From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release  The Pakistan-based attack planner is a close associate of senior al-Qaida insurgents, officials said, and is believed to have been with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001. In other operations in Afghanistan yesterday: -- Based on intelligence tips, a combined force detained numerous suspected insurgents in the city of Mazar-e Sharif in Balkh province while searching for a Taliban leader who coordinates and conducts bombing attacks against Afghan government officials and security forces. -- A combined force acting on intelligence information captured a Taliban leader who directs about 45 enemy fighters and one of his associates in Kandahar province's Panjwai district. -- An International Security Assistance Force patrol found and destroyed 99 pounds of marijuana in Kandahar's Panjwai district. -- In Khost province's Sabari district, a combined force captured a Haqqani terrorist network facilitator and two of his associates. The facilitator is responsible for transport of homemade bombs targeting Afghan and coalition forces. The security force found and confiscated an assault rifle with ammunition and a chest rack. -- In Logar province's Baraki Barak district, an Afghan-led combined force detained two suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader responsible for planning attacks targeting Afghan forces and moving weapons and ammunition to other insurgents. -- An Afghan-led combined force in Ghazni province's Gelan district detained numerous suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who plans bombing attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces along Highway 1 in Zabul province's Shah Joy district. -- A combined force in Nuristan province's Do Ab district found and confiscated six rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 200 7.62 mm machine-gun rounds, an 82 mm mortar base plate and an assault rifle magazine. |
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
Friday, June 03, 2011
Combined Force Captures al-Qaida Operative
Labor Department Grants to Provide Veterans Job Training
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A new life to Mohinder Kaur by Dr. H. S.Bedi
Mohinder Kaur of Dharamshala was admitted to the Christian Medical College & Hospital Ludhiana in a critical condition. She was seen by Dr Mary John – Head of Medicine.
She had severe stenosis of her valve which had earlier been operated upon 20 years back. Due to the valve disease her lungs were full of water and were not able to exchange oxygen. Consultation with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi–Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery – was done and a high risk emergency operation planned. A redo ie 2nd time surgery was required. Dr Bedi told that redo surgeries carry a slightly higher risk than first time ones but the risk was compounded by the fact that the patient was so unwell. Surgery could not be delayed as this would have worsened the lungs. The CTVS department of CMC has a large experience of such cases. A marathon surgery was conducted. Dr Bedi said that the valve was grossly calcified and stuck with only a small pinhole opening for the flow of blood. The valve was excised and replaced with the latest generation tissue valve as this gives the best results in such ill patients.
Mrs Mohinder Kaur made a remarkable recovery and celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary the next day with her son, husband and the whole team (pic) with a special cake.
The other members of the team are Dr A Joseph, Dr A Gupta, Dr V Abraham, Dr Amit, Dr Anuj and Dr Richa, Dr Mary John and Dr Bedi said that Mrs Mohinder Kaur should now have a normal life. As her new valve is a special one – she will not have to take lifelong medications as with the other metallic valves.
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to give the best care to patients of this region with the availability of superspecialists round the clock.
Photo: Mrs Mohinder Kaur with her family and Dr Mary John and Dr Harinder Singh Bedi a day after her major open heart surgery. --Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Wounded Soldier to Receive Medal of Honor
Army News Service
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2011 - An Army Ranger who lost his right hand and suffered shrapnel wounds after throwing an armed grenade away from his fellow soldiers will be the second living Medal of Honor recipient from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Petry now serves as part of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Benning, Ga.
"It's very humbling to know that the guys thought that much of me and my actions that day to nominate me for that," said Petry, on learning he had been nominated for the medal.
At the time of his actions in Afghanistan, Petry was assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. His actions came as part of a rare daylight raid to capture a high-value target.
Petry was to locate himself with the platoon headquarters in the targeted building once it was secured. Once there, he was to serve as the senior noncommissioned officer at the site for the remainder of the operation.
Recognizing one of the assault squads needed help clearing their assigned building, Petry relayed to the platoon leader that he was moving to that squad to provide additional supervision and guidance. Once the residential portion of the building had been cleared, Petry took a fellow member of the assault squad, Pfc. Lucas Robinson, to clear the outer courtyard. Petry knew that area had not been cleared during the initial clearance.
Petry and Robinson, both Rangers, moved into an area of the compound that contained at least three enemy fighters who were prepared to engage friendly forces from opposite ends of the outer courtyard.
As the two soldiers entered the courtyard, to their front was an opening, followed by a chicken coop. As they crossed the open area, an enemy insurgent fired on them. Petry was wounded by one round, which went through both of his legs. Robinson was also hit in his side plate by a separate round.
While wounded and under enemy fire, Petry led Robinson to the cover of the chicken coop as the enemy fighters continued to fire at them.
As the senior soldier, Petry assessed the situation. He reported that contact was made and that two wounded Rangers were in the courtyard of the primary target building. Upon hearing the report, Sgt. Daniel Higgins, a team leader, moved to the outer courtyard.
As Higgins was moving to Petry and Robinson's position, Petry threw a thermobaric grenade near the enemy position. Shortly after that grenade exploded and created a lull in the enemy fire, Higgins arrived at the chicken coop and was assessing his comrades' wounds when an insurgent threw a grenade over the chicken coop at the three Rangers. The grenade landed about 10 yards from the soldiers, knocking them to the ground and wounding Higgins and Robinson.
Shortly after the grenade exploded, Staff Sgt. James Roberts and Spc. Christopher Gathercole entered the courtyard and moved toward the chicken coop.
With three soldiers taking cover in the chicken coop, an enemy fighter threw another grenade at them. This time, the grenade landed just a few feet from Higgins and Robinson. Recognizing the threat that the enemy grenade posed to his fellow Rangers, Petry -- despite his own wounds and with complete disregard for his personal safety -- consciously and deliberately risked his life to move to and secure the live enemy grenade and throw it away from his fellow Rangers, according to battlefield reports.
As Petry released the grenade in the direction of the enemy, preventing the serious injury or death of Higgins and Robinson, it detonated and amputated his right hand.
Petry assessed his wound and placed a tourniquet on his right arm. He then reported that he was still in contact with the enemy and that he had been wounded again.
After the blast that amputated Petry's hand, Roberts began to engage the enemy behind the chicken coop with small-arms fire and a grenade. His actions suppressed the insurgents behind the chicken coop. Shortly after, another enemy fighter on the east end of the courtyard began firing, fatally wounding Gathercole.
Higgins and Robinson returned fire and killed the enemy.
Moments later, Sgt. 1st Class Jerod Staidle, the platoon sergeant, and Spc. Gary Depriest, the platoon medic, arrived in the outer courtyard. After directing Depriest to treat Gathercole, Staidle moved to Petry's position. Staidle and Higgins then assisted Petry as he moved to the casualty collection point.
Higgins later wrote in a statement, "If not for Staff Sergeant Petry's actions, we would have been seriously wounded or killed."
Petry is the ninth servicemember to have been named a recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. All but Petry and Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta were awarded the honor posthumously.
Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis, Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor and Marine Corps Cpl. Jason L. Dunham all received the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq. Giunta, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti and Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan.
Petry currently serves as a liaison officer for the U.S. Special Operations Command Care Coalition Northwest Region, and provides oversight to wounded warriors, ill and injured servicemembers and their families.
He enlisted in the Army from his hometown of Santa Fe, N.M., in September 1999. After completion of One Station Unit Training, the Basic Airborne Course and the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program -- all at Fort Benning -- he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Petry has served as a grenadier, squad automatic rifleman, fire team leader, squad leader, operations sergeant and weapons squad leader. He has deployed eight times, with two tours to Iraq and six tours to Afghanistan.
Petry and his wife, Ashley, have four children: Brittany, Austin, Reagan and LandonPost-conflict Era to Challenge Military Trainers
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 31, 2011 - With just two months remaining on his brigade's deployment to Afghanistan as part of the 30,000-troop surge there, Army Col. Sean Jenkins has seen the operational benefit of the nose-to-the-grindstone training regimen and nearly back-to-back deployments on his soldiers.
The colonel marveled at his soldiers' ability to make decisions with strategic consequences in the blink of an eye and to accomplish the near-impossible. Borrowing a quote from Army Maj. Gen. Robert Brown, commander of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Jenkins said, "I think if we told them to go to Mars in two weeks, they would figure out a way to get there." But as the United States removes all of its forces from Iraq by the year's end and evaluates the situation in Afghanistan this summer with an eye toward an eventual drawdown there as well, Jenkins finds himself among those questioning how to maintain this force after the deployments end. How, after the longest military conflict in U.S. history, will the all-volunteer force downshift from the full-steam-ahead momentum it's maintained for a decade and adapt to post-combat training? "They have seen so much, they have experienced so much, they have been so busy. How do you maintain that?" Jenkins asked. "I don't think [the Joint Readiness Training Center] or [National Training Center] is going to keep them all excited." Jenkins acknowledged that the Army has developed some bona fide "adrenaline junkies." It's not that they want to go to war and get shot at, he emphasized. It's not that they want to leave their families for 12 months at a time. "Nobody wants that," he said. After the current military operations end, Jenkins said, America's combat-tested troops will want to participate in challenging training that'll maintain the capabilities they've worked so hard to build over the past decade. "They thrive on it," the colonel said. "A poor analogy would be that I practice football all season long, but never get to play in a game," Jenkins added. "You are truly there for the love of the game." And for today's troops, "you are truly there for the love of your country," the colonel said. "That's why you are in the military, and that's why you are in the Army. But you don't want to just sit. You have to practice your trade." That doesn't necessarily mean having to deploy to another country, Jenkins said, but will put some heavy demands on leaders to keep soldiers engaged when they return to a post-conflict garrison environment. "It means that we as leaders have to provide them incredibly well-thought-out, challenging, rewarding training, to keep that edge," Jenkins said. "We are a learning organization, and we will have to keep figuring it out." (Editors Note: This the first article in a series about how the Defense Department and military services plan to maintain combat effectiveness and readiness as the current operational tempo begins to decline.) | ||||||||
| Related Sites: 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division | ||||||||
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Gates, Mullen Praise Efforts of Troops, Families, Vets
By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 29, 2011 - Flanked by the memorials of wars past, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today said he has had no greater honor than serving and leading the U.S. military.
Rolling Thunder began in 1987 as a demonstration to bring awareness to the plight of prisoners of war and those missing in action. Today more than 250,000 motorcycles participate in the weekend observance, which has evolved into a patriotic demonstration for soldiers and veterans from all wars. Gates praised the efforts of the organization for ensuring the sacrifices of the military and families are recognized, honored and never forgotten. "For most Americans, Memorial Day weekend is a respite from work," he said. "But for those of us gathered here, it is an affirmation of our commitment to remember those heroes who have fought and died or who have been captured in defense of our nation -- not just this weekend but every day of our lives." The United States has a sacred obligation to those who have borne the heavy burden of service in the past, the secretary said. "The men and women now protecting us on the front lines gain comfort knowing that if today they are missing or captured, we will not rest until they are accounted for and welcomed home to the honor they deserve, even as the conflicts recede into history," he said. Gates said today's troops will join the likes of the veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam as a heroic generation that battled in far away lands to preserve the freedom and security of the United States. "The American people can never repay the debt they owe to those who have fought and served, and to their family members who have stood so strong at home," he said. "Your work, and the sound of your bikes, reminds them of the costs incurred, the blood spilt, and the enduring need to maintain a strong military in a dangerous world." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen introduced Gates at the event. The chairman, himself a Vietnam War veteran, gave a special "shout out" to his fellow vets. "One of the things that I have seen over the course of these two wars that we're in is my generation stand up in a way that many of us were not allowed to back in Vietnam for lots of reasons, so I'm particularly proud to be a Vietnam vet," he said. Mullen said such events demonstrate to those serving now that America is still connected to its military members. "Everywhere I go these days ... the troops ask me one thing, 'Are the American people with us?' And I can unequivocally answer that, yes, the American people are with our troops," he said. "Based on what I see here today and what's going on over this weekend, that answer is very obvious." Supporting the troops is important during their service, but it is equally important to continue that support after their military obligation ends, Mullen said. "We can never forget their service," he said. "We can never forget them as a nation, and you and many others keep that vigil, keep that very important part of who we are as a nation front and center. And I will be forever grateful that you do." | ||
| Biographies: Robert M. Gates Navy Adm. Mike Mullen | ||
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Sunday, May 29, 2011
Blogger Honors Fallen, Their Families
 American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 27, 2011 - About a year ago, I had the honor of attending a dignified transfer for two soldiers who had been killed just a few days prior in Afghanistan. Rather than marked with fanfare, the return of fallen service members who died in combat is marked with a quiet tribute to their service and sacrifice. The transfer is a solemn movement of a fallen service member from aircraft to vehicle to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The night is still vivid to me. I remember shivering from the evening cold as a freezing rain bounced off the fuselage of a 757. And I remember as the carry team, clad in battle dress uniform and stark, white gloves, marched from the passenger terminal to the aircraft, oblivious to the rain or cold. The cases were lowered, and the team carried each one to a waiting vehicle in slow and measured movements. After the fallen were loaded, an airman shut the doors while the military members in attendance gave a slow, respect-filled salute. I remember how the quiet of the night was broken by the sudden anguished cry of a family member just as the vehicle pulled away, en route to the mortuary, with the carry team and official party marching in step behind. I later learned these soldiers' names -- Army Staff Sgt. Michael David P. Cardenaz and Army Pfc. JR Salvacion. Today, with Memorial Day so close at hand, these soldiers came to mind, as well as the thousands of other service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. And my thoughts turn to their families, who also made their own unimaginable sacrifice. Like many Americans, I plan to enjoy a day off from work with my family on Monday. But I also will pause to remember service members, like Cardenaz and Salvacion, whose lives signify courage, sacrifice and honor. And I will remember their families, who will mark the holiday without a loved one at their side. Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on the importance of remembering fallen service members and their families on Memorial Day, and every day, in a recent blog post. "The pain of such loss is incalculable. But we can, and we should, promise them that we will remember those who lived and loved and fought for this country — a young man or woman who, when duty called, performed that duty nobly and with passion," she wrote. "We can, and we should, take pains to remember also the special needs of surviving family members, especially the children. Theirs will be an extraordinary life. "If it's true that a nation defines itself by those it honors, let us also define ourselves by those we support." |
| Related Sites: AFPS Family Matters Blog Special Report: Dignity, Honor, Respect for the Fallen |
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