there’s a lack ofpersonnel, then it can bestressful.”

McSorley, a cavalry scout bytrade, said he was surprisedwhen he was assigned to acargo transfer company whenhe deployed.

“I had no idea what I’d be

doing. I though maybe I’d be pulling security on guntrucks or something,” McSorley said. “When we gothere, they didn’t really have the resources to trainscouts, so I fell in under them and do what they donow.”

Although the assignment was unexpected, McSorleysaid he’s enjoying the work he does now.

“They have pretty good living conditions, but thehours are kind of long,” said McSorley. “But, that’swar, right? I really can’t complain.”

McSorley, along with Hunsaker, has taken on theadditional mission to create shelters in the CRSP yardto provide shade for Soldiers to take breaks and storewater.

“I enjoy looking at my work and saying, ‘I builtthat’,” McSorley said. “No one can take that away fromyou.”

Pfc. Calvin Jones, a heavy equipment operator withthe 21st, said he likes his job, and looks for positiveactivities to keep him motivated.

“The morale is good. They help us out with theinternet and phones,” Jones said. “Other than that, Iwrite a lot of letters and try to keep in contact with myfamily.”

Jones said his favorite part is the wide range ofexperience he is receiving on this deployment.

“They try to rotate us so we can get experience atevery point of the operation,” Jones said. “When you’reout there in the yard, filling in paperwork, you might bein a rush just to get things done, but then you rememberwhat it was like when you were in the office. They wantus to see the whole mission.”

Jones said he is pleased with the results of the hardwork he and his teammates have put into the CRSP yard.

“I can look back now at the yard and say, “Man, alot of my sweat went into that.”

Sgt. Cassandra Bridick, the NCOIC of the CentralReceiving and Shipping Point yard at Camp AlTaqqadum, reviews paperwork on shipments forthe day.

APRIL 16, 2006 ANACONDA TIMES APRIL 16, 2006 PAGE 9ANACONDA TIMES

By Staff Sgt. Engels TejedaStaff Writer

CAMP CEDAR II, Iraq - In February,Reservists with Harlingen, Texas’ 812thQuartermaster Company were leading asmall combat logistics patrol out of atraining range in southern Iraq when theyspotted 17 civilians digging out a weaponscache.

Within five minutes, they had the 17individuals detained, a 360-degree securityperimeter in place, and Italian and Iraqi

Staff Sgt. Richard Clayton, the 812th’s training NCO, lays down the range rules during a range exercise for the 16th Corps Support Group near Tallil. Clayton and his troops detained agroup of anti-Iraqi forces who were digging up more than 100 munitions including RPGs, mortars and artillery rounds near the Coalition’s Logistical Support Area Adder. (Below) Sgt.Hector Perez (right), from McAllen, Texas, and the 812th’s armorer, helps a Soldier from the 16th Corps Support Group fix the MK 19 .40 millimeter grenade launcher during a rangeexercise near Tallil.

Photos by Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda

unit’s impressive score card.Since arriving in Iraq in November,

approximately 130 Reservists with the812th and Utah National Guard’s 120thQuartermaster Detachment have exceededevery standard.

They adopted a security escort mission,though they had no specific training in thatarea before arriving in country. In just threemonths, they have traveled about 92,000miles while conducting about 200 mis-sions, a remarkable figure considering thatthe unit they replaced conducted about 375missions in one year. They’ve also staffed alogistics storage facility and a waterpurification mission at Logistical SupportArea Scania in central Iraq.

“Of course, there was a learning curve atfirst because we are a quartermaster unit,” saidMaj. Marie Garcia, the 812th’s commander.“We normally do water, fuel and warehouse.We had to get our drivers trained; we had tolearn gun trucks.”

Evidently, the Soldiers are fast learners, forwithin months they had doubled the numberof gun trucks in their mission. The Reservists’security escort services for Kellogg, Brownand Root have earned them praises from thatorganization’s drivers.

“Your troops untiring escort services for ushave been nothing but a success servicing theneighboring [forward logistic bases andcamps],” read a letter to Garcia from a KBRofficial.

Based out of Camp Cedar II, the 812thoften travels to Logistical Support AreaAnaconda, Camps Charlie, Echo andBaghdad International Airport, and even tosome bases in Kuwait.

Though they periodically encounterinsurgent attacks, mostly in the form ofimprovised explosive devices (IEDs) andsmall-ams fire, some of the Reservists saidtheir civilian jobs at home are probably moredangerous than their work in Iraq.

For example, Sgt. Betty Thompson, a fuelspecialist with the 812th and a police officerfrom Gallup, N.M., said her daily contactwith belligerent civilians at home is probablymore dangerous than providing securityescorts for trucks in Iraq.

“This isn’t that bad,” Thompson said. “Ithink I’m more of a target there than herebecause there you constantly interact withpeople. Here, you stay in your armoredvehicles from one [base] to another.”

It also helps that about 25 percent of theunit has served previous deploymentsabroad, most of them to the Middle East. Twoeven served in Vietnam. These troops bringunparalleled experience, which helps keepthe troops focused and optimistic.

“When we got deployed last time, the beststuff we had was a walkman,” said Sgt. JesusCerda, a Brownsville, Texas, resident whoserved in Desert Storm and who is now a squadleader for the 812th. “Now we have internet,laptops, video cameras, digital cameras andthree hot meals a day. In those days you onlyhad one hot meal a day.”

Their optimism is not to be confused withcomplacency. Many Soldiers, like Spc. IsaiasMedellin, who is serving in the unit with his

younger brother Noe, said that they “don’t hateit, and don’t like it. It’s just all right.”

They are also ever-mindful of the life they puton hold to serve abroad. For example, Perezhurried his marriage to his wife Mayra becauseof the deployment. Spc. Jose Garza, a 21-year-old college student from Mercedes, Texas, whowas planning to wed his high school sweet-heart later this year, also had to hurry hiswedding and postpone their reception untilafter the deployment. Garcia has had to leaveher two children and eighth grade science classfor two out of the past three years to serveabroad, first in Kuwait and now in Iraq.

Despite these sacrifices, Garcia said thetroops have remained on task and focused onaccomplishing at least two unit-level goals.

“We want to return home better Soldiersthan when we came out here,” Garcia said.“And, of course, after we complete our missions,we want to make sure all Soldiers return homesafe.”

In many ways, they’ve already accom-plished the first goal. As for returning homesafe, all the 812th has to do is keep doingwhat they are doing, for the February incidentrevealed that the Reservists are staying alert,and as the old saying goes: those who “stayalert, stay alive.”

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Staff Sgt. Chris Ruth (left), a resident of Albuquerque, N.M., and a combat logistics patrol commander with the 812th QM, helps 2nd Lt. LeeBlumenfeld, a platoon leader with the 58th Quartermaster Company, train with the M203 grenade launcher. In the background, a Reservistfires the MK 19 .40 millimeter grenade launcher.

coalition forces on the way to take charge ofthe incident since they were in the Italiansector.

“I was so proud of the Soldiers,” said StaffSgt. Richard Clayton, the 812th’s trainingNCO who was in charge of the rangeexercise. “We had Soldiers from four differentunits from the 406th [Combat SupportBattalion] in the convoy, none of us had everworked together before, but it worked perfect.You could not have trained the Soldiers toreact that well. It was one of those days youare really proud to be a leader.”

It turned out that the civilians weredigging out more than 100 munitions,including rocket propelled grenades,mortars, and artillery rounds. A citation foran Army Commendation Medal presentedto Clayton and his troops noted that their“discovery, detention, and capture of anti-Iraqi forces who were in the process ofremoving a cache . . . for subsequent use asimprovised explosive devices . . . wereinstrumental in reducing the enemy’scapabilities to attack Coalition personnel.”

The incident added a gold star to the


By Sgt. Mitch ArmbrusterStaff Writer

FOWARD OPERATING BASEENDURANCE, Iraq - Soldiers with the664th Ordnance Company from FortHood, Texas, supply units on ForwardOperating Base Endurance and in north-ern Iraq with ammunition.

A small detachment deployed to Iraqwhile the rest of their company went toAfghanistan to support Operation Endur-ing Freedom.

The mission has been a challenge forthe experienced members of the 664thexplained Sgt. Dylan Shaw, one of a fewSoldiers in the detachment with multipledeployments.

“About 75 percent of the Soldiers wehave are out of AIT [Advanced IndividualTraining],” Shaw said.

Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Lupo,accountability officer for the detachment,explained why their mission in Iraq wasso important.

“Our Soldiers are loving this becausewe are doing our jobs,” said Lupo. At FortHood, civilians do the job his Soldiers aregetting experience with in Iraq. The unitspent time in Korea where civilians alsoperform ammunition handling.

“I like the mission and I think theSoldiers do too,” Lupo said. “We arerelearning on the fly. We are training anddoing our wartime mission combined.”

The Soldiers’ enthusiasm, in part,comes from the knowledge they arelearning, but it is also related to the workthey do. Lupo described the morale of hisSoldiers as being higher now because they

Ammo handlerAmmo handlerAmmo handlerAmmo handlerAmmo handlers ks ks ks ks keepeepeepeepeeprounds downrangerounds downrangerounds downrangerounds downrangerounds downrange

like being busy. Before, they felt they weren’tdoing what they were trained to do.

When the detachment arrived at FOBEndurance, they set up their work area inthe most productive way possible, Shawstated. The 664th was moving big gunammunition [large caliber], as they call it, byhand and in some cases, it was takingSoldiers eight hours to finish. They acquireda forklift for their unit which has shortenedthe work time and made the unit moreefficient.

“Now we have a little more freedom,” saidSpc. James Agee, a mechanic with the 664th.“It lets us get our job done, and do it safely.”

Agee said the extra work the detachmentput into revamping the work environmentallows the mechanics a chance to keepvehicles working properly.

“At first there were hurdles, but lately ithas been smooth,” Shaw said.

The detachment has streamlined thesystem they were given. They pull their ownforce protection, do their own maintenanceand communicate with their customers toserve them better.

“We have a big impact,” said Sgt. Kim-berly Watson, a Sergeant of the Guard withthe 664th. “Every job in the Army needs eachother, but you can’t fight a war withoutammunition.”

The detachment has issued more than625,000 pounds of ammunition whileworking in Iraq and know they will issuemore as their time goes on.

“They are doing an excellent job,” Luposaid. “I’m very proud of my Soldiers. I had togo on emergency leave and these Soldiersstepped up and accomplished the missionwhile I was gone.”

Pfc. Rodolfo Cerrillo, an ammunition specialist with the 664th Ordnance Company, uses anair compressor to clean out a filter during maintenance.

Photo by Sgt. Mitch Armbruster

By Sgt. Judith DaCosta3rd COSCOM PAO

Eleven contestants participatedin “Balad Idol,” an Air Forcesponsored 332d ExpeditionaryServices Squadron event (similarto the Army’s Morale, Welfare andRecreation events) modeled afterthe popular television show“American Idol.”

The event showcased thecontestants singing and show-manship talents while entertain-ing troops at Logistical SupportArea Anaconda throughoutMarch.

“The competition lasted fourweeks,” said Senior Master Sgt.Vatema Ivy, the superintendent ofservices for the 332d ESVS. Shesaid the performances werescheduled for Thursdays anddrew crowds of about 175 peopleper night.

“We started with 11 contes-tants,” said Vatema. “We decidednot to boot anyone – because weare all here to have fun. Instead

we devised a voting system to deter-mine who the winner would be.”

The 332d ESVS numbered anddecorated 11 cardboard boxes andlined them up on the stage in frontof each performer at the end ofeach performance night. Theaudience then voted for theirfavorite performer by pushingmoney through a coin-sized sloton top of each box.

“We had people vote with theirdollars,” said Vatema. “Then, atthe end of the third week wecounted the money and whoeverhad the most money, won.”

The 332d ESVS used the moneygathered from each performance toreward the winners of the compe-tition.

“We had enough money topurchase a digital camera,” saidVatema.

“The grand prize was thedigital camera with a 256-mega-byte card. Second and third placewinners received a $100 dollarArmy and Air Force Exchange

See Balad Idol on pg. 11

SerSerSerSerServicemembervicemembervicemembervicemembervicememberssssscompete forcompete forcompete forcompete forcompete for

‘Balad Idol’ title‘Balad Idol’ title‘Balad Idol’ title‘Balad Idol’ title‘Balad Idol’ title

Photo by Sgt. Judith DaCosta

Senior airmen Saiking Jackson, with the 332d Expeditionary Communication Squadronand the second place winner in the competition, sings an original song about the difficul-ties of love during the final Balad Idol performance. The Balad Idol competition was anAir Force sponsored 332d Expeditionary Services Squadron event modeled after thepopular television show “American Idol.”


By Sgt. Marshall ThompsonStaff Writer

The joint military postal operations at Logistical SupportArea Anaconda recently moved to a consolidated locationto improve customer service.

Construction on the new facility finished in the first week ofMarch and the Joint Military Mail Terminal moved in the sameweek. The groups in the new building consist of Kellogg, Brownand Root workers, a military regional post office that deliversmail to LSA Anaconda, and will eventually include the AirForce postal operations as well.

“Just the fact that we’re under the same roof improvesdelivery,” said Maj. Scott Mewborne, JMMT OIC from the1st Personnel Command.

Before, KBR would pick up the mail from the airport,

New joint mail terminal opensNew joint mail terminal opensNew joint mail terminal opensNew joint mail terminal opensNew joint mail terminal opensThe new Joint Military Mail Terminal at Logistical Support Area Anaconda consolidates the previous mail system into onecentral location to help make the delivery of mail easier..

transport it to a hangar and sort it by zip code. Mail that comesinto LSA Anaconda goes to different bases all over northernIraq. The KBR employees would take the mail that stays on LSAAnaconda and transport it to a regional post office. From there,Army and Air Force mail handlers would sort the mail by unitand have mail call so the units could pick up their mail.

Under the new system, KBR picks up the mail from theairfield and delivers it to one building where Soldiers andairmen can do all the sorting.

“They were handling the mail three to four times,”Mewborne said. “It’s more efficient now, it’s only handledtwice.”

Soldiers in the regional post office said that the movewas helpful for them as well.

“It’s a nice building,” said Sgt. Robert Kitson, a postalsergeant with 2-755th Adjutant General Company (Postal).“It’s a lot better then the tent we were in.”

Switching to the building just before summertime is anadded bonus for the postal workers.

“I’m glad we’re in here with the air conditioning,” saidSpc. James Evans, a redirection specialist from 2-755th. Headded that he might drive a mail truck when he returnshome. He said he’s received good training in the Army andhe knows it’s something he’d like to do.

Kitson said the move went smoothly. The unit transferred allthe equipment after mail call hours and the next day mail callwas in the new location. The building is also easier for the unitswho go to mail call there. A cement parking lot is an improve-ment over the gravel parking lot at the old site. Plus, the spa-cious warehouse makes it easier for the regional postal unit toorganize the daily mail call.

“One of the advantages of being here is the size of the facilityallows us to streamline our process and procedures and havebetter customer service,” said Capt. Debbie Ubamadu, the postaloperations OIC for LSA Anaconda from the 2-755th.

The Soldiers of the regional post office said they felt they aredoing an important job and hope that the new facility will helpthem to better serve their fellow servicemembers at LSA Ana-conda.

“It makes us look more professional, instead of working outof a tent,” Evans said. “Getting the mail is very important andthe mail never stops.”

Sgt. Robert Kitson, a postal sergeant with the 2-755th Adju-tant General Company (Postal) helps deliver the mail duringmail call at the new facility.

Photos by Sgt. Marshall Thompson

Balad IdolContinued from pg. 10

Service gift certificate.”Servicemembers and civilians came to the

event each week and on the final night ofperformances the audience was treated withsandwiches.

“We made arrangements to have Subwaydeliver 65, foot-long sandwiches,” saidZandra Yvette Joiner, an MWR coordinatorthat helped to organize the event.

The final show lasted more than two hoursand included performances from many tal-ented servicemembers such as Capt. ManuelWong, the 3rd Corps Support Command G-5operations officer, who imitated the signaturestance and musical stylings of Elvis in hisrendition of “Viva Las Vegas.”

Senior Airman Grant Kinkaid, with the332d Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron,also a crowd favorite whose piercing andwhiny rendition of Britney Spears’ “Oops IDid it Again,” left a four-man panel of judgesnearly speechless and a crowd of cheeringservicemembers.

“I admire your fire,” said one of the judges.“You can’t sing … but you have my vote.”

Senior Airman Saiking Jackson, with the332d Expeditionary Communication Squadronand the second place winner in the competi-tion, sang an original song about the difficul-ties of love at the final performance.

His even vibrato and smooth deliveryimpressed many in the room, especiallyYahana Hanson, a contractor, who Jacksonseemed to single out when he held her handand dropped to one knee in front of her duringthe song.

However, Jackson and Hanson were onlyco-workers, said Hanson who hugged Jacksonimmediately after the song was completed.

At the end of four weeks of performances, itwas the singer of “Sweet Home Alabama” thatwalked away with a digital camera and thetitle: ‘Balad Idol.’

“I feel like I did my best tonight,” saidgrand prize winner Spc. Travis Fiest, an 864thReplacement Company Soldier. “I had fun androcked the crowd,” he said.

Fiest also said he thought the camera was agreat prize because he didn’t have one and itwould give him the opportunity to documenthis tour in Iraq.

Many servicemembers didn’t get to see“American Idol” back home, added Fiest. “Itwas a good thing to have something thatreminds us of home like that here in Iraq,” hesaid.

To close the month-long series of perfor-mances, Air Force Gen. Frank Gorenc thankedthe 332d ESVS for “a neat program that wasreally fun.”

Despite the success of the event, 332d ESVSdoes not have plans to conduct another BaladIdol during this rotation, said Vatema.

However, they have other events plannedthroughout the upcoming months to boostservicemember morale such as a Gong Showon Apr. 13, she added.


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April 161944 U.S. begins planning “Operation Olym-pic,” the invasion of Japan1945 U.S. troops enter Nuremberg, Germanyduring World War II1946 U.S. launched captured V-2 rocket, WhiteSands, N.M.1947 Congress concedes Navy nurses fullcommissioned status1965 Test flight of heavy Saturn S-1C-rocket

April 171775 Paul Revere and William Dawes warn“the British are coming!”1861 Confederacy authorizes privateers1864 Grant suspends prisoner-of-war ex-changes1961 Bay of Pigs: 1,400 Cuban exiles land inan attempt to overthrow Castro1975 Khmer Rouge capture Phnom Penh,Cambodia

April 181942 Doolittle Raid: 16 B-26s off CV Hornetstrike Tokyo and other targets1942 World War II edition of Stars & Stripesbegins in England1946 The League of Nations is officiallydissolved1983 Suicide bomber attacks the U.S. Embassyin Beirut, 63 die1775 “The Shot Heard Round the World”1919 Leslie Irvin of U.S. makes first parachutejump and free fall

April 191941 Marines begin construction of an airfieldon Wake Island1943 Submarine Scorpion lays mines inJapanese waters1945 U.S. offensive opens against the ShuriLine on Okinawa

THIS WEEK IN MILITARY HISTORY

Information provided by strategypage.com

LSA Anaconda Fitness CenterLSA Anaconda Fitness CenterLSA Anaconda Fitness CenterLSA Anaconda Fitness CenterLSA Anaconda Fitness Center

MWR and Fitness Center schedules aresubject to change. Please check the

monthly calendars published by the indi-vidual institutions for more details.

East MWREast MWREast MWREast MWREast MWR ScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleBoxing: The LSA Anaconda Fitness Center offers

boxing on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 7 p.m.Aerobics: There will be an aerobics class Monday,

Wednesday and Friday at 5:15 p.m.Submission Grappling: Submission Grappling on

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30p.m.

Tae Bo: The LSA Anaconda Fitness Center offers TaeBo classes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 5:30 a.m.

Hatha Yoga: The LSA Anaconda Fitness Center offersHatha Yoga classes on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. andWednesday at 6 p.m.

Open Court Volleyball: The LSA Anaconda FitnessCenter runs Open Court Volleyball Games on Saturdayand Sunday evening. Check the monthly calendar forexact times!

Karaoke Night: Every Tuesday at 8 p.m.Table Tennis Tournament: A Table tennis tourna-

ment will be every Sunday at 3 and 8 p.m.8-Ball Tournament: An 8-ball tournament will be held

every Monday at 3 and 8 p.m.

DCS BriefingsBriefings are held Monday, Wednes-

day and Friday at 8 a.m. at MWREast Recreation Complex Movie

Room.For information call Sgt. Wilson at 829-1815/1817.

West MWR ScheduleWest MWR ScheduleWest MWR ScheduleWest MWR ScheduleWest MWR Schedule8-Ball Tournament: An 8-ball tournament will be held

every Tuesday at 1 and 8 p.m.Darts Tournament: A darts tournament will be held

Sundays at 8 p.m.

1861 Robert E. Lee resigns from U.S. Army1915 U.S. Navy issues its first contract forlighter-than-air craft.1973 Last U.S. troops leave Vietnam, nineyears after the Tonkin Gulf Resolution

April 201941 German bombers raid Athens1942 British forces in Burma begin a generalwithdrawal1942 Heavy Axis air raids on Malta1942 USS Wasp launches 47 British aircraft toreinforce Malta1945 U.S. Seventh Army captures Nuremberg,site of Nazi Party rallies1898 U.S. Declares War on Spain

April 211898 President McKinley orders blockade ofCuba1961 U.S. Air Force Maj. Robert White takes X-15 to 32,000 m1967 Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva,seeks asylum in the U.S.1975 Nguyen Van Thieu resigns as presidentof South Vietnam

April 221861 Texas forces capture U.S. Army base atSan Antonio1945 Concentration camp at Sachsenhausenliberated1952 An atomic explosion is broadcast live ontelevision for the first time1954 Senate Army-McCarthy hearings aretelevised for the first time

April 231945 Balikpapan, Borneo: First U.S. guidedmissile use televised for the first time1980 Soviet sub catches fire off Japan, 9 die

LSA Anaconda Soldiers’Legal CenterDSN 829-1947

Dedicated to providing a variety ofservices including:

Powers of Attorney and NotariesCitizenship Application Preparation and Immi-

gration IssuesDivorce and Family Law Issues

GuardianshipsTax Services

Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act IssuesFLIPL and Reprimand Rebuttals

Personnel Claims and Wills

APRIL 16, 2006 PAGE 13ANACONDA TIMES

RRRRReligious Sceligious Sceligious Sceligious Sceligious ScheduleheduleheduleheduleheduleMovie Schedule

SustainerSustainerSustainerSustainerSustainerRRRRReel Timeeel Timeeel Timeeel Timeeel Time

TheaterTheaterTheaterTheaterTheater(schedule is subject to change)

April 162 p.m. Annapolis5 p.m. Aeon Flux8 p.m. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

April 172 p.m. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown5 p.m. Annapolis8 p.m. Nanny Mcphee

April 182 p.m. Aeon Flux5 p.m. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown8 p.m Underworld: Evolution

April 192 p.m. Nanny Mcphee5 p.m. Aeon Flux8 p.m Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

April 202 p.m. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown5 p.m. Nanny Mcphee8 p.m Annapolis

April 212 p.m. Something New5 p.m. Final Destination 38:30 p.m Take the Lead

April 2210 a.m. Take the Lead2 p.m. Final Destination 35 p.m. Take the Lead8 p.m. Something New

April 232 p.m. Annapolis5 p.m. Final Destination 38 p.m. Take the Lead

Movie Synopsis for April 16-April 23Ice Age 2: The MeltdownPG, 98 min

Diego, Manny and Sid return in this sequel to the hitIce Age. This time around the Ice Age is over and isstarting to melt, which will destroy their valley. Sothey must unite and warn everyone about the situa-tion.

Take the LeadPG-13, 108 minAntonio Banderas, Alfre Woodard

A former professional dancer volunteers to teachdance in the New York public school system. Whilehis background first clashes with his students’ tastes,together they create a completely new style of dance.Based on the story of ballroom dancer Pierre Dulane.

Final Destination 3R, 82 minMary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman

When a high school student fails to stop the fatedroller coaster ride that she predicted would cause thedeaths of several of her friends, she teams with aschoolmate, in a race against time to prevent the GrimReaper from revisiting the survivors of the firsttragedy.

Something NewR, 106 minSanaa Lathun, Simon Baker, Mike Epps

While 42.4 percent of African- Americans have neverbeen married, Kenya, a professional African-Ameri-

can woman is determined to do something about it.She is shocked to discover, however, that she’s fall-ing in love with a white landscaper.

AnnapolisPG-13, 108 minJames Franco, Jordana Brewster

A young man from the wrong side of the tracks hashis dream come true when he is accepted to the NavalAcademy. But once there he is not sure he measuresup against the best and the brightest.

Aeon FluxPG-13, 99 minCharlize Theron, Frances McDormand

In the 25th century, a rampaging virus has forced theremnants of humanity into the seclusion of a final city.There is great political conflict within, however, andthis is the story of an acrobatic assassin, Aeon Flux,whose latest target is the government’s top leader.

Nanny McpheePG, 98 minEmma Thompson, Colin Firth

A new nanny enters the household of the recentlywidowed Mr. Brown and attempts to tame his sevenexceedingly ill-behaved children. The children, ledby the oldest boy Simon, have managed to driveaway 17 previous nannies and are certain that theywill have no trouble with this one. But as NannyMcPhee takes control, they begin to notice that theirvile behavior now leads swiftly and magically torather startling consequences.

Religious schedule subject to change

Roman Catholic MassSaturday 5 p.m. Tuskegee ChapelSaturday 8 p.m. Provider ChapelSunday 8:30 a.m. Freedom ChapelSunday 9 a.m. Tuskegee ChapelSunday 11 a.m. Provider ChapelMon.-Fri. 7 p.m. Tuskegee ChapelTue.-Fri. 12 p.m. Freedom Chapel(sacrament of reconciliation30 minutes prior to each Mass)

Church of ChristSunday 2 p.m. Tuskegee Chapel

Islamic PrayerFriday 12:30 p.m. Provider Chapel

Spanish-speaking Non-denominationalSunday 2 p.m. Freedom Chapel

Non-denominationalFriday 7 p.m. Signal ChapelSunday 9 a.m. Signal Chapel

Jewish PrayerFriday 6:30 p.m. Provider Chapel Annex

Protestant-GospelSunday 11 a.m. Sustainer Indoor TheaterSunday 11:30 a.m. Freedom ChapelSunday 7 p.m. Provider Chapel

Protestant Praise and WorshipSunday 9 a.m. East MWRSunday 11 a.m. Eden Chapel (Bldg. 4148)Sunday 7 p.m. Freedom ChapelWednesday 7 p.m. Freedom Chapel

Protestant-ContemporarySunday 10 a.m. Complere ChapelSunday 11 a.m. Town Hall

Protestant-TraditionalSunday 7:30 a.m. Air Force Hospital ChapelSunday 9:30 a.m. Provider ChapelSunday 10 a.m. Freedom ChapelSunday 5 p.m. Tuskegee Chapel

Latter-day SaintsSunday 1 p.m. Provider ChapelSunday 4 p.m. Freedom ChapelSunday 7 p.m. Tuskegee Chapel


Engineer company improves conditions at FOB EnduranceEngineer company improves conditions at FOB EnduranceEngineer company improves conditions at FOB EnduranceEngineer company improves conditions at FOB EnduranceEngineer company improves conditions at FOB EnduranceBy Sgt. Mitch ArmbrusterStaff Writer

FOWARD OPERATING BASE ENDURANCE, Iraq -Forward Operating Base Endurance is a large post with agrowing population. Housing Iraqi and coalition forces,Endurance has many projects to be done.

Company C, 84th Engineer Battalion built a reputation as ahard working and proud group of Soldiers with the numerousimprovement projects given to them on FOB Endurance.

Capt. Justin Putnam, Co. C commander, explained: hisSoldiers are extremely excited about the work on FOB Endur-ance.

“We are getting more missions, projects and work than I wasexpecting,” Putnam said. “We are four months into it and wehave 30 projects lined up.”

84th Soldiers primarily work on Rapid Pothole Repair (RPR)missions outside the FOB, but a number of secondary missionsallow the Soldiers to improve areas on post.

“We do anything from concrete to woodwork,” saidPutnam.

Putnam’s Soldiers have plenty of projects, which havealleviated the challenge of finding work for his Soldiers.

“Just staying busy, which was my biggest concernwhen we got here, because I know people get discour-aged,” Putnam stated. “I get the mission, it doesn’t matterwhat it is, we’re using our skills.”

It took the 84th some time to show the other members ofFOB Endurance just what they could do. By applyingtheir skills on several projects, they proved they could doconstruction, work with concrete and use heavy equip-ment.

“People didn’t understand what our capabilitieswere,” Putnam said. Soldiers with the 84th displayedtheir capabilities and received high praise for their work.

“Everybody is happy with Q-West,” said 2nd Lt.Kurtis Schaaf, combat logistics patrol commander for theRPR missions with the 84th.

A fuel expansion project, working at the MoraleWelfare and Recreation center and dining facility are afew of the large projects the unit has worked on, but theyare also busy improving their own motor pool conditionsand performing maintenance on vehicles and equipment.

Pfc. Brian Hafner, an engineer with Co. C, 84th Eng. Bn., hammers a stake into the ground at their battalion motor pool.Photos by Sgt. Mitch Armbruster

“Soldiers are getting good training,” said Staff Sgt. JackO’Neal, an NCO with the 84th, working with Soldiers onthe motor pool improvement. “Time goes by fast whenyou’re out having fun.”

Whether they are pushing dirt or working on the roadsoutside of the FOB, the Soldiers with the 84th made apositive impact on Endurance.

“The Soldiers have built their own reputation. They arehard workers and we are here to work, do a good job anddo it right,” Putnam said.

“We have some very skilled operators that would do

well in a civilian environment and we stand to lose thoseguys. We have good operators and workers and we wantto keep them.”

With the skills and training his Soldiers poses; goodcareers await them after serving their time in the Army.Putnam also explained the positive experiences hisSoldiers have now could make a difference in the future.

“What better recruiting tool than to have somebody[veteran] that has been there (Iraq] say, ‘the Army was agood thing, it was good for me and that is how I got whereI am today?”

Spc. Antony Cancel and Spc. Julian Cibrian, engineers withCo. C, 84th Eng. Bn., work on a building in front of the MoraleWelfare and Recreation center on FOB Endurance.

Pfc. Stephan Wilding, a heavy equipmentoperator with Company C 84th EngineerBattalion, refuels his bulldozer while work-ing on a project at Forward OperatingBase Endurance.


‘V‘V‘V‘V‘Volunteerolunteerolunteerolunteerolunteers’ ts’ ts’ ts’ ts’ takakakakake on nee on nee on nee on nee on new mission at TQw mission at TQw mission at TQw mission at TQw mission at TQBy Sgt. Jason MikeworthStaff Writer

CAMP AL TAQQADUM, Iraq - In the Army, onething Soldiers can depend on consistantly is change.

The Soldiers of Battery B, 1-115th Field Artillery of theTennessee National Guard prove daily the adaptabilityof the modern Soldier.

The first major change the battery encountered fortheir deployment to Iraq was to pack up the artillery andjump into semi-trucks as they were transitioned into atransportation company.

The battery first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Darrell Murray,explained that was only the first mission change theunit faced.

“We pull security for convoys now,” Murray said. “Atfirst we were driving PLSs (Palletized Load Systems),and then they rearranged everything and made us thegun trucks.”

Murray said he had no doubts about his Soldierssuccessfully transitioning into a transportation com-pany.

“We’re the ‘Volunteer’ state,” said Murray.Murray said about half of his unit are Soldiers cross-

leveled to fill vacancies left when other Soldiers volun-teered for previous rotations to Iraq.

“We put a request to all of the units in our battalion andbrigade before we mobilized asking for volunteers,” saidMurray. “We had no problem filling slots. We had toomany volunteers.”

Murray said several Soldiers from his battery who werealready Army-trained truck drivers attended a regionaltruck driver trainer’s course, becoming certified instructorsto assist the rest of the battery gain their new militaryoccupational specialty.

“The Army Reserve teaches the class, but they didn’thave enough instructors,” Murray said. “So we augmentedtheir staff. Now those same instructors help with classesover here.”

Murray described the transition as smooth.“We tried to keep as much prior unit cohesion as

possible,” said Murray. “For example, we had one platoonsergeant who volunteered, so we tried to keep the Soldiersthat came from his detachment with him. It helped out alot.”

He said his unit has driven more than 500,000 miles.“Some days are long and hard, but we’re used to

working long hours, being from artillery,” Murray said.“We’ve had to go out on a few emergency recovery mis-sions, but the Soldiers hold together and get the missiondone.”

Spc. David Pendleton, a gunner with the 115th, said theunit puts in a lot of work before missions to ensure theirsuccess.

“We have to make sure the trucks are running 100percent, and that the weapons are ready,” Pendleton said.“We also practice the missions before we go out.” Hethought the transportation mission would be different thanwhat the unit faces now. “We were originally trained todrive M915s (semi-trucks),” said Pendleton. “We first cameover with tractor-trailers, but once we got here they movedus over to gun trucks.”He said the transition from semis togun trucks was a welcome change.

“We were excited,” Pendleton said. “Maybe see a littlemore action.”

Pendleton said he felt the biggest challenge he faces isgetting into the right mindset before a mission.

“Preparing mentally for the missions can be tough,”said Pendleton. “Sleep is the big thing. You have to getplenty of rest so you can be alert and in the right state ofmind when you’re outside of the wire.”

He noted that his favorite part of a mission is test firingweapons before the mission begins.

Soldiers from B Battery, 1-115th Field Artillery at Camp AlTaqqadum check their M2 .50 caliber machine gun beforeproviding gun truck support to a combat logistics patrol inFallujah.

Photo by Sgt. Jason Mikeworth

“Shooting the weapons is great,” Pendleton said. “Weuse .50 caliber machine guns and M249 SAWs (SquadAutomatic Weapon). They’re just awesome weapons.”

While outside of the wire, he said improvised explosivedevices (IEDs) are the greatest concerns.

“We’ve had a little action from small-arms fire, butnothing major,” said Pendleton. “Awareness is the key tofighting IEDs. You’ve got to know what to look for on theroads, be alert.”

Although vigilance helps reduce the number of attacks,it doesn’t prevent them all, as Spc. Robert Hinkey, a truckcommander for the 115th learned.

“We ran over an IED, and some fragments went in myarm and leg,” said Hinkey. “It hurt, but I laughed about itafter it happened.”

Hinkey said the response of his unit increased hisconfidence in them.

“They responded very well. In just a few minutes theywere in the truck, making sure I was OK and calling for aMEDEVAC (Medical Evacuation),” Hinkey said. “Everyonewas working very well together. It was amazing. I didn’tthink they’d respond that quickly.”

He said the worst part of his six-week recovery was notparticipating in missions.

“I was anxious to go back out,” said Hinkey. “I wasstuck on this base everyday watching them go out. It wasdriving me nuts.”

Despite his injuries, Hinkey said he is happy to be inIraq.

“We were all ready to come and serve our country anddo our little part,” Hinkey said. “We’re doing somethinggood to help the Iraqis get their country back. It feels good.”


AROUND 3rd COSCOM

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Martindale, commander, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, enjoys a ride on a cart pulledby a donkey in Balad, Iraq.

DonkDonkDonkDonkDonkeeeeey ridey ridey ridey ridey ride

Photo by Sgt. Zack Mott

Photo by Spc. David Chapman

The Anaconda Times is running a series of then and now pictorials of LogisticalSupport Area Anaconda showcasing certain areas on the base and how they havechanged since troops first entered the area in Operation Iraqi Freedom I.This week’s set of pictures is of the Emergency Response Center.

Courtesy Photo

Emergency Response Center circa 2003.

Emergency Response Center circa 2006.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Monika Comeaux Photo by Sgt. Marshall … · 2006-08-03 · she said....

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