Dempsey: Exit From Iraq is Not Exit From Region

The United States will offer Iraq support

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT, Dec. 14, 2011 - As the last 5,700 U.S. troops leave Iraq to govern itself as a sovereign nation, the best way for the United States to support that country's success is to stay broadly engaged in the region, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

As part of his first USO holiday tour as chairman, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey landed at dawn at Kuwait International Airport, traveling with his senior enlisted advisor, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, their wives, and celebrities arriving to entertain the troops.

"The exit from Iraq is not an exit from the region," Dempsey told reporters just before the USO show at Camp Buehring, one of three remaining staging posts for troops and their equipment in northwestern Kuwait.

"The best way to ensure Iraq has the kind of future we all want for it is to stay engaged broadly," the chairman said, adding that the Strategic Framework Agreement, signed by the United States and Iraq in 2008 to establish long-term bonds of cooperation and friendship, directed that the relationship be built through mutual interests in security as well as trade, education and culture, law enforcement, environment and energy.

Dempsey's thoughts about Iraq and its future arise from years of experience there.

In 1991 he deployed with the 3rd Armored Division in support of Operation Desert Storm, a war waged against Iraq by a U.N.-authorized, U.S.-led coalition force representing 34 nations in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

In June 2003, Dempsey took command of the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad and served there for 14 months. In 2005 he returned to Iraq for two years to train and equip the Iraqi security forces as commanding general of the Multinational Security Transition Command�Iraq.

"Based on the [Iraqi] security forces' ... ability to manage their internal security threats, I think they're on a very stable platform," he said.

"That needs to continue to develop," the chairman added, noting that they have work to do on building some of the architectures that define stability.

"They have and will continue to work on air sovereignty, intelligence architectures, logistics architectures and the training and education component," Dempsey said.

The United States will offer Iraq support through an Office of Security Cooperation, established to help Iraqis acquire and then learn how to use military equipment they buy from the United States.

In Iraq that office will include 157 people assigned to the U.S. embassy and under the authority of the ambassador, and some who might come in on individual contracts for two or three months at a time to help the Iraqis train on U.S. equipment.

Having spent three years in Iraq working to help the leadership establish their own stability and build their own capabilities, Dempsey said the goal always was to help Iraq become a stabilizing influence in the region.

"We always thought they had the potential to do that," he added, with their economic strength, rich cultural history, good education system, agricultural development and water resources.

Dempsey said the intense effort to move troops out of Iraq, prompted by President Barack Obama's Oct. 21 announcement of the 2011 end-of-year deadline, delayed the emotional impact of the reality.

"The truth is I only found myself thinking about that in ... the last 24 hours," he said.

In those moments, he said, "I reflected on the fact that this has been a 20-year journey for me" and others who were part of the conflict with Iraq that began in 1990.

"If you were in the service, notably in the Army, and notably the heavy force of the Army," the chairman said, "Iraq was the defining element of the last 20 years of our careers."

Dempsey said he's proud of what U.S. military forces and others did in 1991 in Iraq and what U.S. forces have done over the past eight years.
"I think we've given Iraq an enormous opportunity," he said.

"We've built relationships with the Iraqi military that will persist well into the future," Dempsey said, "and on that basis they've had the chance to become the responsible stable nation state that they say they want to become."

Biographies:
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey

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Obama Praises U.S. Troops' Efforts as Iraq Winds Down

Obama Praises U.S.Troops' Efforts as Iraq Winds Down

Nearly 4,500 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2011 - When the last U.S. troops in Iraq case their colors and move to Kuwait, they can leave with their heads held high, secure in the knowledge they did what was right for America and peace in the region, President Barack Obama told service members at Fort Bragg, N.C., today.

Obama noted the end of the war in Iraq during his speech to thousands of service members -- many of whom served multiple tours in Iraq since 2003.

The most important lesson from the war in Iraq is about America's national character, Obama said.

"For all of the challenges that our nation faces, you remind us that there's nothing we Americans can't do when we stick together," he said. "For all the disagreements that we face, you remind us there's something bigger than our differences, something that makes us one nation and one people. Regardless of color, regardless of creed, regardless of what part of the country we come from, regardless of what backgrounds we come out of, you remind us we're one nation."

That fact is why the American military is the most respected institution in the country, the president said.

The young men and women at Fort Bragg represent more than 1.5 million Americans who have served in Iraq. More than 30,000 Americans have physical wounds from the conflict with tens of thousands afflicted by unseen wounds like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.

"Nearly 4,500 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice, including 202 fallen heroes from here at Fort Bragg -- 202," Obama said. "So today we pause to say a prayer for all those families who've lost their loved ones, for they are part of our broader American family."

This 9/11 generation has earned its place in history, the president said.

"Because of you, because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met, Iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny," he said. "That's part of what makes us special as Americans. Unlike the old empires, we don't make these sacrifices for territory or for resources; we do it because it's right.

"There can be no fuller expression of America's support for self-determination than our leaving Iraq to its people," he added. "That says something about who we are."

And U.S. service members in Afghanistan are taking on the Taliban and breaking the back of al-Qaida, the president said.

"Because of you, we've begun a transition to ... the Afghans that will allow us to bring our troops home from there," Obama said. "And around the globe, as we draw down in Iraq, we have gone after al-Qaida so that terrorists who threaten America will have no safe haven, and Osama bin Laden will never again walk the face of this Earth."

Soon the last soldiers will leave Iraq, and the achievements of Americans who fought there will belong to history, the president said. He compared them to the men and women who fought for independence from Great Britain and who defeated fascism and communism. He also recalled the Civil War saying this generation, like the one that fought for union, has been "touched by fire."

"All of you here today have lived through the fires of war," Obama said. "You will be remembered for it. You will be honored for it, always. You have done something profound with your lives."

Today's service members enlisted during a time of war knowing that they'd be the ones who went into harm's way, Obama said.

"When times were tough, you kept fighting. When there was no end in sight, you found light in the darkness," the president said. "And years from now, your legacy will endure in the names of your fallen comrades etched on headstones at Arlington, and the quiet memorials across our country, in the whispered words of admiration as you march in parades, and in the freedom of our children and our grandchildren."

And they will remember that they were touched by fire, and can be proud they answered the call, the president said.

"You served a cause greater than yourselves, you helped forge a just and lasting peace with Iraq and among all nations," he said. "I could not be prouder of you, and America could not be prouder of you."

Obama: U.S., Iraq Forge New Relationship

we are building a comprehensive partnership

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2011 - With the last U.S. troops leaving Iraq, a new relationship between Iraq and the United States will stand front and center, President Barack Obama said at the White House today.

Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki spoke at a news conference as the last 5,500 U.S. troops in Iraq prepare to leave. When Obama took office there were 150,000 American forces in the country.

"This is a season of homecomings, and military families across America are being reunited for the holidays," Obama said. "In the coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq, with honor and with their heads held high."

The president and the prime minister discussed the continuing U.S.-Iraqi relationship, and plans to "normalize" relations between the two countries. Obama called for "an equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect."

Iraq has made tremendous progress since the coalition toppled Saddam Hussein from power in 2003. There have been free and fair elections, Iraq's economy is growing faster even than that of China, and Iraqi security forces "have been in the lead for the better part of three years, patrolling the streets, dismantling militias, conducting counterterrorism operations," Obama said.

"Today, despite continued attacks by those who seek to derail Iraq's progress, violence remains at record lows," Obama said. "And Mr. Prime Minister, that's a tribute to your leadership, and to the skill and the sacrifices of Iraqi forces."

As the war ends, Iraq will not stand alone, the president said.

"Today, the prime minister and I are reaffirming our common vision of a long-term partnership between our nations that is in keeping with our Strategic Framework Agreement, and it will be like the close relationships we have with other sovereign nations," Obama said. "Simply put, we are building a comprehensive partnership."

Obama and Maliki discussed how the United States could help Iraq train and equip its forces the same way America helps other nations around the world. "Given the challenges we face in a rapidly changing region, we also agreed to establish a new, formal channel of communication between our national security advisors," the president said.

The U.S.-Iraq relationship, he said, will boost regional security.

"Just as Iraq has pledged not to interfere in other nations, other nations must not interfere in Iraq," Obama said. "Iraq's sovereignty must be respected."

The drawdown in Iraq has allowed America to refocus resources and achieve progress in Afghanistan, put al-Qaida on the path to defeat and to better prepare for the full range of challenges that lie ahead, the president said.

Maliki thanked Obama for America's commitment to his country.

"Anyone who observes the nature of the relationship between the two countries will say that the relationship will not end with the departure of the last American soldier," Maliki said through a translator.

The United States and Iraq worked together to defeat terrorism and al-Qaida in Iraq, the prime minister said. Now the two countries can work together in peace to put in place the Strategic Framework Agreement "in the economic sphere, as well as in educational and commercial and cultural and judicial and security cooperation fields," Maliki said.

Iraq still needs U.S. help to bulk up its security forces -- especially in areas of training and equipping. Iraq has ordered 18 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and plans to order another 18.

Obama saluted the sacrifices of U.S. and Iraqi service members, noting the two countries will continue to work together toward a promising new future.

"A war is ending, a new day is upon us," the president said. "And let us never forget those who gave us this chance, the untold number of Iraqis who have given their lives, more than 1 million Americans -- military and civilian -- who have served in Iraq, nearly 4,500 fallen Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion, tens of thousands of wounded warriors and so many inspiring military families.

"They are the reason we stand here today," Obama continued. "And we owe it to every single one of them -- we have a moral obligation to all of them to build a future worthy of their sacrifices."

After the news conference, Obama and Maliki travelled to Arlington National Ceremony, Va., to pay respects to the fallen. Maliki placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Related Articles: U.S. Forces Have Met All Obligations in Iraq, General Says

Twin Dentists' Paths Lead to Iraq

By Army Maj. Jason Billington  3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment BABIL, Iraq, May 25, 2011 - Suffering from a toothache in southern Iraq may land you in the chair of either of two brothers with an interesting story of adversity, perseverance, and the unique bond of identical twins. Army Capts. (Drs.) Aleksandr Baron and Dmitry Baron stand together outside of the dental clinic at Contingency Operating Site Kalsu, Iraq, May 6, 2011. The twin brothers are augmenting 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in southern Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Maksim Shchekoturov  Army Capts. (Drs.) Aleksandr and Dmitry Baron both serve in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment as dentists on separate bases in southern Iraq. Both are augmenting the unit from their home base of Fort Stewart, Ga. Aleksandr deployed to Contingency Operating Site Kalsu at the end of October to work with the Regimental Support Squadron, and Dmitry joined the regiment's 3rd Squadron at Contingency Operating Site Echo in April. Both men volunteered for the deployments, but Dmitry's recent arrival to the same unit in Iraq was mere coincidence, the kind of common occurrence that has kept these twins together for most of their lives. The tight bond between them was forged when their parents, Vitaly and Emma Baron of Aberdeen, N.J., decided to take them from Russia to America when they were 6 years old. "He just wanted a better life for his children," Aleksandr said, explaining why his father moved them from what is now the Ukraine to Brooklyn, N.Y. "We did everything together. We got in trouble together. We'd be in the corner together. With a twin, that can be a lot of fun," Dmitry said. The two recalled their assimilation to American culture as difficult, between learning a new language and being foreign kids in their New York neighborhood. "Being in a country that is as far as the United States is from Russia, to have him next to me was the best thing God could give me," Aleksandr said. "He was a best friend. Trying to get cultured to America is hard. With him by my side, we were partners all the way." They were not welcomed by their school-age peers, and both brothers recalled being in numerous fights during that time. This kind of adversity, they said, brought them closer together. "That's probably why we're so close and much closer than a lot of twins. We've been through a lot," Aleksandr said. Both attended Rutgers University for their undergraduate degrees and pursued their dental degrees at New York University College of Dentistry through the Health Professions Scholarship Program, offered by the Defense Department to medical and dental school students in exchange for a military service obligation. "We had a ..." "... just a drive for it," said the two, with Aleksandr finishing Dmitry's sentence in a way that seemed to be part of their normal communication pattern. Even when Dmitry decided to take a separate path and become a pilot in the Air Force, he jokingly described how he took the test and "never heard back." In their roles as combat dentists in Iraq, the two respond to dental emergencies, fill cavities and even perform cleanings to ensure soldiers remain healthy and mission-ready. Both men recounted how their jobs seemed to spill into other, more unexpected roles, as soldiers have come in with greater needs than their dental instruments can resolve. "I have people come in here to see me just because they want to talk," Aleksandr said. "They sit in the chair, they talk to me about their divorce, about family issues back home, about finance problems. I want this place to be a place for people to get away and just feel comfortable." "People are appreciative of us," Dmitry said, describing the fulfillment of his job as a dentist in this unique environment. "We're like combat stress [relievers]. We're leaders. It's a pretty big balance." Aleksandr has performed yet another role as a triage doctor, making decisions on priority of care based upon the severity of soldiers' combat wounds. "I never thought I would do something like that," he said. "I thought, 'You send me to a deployed environment, I'll take care of soldiers, I'll comfort them, listen to them, care for their teeth,' but I did not think I would be doing triage." A recent visit by Dmitry to see his brother at Kalsu brought the twin dentists together, thousands of miles from their Georgia homes. Their nearly identical appearance turned several heads as they walked side by side on the base. For the brothers, it was a chance to catch up and be together again. "He's here. It's unbelievable," Aleksandr said. "I'm praying to God that he just keeps following me."

Related Sites: U.S. Forces Iraq

Airman Delivers Money, Goodwill

By Air Force Staff Sgt. R. Michael Longoria 
9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force Iraq
MOSUL, Iraq, May 6, 2011 - What is typically a three-hour trip turned into an 11-hour journey for an airman and his teammates when their mine-resistant, armor-protected vehicle broke down in the middle of an Iraqi village.

Air Force Senior Airman Jon-Nicos Walker, a military pay technician, helps a customer fill out financial paperwork at Contingency Operating Site Marez near Mosul, Iraq, April 12, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Andrew Lee

Air Force Senior Airman Jon-Nicos Walker, a military pay technician experiencing his first deployment to Iraq, and his fellow service members transited to the next available MRAP to continue their mission.
Despite the vehicle breakdown, Walker said he's glad his job enables him to travel around Iraq.
"This is my first time overseas and I'm glad to be serving in the role that I am," said Walker, who is assigned to the Air Force Financial Management Detachment 2 at Contingency Operating Site Marez near here. "Most people in my career field, when deployed, are usually stuck in an office all day, while I get to travel on a weekly basis."
Walker's detachment is responsible for 17 locations across northern Iraq. His job is different compared to that of most Air Force pay technicians, he said, because his unit works with the Army and offers all the services of a stateside military finance office.
"From our location here, we travel out to other checkpoints and offer the same services to the soldiers there," Walker explained. "Some places we visit weekly, while others only twice a month. I've been able to travel all over Iraq, via helicopter and ground convoy, to provide support to soldiers out in austere locations."
To date, Walker said he has helped more than 11,000 service members with various pay-related issues, including more than 850 military pay transactions. His detachment, he added, also is a test base for removing U.S. currency from the Iraqi economy. Instead of disbursing U.S. dollars, he said, the pay technicians are giving service members Iraqi money.
"The reason behind [disbursing dinars] is because using the U.S. dollar here isn't giving the Iraqi economy a chance to grow," Walker explained. "This gives [Iraqis] a chance to build up what they have, as opposed to counting on us and our dollar."
While the traveling is fun, Walker said, the interactions with his follow service members are the most rewarding.
"When we go out to those locations, we get a lot more appreciation from the soldiers," he said. "They just enjoy us being there. Even if they don't need anything, they still thank us for coming out. It's an uplifting experience."
Walker said he travels to locations where soldiers don't have base exchanges or post offices.
"They are outside working all day," he said. "So, it's good that we are here so they can bring their stuff directly to us. We are right here so they can come and talk to us if there are any [pay] issues."
Since he is on a joint expeditionary tasking, Walker said he realizes that he is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I'm actually rolling outside the wire," Walker said. "I've talked to the senior NCOs back at Grand Forks [Air Force Base, N.D.], and they've never had the chance to do some of the things I'm getting to do here."

The photographer, Stacy Pearsall is a 'Real Warrior'

By Elaine Sanchez 

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON: Black-and-white photos of Vietnam-era veterans line the wall at a Veterans Affairs center. Some are smiling and others are gazing at a distant point, but in all, an unseen light catches the emotion in their eyes.

Then-Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall, a combat photographer, serves a tour of duty in Iraq. Courtesy photo

The photographer, Stacy Pearsall, a veteran of the more recent wars, strove to capture the character and the experience etched in their faces while listening to their recollections of war.

"Their stories are amazing," she said.

This line of photos on a wall in a VA center in Charleston, S.C., serves not only as Pearsall's veteran tribute, but also a milestone in her recovery from physical and emotional wounds of war.

Just a few months earlier, Pearsall had nearly given up hope of working as a photographer again or of taking photos that didn't serve as a haunting reminder of a painful past.

Pearsall's photography career took off while she was in the Air Force. As a combat photographer, she took thousands of pictures over the course of her Air Force career, earning her accolades and awards from leaders at all levels of her chain of command.

She traveled extensively for her job, so she felt prepared when she was tasked to deploy to Baghdad in September 2003.

As part of her duties, Pearsall documented a school rebuilding process, and when the school marked its opening with a ceremony in February 2004, she attended. After the ceremony, as the unit prepared to head out, the Humvee she was riding in was making a tight turn on a dead-end street when a roadside bomb detonated.

Pearsall was sitting behind the driver's seat. The impact threw her forward, and her head hit the back of the seat. But more concerned about her ears, which were bleeding from the concussive sound, she didn't feel the neck pain until hours later. She was seen by a doctor who chalked it up to whiplash, and she was back out on a mission the next day.

Months later, the headaches and vertigo lingered, as did the severe neck pain. But concerned about her Air Force career, Pearsall didn't seek treatment. Her deployment ended in March, and she became a student at Syracuse University for a year to hone her photography skills.

She had become accustomed to hiding her pain and the emotional after-effects of combat from others, but was unable to keep them from a friend -- a fellow photographer and Vietnam veteran -- who recognized the signs of post-traumatic stress. He connected her with a Vet Center, where she began counseling.

"It definitely helped me work through a lot of emotions and stress," she said. "I knew whatever I said to [my therapist] wouldn't go back to my active-duty command. There was no threat of losing my career."

After school, Pearsall went on back-to-back deployments, first to Africa, then to Lebanon and finally, back to Iraq. The difference between her first and second Iraq deployments was like night and day, she said. In 2003, she never fired her weapon, but in 2007, she fired it constantly.

Her unit experienced heavy casualties in Diyala province. Pearsall saw bodies of Iraqis who had been executed and mutilated, and comrades shot just a few feet away, which she later had to photograph. People getting wounded or killed was a daily occurrence, she said.

A series of back-to-back events took their toll. Pearsall lost three teammates, and a day later, her video partner was wounded and evacuated. Another friend had been shot in the head right in front of her. "Nothing prepares you for the death of your friends," she said.

Her photos from that time are haunting.

In one photo, three soldiers are gathered in a dimly lit room, faces downward as if in reflection, a single light shining through a window. Two days before, their teammate had been shot in the head just 10 feet away from where they were standing. In another photo, two soldiers are comforting each other, one close to tears, after the loss of a friend the day before.

"I'm eternally tied to the photographs that I made and those soldiers who were in those photographs," she said.

The photographer said she had to keep her emotions in check, for her teammates and for the troops who served under her. "I think I handled things pretty well by just not addressing the emotions at the time," she said.

Pearsall was injured again -- further damaging her neck -- when a roadside bomb detonated during a mission. A few months later, her unit was ambushed. She was running out to help a wounded soldier in the street when a cord attached to her helmet snapped her back. Her head slammed on a Stryker vehicle, again injuring her neck.

The next morning, she felt neck pain unlike anything she had felt before, and she knew it was time to get help. The doctors did an X-ray and she was on a helicopter that day. Her neck injury had grown so severe, the doctors told her, that if she had jolted her head one more time, it would have severed her spinal cord.

Pearsall's greatest fear -- losing her career -- was now at hand, she said. And her husband, a strong source of support, was deployed at the time. "It was a really ugly time in my life," she said.

The years of wearing 85 pounds of gear had wreaked havoc on her neck. The doctors told her she wouldn't be able to work as a photographer or pursue another passion, riding horses, again.

But Dr. Patrick Lovegrove, an Air Force flight surgeon at the time, offered her hope through prolotherapy treatment -- which involves insertion of a 4-inch needle down to the bone -- that lasted for more than two years. Pearsall was able to get off of the pain killers and finally on the road to physical recovery.

Invested in her recovery, her doctor separated from the Air Force, but continued to donate his services to her until the therapy ended in 2009 and she switched over to the VA system.

"I'll always owe him a debt of gratitude," she said. The therapy enabled her to ride horses and take photos again, but she knew she'd always have some degree of pain from her degenerative condition.

"It was either adapt to life or shrivel up and die," she said. Pearsall chose to adapt.

But the loss of her Air Force career affected her, as did the emotional wounds of war that she had pushed aside to focus on her physical recovery. She started seeing a mental health therapist about a year after her deployment.

"The military told me I couldn't be a photographer for them anymore," she said. "Mentally, that put me on a roller coaster. What am I good for?"

Pearsall found an answer at the VA medical center in Charleston. While she sat for hours in waiting rooms, she began to notice the men and women around her. Most of the veterans there were from the Vietnam era, and she reached out to hear their stories. She felt inspired to bring her camera and take their portraits, leading to the project that now fills a wall there.

"Just because I was disabled, didn't make me unable," she said. "Once I wrapped my own mind around that, I could do more."

Pearsall plans to keep up her veteran portrait work at VA hospitals in Georgia and North Carolina, then here, and to Maryland and Virginia as well. In another effort aimed at helping veterans, Pearsall provides horse therapy to veterans through a nonprofit group.

Most recently, Pearsall offered to have her story documented for the Defense Department's "Real Warriors" campaign in hopes of encouraging other veterans and servicemembers to seek help. The campaign in sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, and it features stories of service members who sought psychological treatment and continued successful military or civilian careers. Her profile is now posted on the Real Warriors website, http://realwarriors.net/.

"My hope is that if they watch my story, they'll find a way to offload their burden," she said. "Everyone wears a different amount, but it's not necessary to carry it around with you all the time."

Pearsall said the stigma that kept her from getting help has been greatly reduced through projects such as the Real Warrior campaign and through efforts by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments.

For servicemembers still leery about getting care, Pearsall recommended online support networks, blogs and forums where people can go and shed their burdens. "You'll see you're not alone," she said. "The loss of sleep, nightmares, anxiety, road rage -- they're products of war."

Pearsall also hopes leaders will gain a greater understanding of mental health issues and, above all, avoid judgment.

"Be positive and supportive," she said. "You're the first in line for that service member."

While it's been difficult to discuss, Pearsall said, she believes it's important to share her story.

"If I get one person to get help if they're having issues, then I feel like I've been successful," she said.  (Issued on May 4, 2011)

Related Sites:

Video Profile

Real Warriors Campaign

Real Warriors Resources

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury

Warrior Care Blog 

Army Spc. Chris Jankowski, Army Spc. Joshua Philbeck and Army Staff Sgt. Lawrence Washington take time to reflect on their departed friends during some down time in Buhriz, Iraq, Jan. 27, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Stacy Pearsall  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Public Affairs NCO Teams with Iraqi Counterparts

By Air Force Senior Airman Andrew Lee  9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force Iraq CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, March 3, 2011 - Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Dean Miller is using his 21 years of military experience to assist Iraqi air force officials in developing their own public affairs professionals. Miller deployed here from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Initially, he served here as the team chief for the Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq public affairs team. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Dean Miller prepares to board an Iraqi C-130 aircraft Sept. 21, 2010, at New Al Muthana Air Base, Iraq, Sept. 21, 2010. Miller is the 62nd Airlift Wing's chief of public affairs. Courtesy photo  The senior Air Force noncommissioned officer said the changing mission in Iraq had him a little concerned regarding whether or not there would be enough public affairs work to do. "I was worried that things had become so quiet in Iraq there would not be much of a PA mission," Miller said. "In fact, there was an amazing amount of PA work to be done." Then, Miller received another opportunity during his deployment. He would also serve as the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air Force PA mentor and be the ground breaker to formalize the Iraqi air force's public affairs advisory program. Miller went full-afterburner with both jobs. "Once I found out I would be serving as an adviser, I knew it would be a great chance to assist another PA team, and strengthen the partnership between the U.S. and Iraq," Miller said. "But I also knew I needed to determine the priorities of the Iraqis for their PA program before I could help them." The key challenge at that time was deciding where to start, Miller said. "This was quickly resolved once I met with the Iraqi air force chief of public affairs and we discussed what he wanted to gain for his team," he said. "From there, we moved forward rapidly." Miller worked directly with the Iraqi public affairs team, quickly overcoming language and cultural barriers. After discerning the Iraqi chief's goals, he developed a plan to achieve them. Rapport with the Iraqi team improved throughout his deployment, Miller said, along with the professional accomplishments of the Iraqis. The Iraqi airmen supported the U.S. Forces-Iraq change of command and transition to Operation New Dawn, he said, assisting with the escort and interviews of more than 150 members of the news media at the event ceremony. "This was not merely an advise and train relationship, but a partnership between Iraqi and American military public affairs professionals," Miller said. "Uniting both the U.S. and Iraqi air force PA teams established a trusting partnership and enduring friendship." A highlight from this partnership was the dual Iraqi and U.S. coverage that resulted from the successful Iraqi AC-208 Cessna aircraft Hellfire missile shot. The Iraqi PA team created a professional video news release that the Ministry of Defense PA team released to regional news media. The ACCE-I PA team produced its coverage around the high-quality Iraqi aerial video. Miller said both teams routinely shared video and still photography in a mutually-supportive manner, and joint mission planning leveraged the skills and manpower of both teams. As the relationship developed, he said, the Iraqi PA team members went to great lengths to share their culture with their American partners, introducing local foods and teaching Arabic. Miller said he and his U.S. team reciprocated by bringing the Iraqis to United Service Organizations events and inviting the Iraqi airmen to share meals. "I was surprised at how much they enjoyed one of the country western bands that performed," Miller said. "We always had a great time. Everything we did together really helped us grow as a team."