Face of Defense:

12/07/2012 08:30 AM CST

Soldier, Sailor Provide Troop Services By Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Neff Provincial Reconstruction Team Kandahar KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan, Dec. 7, 2012 - Day-to-day operations at Camp Nathan Smith here wouldn't be the same without Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Currier and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony McRoberts. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Currier, left, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony McRoberts work in the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team's personnel section to provide much-needed services to troops based at Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeff Neff . The duo work diligently behind the scenes in the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team's personnel section as they provide much-needed services to KPRT members.There isn't much that happens without their involvement, from personnel rosters and daily tracking to service members' finances, awards, and promotions. When the mail arrives, soldiers and sailors wait patiently outside while Currier and McRoberts drive over and get it. Mail is an issue near and dear to all and serves as the lifeline from family members to the troops. McRoberts, who's been in the Navy for two years, was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., and hails from Midland, Mich. He is based at Naval Air Station Coronado in San Diego on the USS Ronald Reagan. He plans to complete his bachelor's degree in information systems management. McRoberts concurrently works as a Counter Radio Electronic Warfare Master Gunner. Being a CREW Master Gunner consists of radio frequency engineering for electronic warfare jamming systems involving reacting to and countering radio-controlled explosives. Texas-born Currier is from San Antonio and now calls Newport News, Va., home. He is an Army reservist from the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and has been in the Army for 22 years. Currier served in a variety of duty positions, starting as a combat medic in the 1st Cavalry Division. He later served at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and then deployed to Iraq where he was in charge of a military police aid station. Currier would later deploy to Kosovo where he served as first sergeant in a civil affairs detachment. The Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team is a civil-military organization consisting of U.S. Navy and Army active-duty and reserve members who conduct operations to support the growth in capacity and capability of the Kandahar provincial government. KPRT works closely with other military units, civilian agencies, contractors and nongovernmental organizations to support the Afghan government's progress toward sustainable stability.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

U.S.-Mexico border

12/05/2012 04:19 PM CST
Guardsmen Continue Security Duties
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

Courtesy Photo by this blog

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2012 - As many as 300 National Guardsmen will remain deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border for another year as part of a border security partnership between the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, according to a statement released by DHS today.The deployment is part of a newly extended agreement to strengthen security and facilitate legitimate trade and travel, the statement said. National Guardsmen operate in support of some 18,500 U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents along the southwest border, enhancing surveillance through the use of air assets and state-of-the-art detection and monitoring capabilities including aerial observation, photo imagery and communications support.

In the statement, DHS credited DOD support for the arrest of nearly 20,000 illegal immigrants and the seizure of more than 100,000 pounds of marijuana since March.

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said more than 330,000 illegal aliens have been apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border during the first nine months of this year, and more than two million pounds of marijuana and 6,000 pounds of cocaine have been seized.

In 2010, President Barack Obama authorized the temporary deployment of the National Guard along the southwest border to assist law enforcement with the interdiction of illegal aliens, drugs, weapons and money coming from Mexico.

Afghanistan Supply

Network Provides Economic Opportunity
11/28/2012 04:12 PM CST

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Nov. 28, 2012 - The Northern Distribution Network that U.S. Transportation Command helped establish three years ago to supply U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan laid the foundations for strong U.S. partnerships in Central Asia and Russia and for the region's long-term economic security, the Transcom commander said. Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser III traveled through the region last month, thanking the governments for their support for the network's multiple truck, water, rail and air routes used to transport about 40 percent of all military cargo destined for Afghanistan. The routes have been particularly critical during the past year, Fraser noted, because the Pakistani government closed logistical routes known as the Pakistan ground lines of communication in November 2011 after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed during a border incident with U.S. troops. Pakistan announced in July that it would reopen the route, but Transcom is still working to break the logjam created by thousands of shipping containers that had been stranded for months. Relying heavily on the Northern Distribution Network since the closure, Transcom ensured that warfighters in Afghanistan never went without the logistical support they needed, Fraser said during an interview with American Forces Press Service. "They had the sustainment they needed because we had developed these relationships and had multiple lanes [of supply] to use," he said. Now, as the United States lays plans to draw down in Afghanistan, Fraser said he's found support for strengthening those relationships and improving the processes behind the transportation network -- not just for the duration of the Afghanistan mission and redeployment, but beyond. Recognizing that U.S. shipments will diminish over time, leaders in nations supporting the NDN see the routes established to support the war effort in Afghanistan as a path to economic progress, Fraser noted. "I think the NDN is opening up opportunities for the future that these countries can capitalize on," he said. Nations are working together in unprecedented ways as a result of NDN agreements and exploring ways to streamline their import and export procedures to encourage cross-border commerce. "We are already seeing some of that," Fraser said. "As they look forward to the future, these countries know that the military is not going to be doing things at the same level that we have been for a long time. So they are looking for ways to capitalize on what has happened as a result of the Northern Distribution Network." Ambassador Dennise Mathieu, Fraser's foreign policy advisor who accompanied him on the trip, said these efforts fit into the State Department's vision of a "New Silk Road" that offers new potential in one of the least economically integrated areas of the world. The goal is to reconnect economies that had been torn apart by decades of war and rivalry, helping restore commercial bonds among some of the world's fastest-growing economies that sit at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. "The idea is that you can build on the links that have already been established in an economic way," Mathieu said. Those efforts are bearing fruit in infrastructure improvements to support this vision, she reported. Azerbaijan is building a new port with hopes of becoming a transportation hub. Rail connections are being built between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, and a recently completed rail line runs from the Uzbek border to Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan. "Eventually, with continued cooperation, they will be able to go all the way from China into Europe," Mathieu said. "You will have a whole new economic network, built upon the foundation of this military logistics supply network." By integrating economically, regional nations will have a lasting impact that supports U.S. national interests in the region, she said. "We believe that when you have economic prosperity, then that helps bring about stability and security," Mathieu said. "So therefore, the region is going to be more secure. You will have less conflict. It provides opportunities for people to prosper and for their children to go to school and provides the conditions to start to build a democratic base and institutions." "All of that is good for the United States," she said, opening new economic markets and strengthening partnerships across the region. "This is something that has brought people together," Mathieu said. "It's something that enables them to put any differences or difficulties aside so they can work together toward something that benefits everyone."

Biographies: Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser IIIRelated Sites: U.S. Transportation Command

“Do not forget me Istanbul”

The Director of film Trace, M. Tayfur, Aydin Huseyin Karabey (Director), Aysun Gizem Soysaldi (Actor) film “Do not forget me Istanbul” at a press conference, during the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2012), in Panaji, Goa on November 26, 2012.  (PIB)

26-November-2012

Guard Duty

11/23/2012 12:45 PM CST

U.S. Army Spc. David White provides security as he stands guard during a key leader engagement in Farah City in Afghanistan's western Farah province, Nov. 18, 2012. White is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah.

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 23, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Afghanistan's Kandahar province yesterday, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader coordinated improvised explosive device emplacements and ambushes against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

The security force detained two other suspected insurgents.

In Nov. 21 Afghanistan operations: -- Three Taliban senior leaders, including the No. 1 Taliban leader in western Logar province, were killed Nov. 21 during a security operation in Logar province. At the time of his death, Abu Baker was the top Taliban leader in western Logar province. Abu Baker facilitated weapons to insurgents, planned attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and was directly involved in foreign fighter facilitation. Deceased Taliban leader Bashir was involved in the Aug. 7 suicide-vehicle IED attack on Forward Operating Base Shank, and directly linked to the final, pre-execution stages of planning for an impending vehicle-borne IED attack targeting Afghan and coalition forces in Logar province, officials said. Deceased Taliban leader Zarqawi facilitated weapons to execute IED as well as direct- and indirect-fire attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. A number of additional insurgents were also killed. One suspect was detained and several rocket-propelled grenades and multiple assault rifles were confiscated. -- A combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator in Kunduz province. The arrested facilitator is suspected of being directly involved in the purchasing and distribution of weapons to Taliban fighters. The security force also detained one other suspect and seized rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, hand grenades, assault rifles and ammunition. -- Combined forces arrested a Taliban senior leader in Nimroz province. The arrested insurgent leader is suspected of being involved in the purchasing and movement of weapons and providing intelligence to other Taliban senior leaders. The security force also detained a number of other suspects.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

All-Hands Handshake

11/21/2012 02:19 PM CST
U.S. Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, chief of naval operations, shakes hands with Petty Officer 2nd Class Bryan Rollinson during an all-hands call aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore in the 5th Fleet area of responsibililty, Nov. 20, 2012. The Rushmore, part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group with the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Uniit, is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. Rollinson is a hull technician.