By Army Spc. Adam L. Mathis 17th Public Affairs Detachment WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan, April 14, 2011 - The screen at the head of the two tables in the operational coordination center here displayed statistics about coalition and insurgent activities in the area. Members of the Afghan security forces listened as one of their countrymen briefed the data.
Daley says his job as senior U.S. advisor for the operational coordination center here is the future of the coalition presence in Afghanistan. The Preston, Minn., native, who is attached to the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Task Force Patriot, has worked since November to foster better cooperation among the Afghan security forces components in Wardak province and to improve their ability to handle security. Daley's position in Wardak came about by order of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who established the a system of operational coordination centers in Afghanistan's provinces. Originally, the centers coordinated efforts related to elections and natural disasters, but they worked too well to stay within such narrow parameters, Daley said. "It has evolved into a way that all of the entities of the Afghan national security forces can be integrated for operations and have a unity of effort in securing the population," said Army Lt. Col. Michael Kelley of Newnan, Ga., the coalition's regional operational coordination center commander for southern Afghanistan and senior advisor. The coalition presence in the centers is in an advisory capacity, Kelley said, helping the Afghan security forces work together and share information, he said. Brig. Gen. Muhammad Daood, an Afghan army officer who serves as regional operational coordination center commander for the south, said he is encouraged by the growth of cooperation among Afghan forces in his area. "I hope one day we'll be able to provide security in the whole province," he said through an interpreter. To get there means a lot of drinking for Daley. "A lot of late-night chai sessions is how you get it done," he said. Chai, or tea, is a means of overcoming a problem that sometimes shows up in organizations: a lack of communication. The various branches of Afghan forces have not been sharing the data they collect in Wardak, Daley said, noting that that the U.S. military was no different before the 1980s. Before congressional action forced jointness on the services, he explained, each U.S. service had its own set of data and did not necessarily share it with the others. Daley said drinking tea, a ubiquitous custom in Afghanistan, helps him to develop personal relationships. By establishing friendships and respect among the representatives of the Afghan security forces branches, he added, he is able to improve cooperation. "Maybe the organizations don't really care for each other a whole lot, but if, as individuals, we can get along, we can make things work," Daley said. "It's something you've got to work at every day. If you're not working at it every day, you're probably going backwards." Daley recently began teaching Afghan personnel how to analyze data and ask what is causing those statistics. The result, he said, was a desire on the part of some Afghans to learn more. "We're getting there," he said. "It's just taking time to make them sit down and think through very complex problems." | ||
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force | ||
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Soldier Integrates Afghan Operations
Blogger Interviews First Lady, Dr. Biden
By Elaine Sanchez American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 13, 2011 - Yesterday, I attended a briefing at the White House in which the nation's top leaders announced a national campaign that aims to bring together every sector of this nation -– from individuals and communities to businesses and nonprofits -– to support and honor service members and their families.
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with the first lady and Dr. Biden in an interview at the White House to discuss this initiative and what sparked them to create it. I've been an admirer of their family-support efforts for some time, and was excited that I had the chance to sit down with them one on one at such a pivotal time. Seated side by side, they told me they created this campaign to raise awareness of military families and the level of sacrifice they make, and to ensure they're offered the support and care they deserve. Many Americans are unaware of the challenges military families face daily, they said. This is compounded by the fact that military families, accustomed to exhibiting strength and resilience, often won't ask for support. Obama and Biden would like to create a nation that offers that support in abundance so families never again have to request it. "I hope we never ever have again a military family who says, ... 'I just don't think Americans appreciate what we do,'" Biden said. "I want them to know and feel they're appreciated." Through the campaign, Obama and Biden will call on every sector of society to take action to ensure troops and their families have the support they need and deserve. They already have numerous commitments, they said, ranging from the corporate world to the entertainment industry to government agencies. "This campaign is about renewing those bonds and those connections between those who serve and the rest of those who live free because of their service," the first lady said. Today, Obama and Biden embarked on a two-day tour of the nation to spotlight America's efforts to support military families and to provide examples for others to follow. At each stop they'll ask Americans: "How can I give back to these families who are giving me so much?" I'll be traveling to Columbus, Ohio, tomorrow to attend one of their family-support events. Check back here for my coverage of that event. In the meantime, for more on my interview with Obama and Biden, read my American Forces Press Service article, "First Lady, Dr. Biden to Shine Light on Military Families." For more on yesterday's announcement, see "White House Urges All Americans to 'Do Something'" and "Military Family Support a 'National Priority,' Obama says." To find out more about the campaign, visit the Joining Forces website. For more on Family Matters, visit the blog, or check out Family Matters on Facebook or Twitter. | ||
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Call to honor service members and their families
 | Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, speaks, April 12, 2011, at the White House launch of 'Joining Forces,' a national initiative that calls on all sectors of society to join forces to support and honor service members and their families, Addressing family members, Biden said, "You are all heroes -- from the moms and dads who keep your families together while your loved ones are serving overseas, to the grandparents who step in with much needed support, to the children who are stro DOD photo by Linda Hosek Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution |
Monday, April 11, 2011
Deal Averts Shutdown,
By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 9, 2011 - Government agencies are continuing normal operations after the administration, the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to a fiscal 2011 budget.
"This agreement between Democrats and Republicans on behalf of all Americans is on a budget that invests in our future while making the largest annual spending cut in our history," President Barack Obama said last night from the White House. "Like any worthwhile compromise, both sides had to make tough decisions and give ground on issues that were important to them. And I certainly did that." There will be no interruption in operations for the Defense Department, DOD officials said last night. Service members and civilian employees will receive their pays as normal, and no operations will be curtailed or eliminated. "This is good news for the American people," Obama said during an address from the White House last night. "It means that small businesses can get the loans they need, our families can get the mortgages they applied for, folks can visit our national parks and museums, and hundreds of thousands of Americans will get their paychecks on time, including our brave men and women in uniform." The agreement calls for $38.5 billion in cuts from the government budget. This is $79 billion less than what the president proposed originally in February 2010. "Some of the cuts we agreed to will be painful," the president said. "Programs people rely on will be cut back. Needed infrastructure projects will be delayed. And I would not have made these cuts in better circumstances. But beginning to live within our means is the only way to protect those investments that will help America compete for new jobs – investments in our kids' education and student loans, in clean energy and life-saving medical research. We protected the investments we need to win the future." Obama thanked House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for their leadership in the process. "It's my sincere hope that we can continue to come together as we face the many difficult challenges that lie ahead, from creating jobs and growing our economy to educating our children and reducing our deficit," Obama said. "That's what the American people expect us to do. That's why they send us here." Had the government shut down, officials expected around 400,000 DOD employees to be furloughed and problems with pay and other fiscal obligations. The president announced the deal less than an hour before the continuing resolution would have run out and operations would have ceased. The last government shutdown occurred in 1996. | ||
| Related Sites: OMB Guidance: Anticipated Enactment ofa Continuing Resolution Transcript: Remarks by the President on the Budget Related Articles: Budget Deal Avoids Government Shutdown |
Army Brigade Commander Visits Wounded Troops
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 8, 2011 - The conversation flowed easily this morning as Army Col. Sean M. Jenkins sat with several 101st Airborne Division soldiers, talking about everything from operations heating up in Afghanistan's Paktika province to the impact of a possible government shutdown on his deployed troops and their families back at Fort Campbell, Ky.
It was in a cafeteria here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where Jenkins, traveling home for his mid-tour rest-and-recovery leave, paid a visit to check on his wounded troops. They gathered around the table, one in a wheelchair, one with a cane, another rubbing his steel-plated leg that always aches when the barometer drops, eager for news about the units and comrades they left behind. The 101st "Screaming Eagles" have suffered heavy losses during their deployment as part of the surge force in Afghanistan. The 4th Brigade Combat Team alone has lost 15 soldiers since it deployed last summer, with scores more wounded and more than 40 medevacced out for advanced medical care. So when Jenkins left Afghanistan for the first time in seven months for his mid-tour leave -- before seeing his wife Karin, his bubbly, blonde 3-year-old daughter, or his beloved golden retriever and black Labrador dogs at Fort Campbell -- he spent several days with his wounded warriors at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas; and Walter Reed. "I came to say thanks," Jenkins said, "and to talk with them about what is going on forward and how their teammates are doing." The chit-chat today in Walter Reed's cafeteria, hallways and the Military Advanced Training Center where soldiers receive intensive physical therapy treatments bounced from one topic to another. They praised a heroic private first class from the unit who was undaunted as his unit faced the enemy, discussed the merits of the leadership novel, "Once an Eagle," talked about improvements in military housing and heard news of the new 120 mm precision-guided mortar munitions round the brigade just received in Afghanistan. But beyond the casual and sometimes not-so-casual conversation, Jenkins worked to gauge how his soldiers are faring as they recover from lost limbs, shattered bones and other devastating injuries. "I try to open up a stream of conversation with them about how they are doing, how they are being treated, how their medical care is going and what their concerns are," he said. Throughout his conversations, he pulled out a pocket-size notebook to jot down names, email addresses and messages to pass on or requests to follow up on. "These guys deserve everything we can do for them, and nothing less," Jenkins said. "They need to understand that we are here for them, whatever it is they need." Once of the most welcomed things Jenkins delivers to the troops -- whether his own or members of another 101st Airborne Division element -- is reassurance that they haven't been forgotten. "They are still part of the team," he said. "And that is part of the message. I tell them, 'Just because you are back here, attached or assigned to one of the hospitals for a period of time, you are still part of the unit.' It is important they understand that linkage is not broken." Many of the wounded warriors call that some of the best medicine they could get. "It's very important to me. It's part of your mental fitness," said Army 1st Lt. Aaron Palmer, a 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment soldier whose femur was broken in three places and his iliac artery destroyed during an enemy attack in October. "I can't tell you how close we are overseas," Palmer said. "Your unit becomes like your family, and it's really great when that family keeps in touch with you....Every time I see that [Screaming Eagle] patch, I know it's a brother." "It helps me a lot," agreed Army Sgt. Anthony Verra of the 4th BCT's sister 2nd "Strike" BCT who lost both legs to an improvised explosive device in September. "Visits like this are really motivational." Army Pfc. Corey Kent, another "Strike" soldier, said he's been "blown away" by the outpouring he's received from his fellow Screaming Eagles since arriving at Walter Reed in mid-July, just three weeks into his deployment. Kent was on a patrol near Kandahar, called in to provide security for another unit that had been hit by an IED. He suffered the same fate, losing two legs, one above the knee and one at the hip, as well as all the fingers on his left hand. Today, he told Jenkins he had hoped to make the military a career and still plans to explore options the Army may open to him. "I'd feel like I was giving up if I just leave," Kent said. Jenkins said he encourages his soldiers not to let their wounds prevent them from striving for their dreams. "There are no closed doors," he tells them. "Only you close the door if you physically want to close the door." | ||||
| Related Sites: Walter Reed Army Medical Center 101st Airborne Division 4th Brigade Combat Team Related Articles: Security Improves in Afghanistan's Paktika Province | ||||
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Taking a water break
During a small arms weapons qualification course
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