Task Force Wings' Personnel Recovery Force Soldiers climb aboard a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter operated and maintained by air crews of 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, Task Force Diamond Head, after a mission in northern Iraq, April 2.

25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

Photo by Sgt. Mike Alberts

Date: 04.02.2010

Location: Contingency Operating Base Speicher, IQ

related photos and news: dvidshub.net/r/zp69vh

INDIAN OCEAN (Aug. 31, 2017) Sailors assigned to the “Wildcards” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) conduct preflight checks on a Sikorsky MH-60S "Sea Hawk" helicopter prior to take off during flight operations. America, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Asia Pacific region to strengthen partnerships and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency.

Flours For Anal Bum leads the walker contingency into Beer Check.

NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria – U.S. Army Europe's Contingency Command Post Company Commander Capt. William Shakespeare Jackson Jr. and Detachment Sergeant Sgt. 1st Class James Irwin, hold a Saber Guardian 2014 banner as the unit poses for a photo during this year's exercise. The CCP was established as a rapidly deploying forward command and control element in support of missions directed by USAREUR. Saber Guardian 2014, hosted by USAREUR and the Bulgarian Land Forces, is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 700 military personnel from twelve participating nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.S., as well as representatives from NATO. The exercise, which runs until April 4, 2014, is designed to strengthen international agency and military partnering while fostering trust and improving interoperability between NATO and partner nations involved in foreign consequence management and peace support operations with U.S. forces. Saber Guardian 2014 is part of the U.S. Army Europe annual training and exercise program and has been planned for since 2013. Last year’s iteration of the training exercise was conducted at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu, Romania. The training at Saber Guardian 2014 will reinforce USAREUR commitment to increasing regional flexibility, preserving and enhancing NATO interoperability, and facilitating multinational training. (Photo by Sgt. Brooks Fletcher, U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs)

Technical Sgt. Rebecca Diloreto (r) gets assistance with her gas mask from Staff Sgt. Robert Uyematsu, during MOPP level training March 4, 2001, in preparation for an upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection. Both are assigned to the 571st Global Mobility Readiness Squadron. (U.S. Air Force Photo/MSgt. Stan Parker)

"The wicked spies upon the righteous and seeks to kill him." - Psalms 37:32

In a bag store on ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu China there is a newspaper article bearing the image of Che Guevara and chinese characters which states "Never Negotiate".. S.P.E.C.T.O.R./G.H.O.S.T.S. (STS) took this as an omen that the time is near:

"Time to go to War" by STS

Che Guevara was right and Einstein was wrong!!

The City of CHEngdu China was named after CHE Guevara though the city's name has never changed since it was first founded.

Marco Polo first arrived here in the 13th Century and STS followed the path leading the way of european ancestry unity with the asiatics for a common interest.

It was here that STS chose to come and establish the revolutionary base for the creation of "The Black Berets Manifesto" and bond with the Chinese Contingency Army.

Although STS was offered Beijing, Hong Kong, ShangHai, Nanjing, a better association for starting a new counter-revolution with a name that had the same word within it as the world's great revolutionary hero, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, for the history books when it would be decided to re-write it.

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China houses 14,047,625 combatants. One of the most important economic, transportation, and communication centers in Western China and for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest in out of a total of 280 urban centers in China. Recently named China's 4th-most livable city.

Known as the headquarters of the Chengdu Military Region administrative command located in southwest China, also includes some of the Kunming Military Region..

This military region includes two army groups, the 13th and 14th and the Tibetan 52nd and 53d Mountain Brigades, as well as the 149th Motorized Infantry Division, 2 Mobile Armed Police Divisions, the 38th 'parallel' and 41st, and the 2nd Army 'Aviation' Regiment.

What's really interesting is the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group which

produces the Jian-10 (Chengdu J-10) fighter considered to be one of the

most advanced in China's inventory, as well as the FC-1/JF-17 (Super-7

Fighter).

The J-10 "Annihilator-Ten" known in the West as the "Vigorous Dragon"

can track 10 targets at once thanks to israeli consultants and their

canceled Lavi technology which they sold to China. The first J-10

rolled out on 11/97 first delivered to the 13th Test Regiment. The last

part of the test flight program was the live firing of air-to-air

missiles carried out by test pilot Xu Yongling.

The Tomb of Wang Jian named Yongling Mausoleum is located in Chengdu as

well. The tomb of Wang Jian is much smaller compared with the Ming Tomb

in Beijing, however, it's much older built during the Five Dynasties

and Ten States Period.

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSmcid=4708...;

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSmcid=4708...;

Wang Jian was the first emperor of the former Shu Kingdom during the

Five Dynasties and Ten States Period. It was during this period that

the Tang dynasty collapsed.

It was said Yongling was a rascal when he was young, slaughtering cows,

robbing donkeys, and smuggling salt. Joining the army he was promoted

to troop officer because of his bravery and cleverness. Towards the end

of the Tang Dynasty he took charge of the emperor’s palace guards.

The PAC JF-17 Thunder (CAC FC-1 Xiaolong) "Fierce Dragon" had started

as a combined program between China and Grumman but Grumman left the

project when sanctions were placed on China following the political

fallout from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. As recent as May 2011

China offered 50 JF-17s to Pakistan on an urgent basis at no cost.

The first JF-17 squadron, No. 26 Black Spiders first saw service in the

anti-terrorist operation in South Waziristan "Operation Rah-e-Nijat".

There is also The Chengdu J-20 (Jian-20) "Annihilator-Twenty" stealth

fighter prototype also developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for

the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force expected to be

operational in 2017–2019. It's cost to build will be 50-80% less than

US.

I believe that China may have adopted some stealth technology from the

F-117 Nighthawk shot down by the Serbs in 1999.

The J-20 may become the first operational combat aircraft that carries

sufficient fuel to super-cruise throughout its missions, doubling it's

sortie rate to operate as a heavy interceptor, destroying opposing

AWACS and tanker aircraft, this combination of forward sector stealth

and long range will allow the J-20 to make attacks on surface targets

while the United States lacks sufficient bases for F-22s in the area to

counter and allies have no comparable aircraft. The Pentagon's 2011

report on the Chinese military agrees that the J-20 is "a platform

capable of long range, penetrating strikes into complex air defenses".

The aircraft is in development, estimates are from available only from

images.

Where is the Tomb of Ghenghis Khan and what lies within China's first emperor's tomb..Qin Shi Huang?

Marco Polo 1254-1324 died at age 70 - traveled across asia and made it as far as Chengdu China.

In Beijing he met Kublai Khan and like Alexander the Great before him he sailed home instead of overland returning after 24 years to find Venice at war with Genoa; Marco was imprisoned, and dictated his stories to a cellmate (Rustichello da Pisa) which is why the Tower of Pisa leans southeast. He was released in 1299, became a wealthy merchant, married, and had 3 children. He died in 1324, and was buried in San Lorenzo to fulfill the prophecies of 1964.

The chinese poet Tao Qian also known as Tao Yuanmin came from a notable family which fell into poverty. When he was young he was torn between ambition and a desire to retreat into solitude. His great-grandfather was the famous Eastern Jin general and governor, Tao Kan. He served in a series of minor posts but the death of his sister and disgust at the corruption and infighting of the Jin Court prompted his resignation, convincing him that life was too short to compromise on his principle.

He lived in retirement for his last 22 years.

STS came to Chengdu as the resurrection of the second coming of Che Guevara but was received as the Return of Marco Polo.

He read poems by Li Bai, theories by Liu Shaoqi, learned about Liu Bei's military conquests, and Lin Biao's failed military coup to oust Mao..

Chinese culture must be implemented with Western culture if both are to survive..

The Chinese are a much stronger culture than the americans.. with over 5,000 years of history far out reaching the Romans and the Greeks.. Only they will over thrown this regime.. but by then they'll be nothing worth saving.

Che Guevara after his meeting with Chairman Mao had emerged as a prominent symbol of self-sacrifice, armed struggle, internationalism and uncompromising opposition to U.S. domination. His death stands as a glaring example of the role the U.S. and its agents play in the brutal repression of humanity’s highest aspirations.

Che is a highly romantic martyr of the people’s cause. But he was also a revolutionary leader and thinker in a particular complex time; he was associated closely with a specific series of approaches and strategies.

Che (and the Cuban movement he was part of) had a particular line on the role of the people in their own emancipation. It was a view that exalted the actions of small military groupings of “heroic guerrillas” (called focos) in galvanizing revolution. Unlike the Maoists at that same time, Che and Fidel Castro were not advocates of a “land to the tiller” agrarian revolution, but sought to nationalize the existing plantation structure of Cuba and similar countries.

The fact that so many people revere him is a testimony to the deep desires for liberation throughout the world. And at the same time, revolution is not made by symbolism alone. The controversies surrounding Che’s strategies have contemporary significance.

New CIA-run armies were organized. The Green Berets were founded. U.S. training schools were cranking out torturers, coup-makers and counterrevolutionaries. Many places throughout the world were seeded with U.S.-trained agents and killers.

Over the last 30 years, Che Guevara has been seen by many as a symbol of resistance to all that–to U.S. domination and military power. And today, in 2011, the fight against all that remains the burning issue–just as it was 41 years ago.

How do we fight the oppressors today in a way that can actually defeat them, overthrow them and create a new liberated society?

That is the issue that confronts this new generation. The revolutionary process needs dreams of a better world and heroes that people can look up to. But it also needs a serious evaluation of historical experience. The people need revolutionary theory and strategy that can win.

Che Guevara advocated a particular path for the struggle against U.S. domination. And today, Guevarism–and the historical experience of those who followed it–needs to be critically evaluated. As a veteran communist once said, “We have to want revolution bad enough to be scientific about it.”

Che Guevara was right in the middle of these developments. He made several criticisms of the Soviet Union–for not firmly backing national liberation struggles and for their trade policies with countries like Cuba.

In the early 1960s, Mao Tsetung made a startling and penetrating analysis of developments within the Soviet Union. A fundamental change of power had happened, Mao said, in 1956 when Nikita Khrushchev seized power in the Soviet Union. Capitalist-roaders within the Communist Party there had carried out a restoration of capitalism. The Soviet Union, which had been a socialist country for decades, was now a social-imperialist power (socialist in name, imperialist in essence).

Mao warned about the danger of driving the tiger out the front door while letting the wolf in the back. Relying on this new imperialist power, he said, was extremely dangerous for the masses of people. The new rulers of the Soviet Union represented a new bourgeoisie–fundamentally opposed to liberation.

Today such issues may seem “a thing of the past” to a generation that lives in a world where the Soviet bloc has collapsed and the U.S. is top dog of the imperialist heap. But it is impossible to evaluate the historical experience of Che and the “Cuban Road” without understanding the nature of Soviet social-imperialism and the negative impact that alliances with the Soviet Union had on the national liberation struggles of Latin America and around the world.

The path to power advocated by Maoists was radically different from the one formulated by Che Guevara. The Maoists argued that power won through shortcuts would not be able to resist the pressures of imperialism or lead to an all-the-way revolutionary society. For that, the masses needed to be mobilized and trained in the course of a protracted class struggle, led by the proletariat.

In the Third World, Maoists argued the armed struggle needed to take the form of a protracted people’s war–that was waged by relying on the masses of people, surrounding the cities from the countryside and building up a new power within revolutionary base areas. Though this approach was based on the rich experience of the Chinese revolution, Mao warned revolutionaries around the world not to copy that experience but to creatively apply this strategic orientation to their own conditions.

In the beginning, Mao had hopes of possibly winning the Cuban leadership to a better path, and he personally met with Che during his 1960 trip to China. But Che Guevara remained convinced of his foco strategy and convinced that the Soviet Union should be embraced as a potential ally of the people’s movements.

Many other issues were raised by this famous ideological struggle of the 1960s and 1970s: Whether to forge new, revolutionary, communist parties to lead the revolutionary struggle, the role of armed struggle in revolution and how to organize the people for revolutionary war, how to evaluate different class forces in the world–including especially the peasantry in the world’s semi-colonial, semi-feudal countries–and how to continue the revolution after the seizure of power.

In this process, a new clarity emerged, based on advances in communist ideology–Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

Today, 41 years after the murder of Che, there have been many changes in the world. Major transformations have happened–including increased “shantytownization” in the Third World–and new leaps have taken place in the linkages of the international production and world market. With these changes have come new questions of how people can liberate themselves from imperialism. But for several billion dispossessed, poor and uprooted people across the planet, imperialist development and technology is nothing but a nightmare. For them the future is either going to be desperation or revolution. And for those in the oppressed nations, the Maoist path of protracted people’s war remains an urgent and practical solution to the problems of today.

There are many today, among the youth in the U.S. and Latin America, who have been attracted to Che Guevara–because they see in him a symbol of self-sacrifice, armed struggle and internationalism in the fight against U.S. imperialism. For all those motivated by deep love for the people, it is extremely important to dig deep into the historical experiences, to seriously struggle to grasp the differences between different lines and roads. Today, this is a life-and-death issue. It has everything to do with whether we can turn our revolutionary dreams into reality.

Chinese have a powerful past culture and unlike other vanished empires China is the only culture that is resurrecting itself once again.. only the germans were able to do this during the 1930's and 40's.. the chinese empire will rise to haunt the western world.. just like the former japanese empire once did.

The United States Corporate Government's religious practice of Corporate Flight created this imbalance beginning in Post-World War II to appease it's allies as well as maximizing corporate profit and tax exemptions.

Now, not so much a 'recession' or 'depression' but more Apocalypse/Armageddon.

'Divide and Rule' Masonic Philosophy

21st December 2012 to those who use the Gregorian calendar.

Year of the Dragon to the Chinese.

Dragon = Dinosaur of the Church.

Xanadu - Present day Beijing

Return of the Dragon (STS)

Enter the Dragon (The Black Berets)

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group offload cargo from a Kentucky Air Guard C-130 Hercules during Capstone '14, a homeland earthquake-response exercise at Fort Campbell, Ky., on June 18, 2014. The 123rd CRG joined forces with the U.S. Army's 688th Rapid Port Opening Element to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening here from June 16 to 19, 2014. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Staff Sgt. Daniel Guy, 736th Security Forces Squadron fire team leader, collects his parachute Aug. 21, 2013 after a static line jump over the Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flight line. As the integrated force protection element of the 36th Contingency Response Group, members of the 736th SFS provide a quick-response airborne capability that serves as an advance echelon team for contingency and humanitarian missions all over the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Marianique Santos)

SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 12, 2017) A CH-53E Super Stallion, assigned to the Ridge Runners of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163, takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8). Makin Island, the flagship for the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, with the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance amphibious capability with regional partners and to serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Devin M. Langer)

Royal Marines from 42 Commando Boarding RFA Mounts Bay

Members of 42 Commando Fleet Contingency conducting high vertical assaults on RFA Mounts Bay as part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials. 42 Commando Royal Marine’s Fleet Contingency Troop have been conducting high vertical assault drills onto RFA Mounts Bay in Portland Harbour, supported by Offshore Raiding Craft and Coxswains from 47 Commando RM.

The training forms part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials, utilising modern communication systems and autonomous capabilities, including mobile ad hoc networking radios MPU5, Ghost drone, which provides a live feed to ground commanders and the MADFOX unmanned surface vessel, used to provide deception and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Photos: LPhot Joe Cater

Tanks maneuver into position.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Two M1A2 Abrams tanks maneuver to their firing positions on Memorial Range near Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, July 27, 2011. Tank crews from Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, zeroed their 120mm main guns and machine guns during the exercise in support of Operation New Dawn.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Quentin Johnson, 2nd AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD – N)

Djiboutian Army 1st Rapid Action Regiment Squad Leader, Abou Bakr Housein, draws a sand table for his fellow squad members during a break from instruction on basic infantry movements, as part of a training course held in Ali Oune, Djibouti, Feb 2, 2011.

Photo by Master Sgt. Dawn M. Price

ALI OUNE, Djibouti– Under an overcast sky, nearly 200 members of the Djiboutian Army’s elite 1st Rapid Action Regiment honed their infantry skills, mentored by members of the U.S. Army National Guard’s 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment.

The training included instruction on squad movements, convoy operations, contact drills, camp security and marksmanship, and was part of a one-month course which began Jan. 16 and culminated with a graduation Feb. 10. The instruction included mortar crew training and a combat engineering course, according to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Perkins, mission commander and member of Charlie Company.

“Our mission here is to mentor the Djiboutian military as they prepare for upcoming missions. We’re trying to help them so they are capable of preventing conflict, establishing regional stability, and protecting coalition interests here,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Elder, an infantry squad leader with the 137th, who is a sheriff’s deputy in his hometown located near Topeka, Kan.

“My team and I are out here mentoring the soldiers and helping them along, basically giving them more tools for their toolbox. We’re showing them things that have helped us get through certain operations, and we want to help them so they can get through their future missions without any problem,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges the instructors faced was the language barrier due to few Djiboutian soldiers speaking English, according to Sgt. Jonathan Moyer, a team member with Echo Company. Instructors relied heavily on 2nd Lt. Omar Ali, Djibouti Army 2nd Company commander, who is fluent in four languages, and Mohamed Said, a Somali-born U.S. Army interpreter.

Throughout the morning, the small groups practiced team movements, and communicated contact and direction of fire. Loud whistle bursts signified enemy contact, and the Djiboutian soldiers moved succinctly, went into the prone position and assumed their staggered firing positions.

The regiment, which was established in 1991 and is comprised of a number of 20-year combat veterans, is the first unit in the Djiboutian Army called to deploy during a contingency, according to Ali. The regiment also provides border security on the Somaliland border located approximately seven miles from the camp.

“The goal for my soldiers is to prepare them for their mission and especially for a deployment under the United Nations, like they did in Haiti and Central Africa,” Ali said, who has been in the army since 2001. He attended an officer’s course with Germany’s mountain troops from 2004-2008 and will soon attend the Infantry Career Captain’s Course at Fort Benning, Ga.

According to Ali, the training is part of a continuation of training that began in September 2010 that included effective methods of instruction, commander operation skills course, a command post exercise, and company grade and noncommissioned officer courses.

Just one month ago, the newly-formed training camp consisted of just six concrete pads. Today the camp consists of about 12 tents, a mosque and a large covered classroom area.

“Camp Ali Oune is actually the first of its kind. The Djiboutians don’t have any bases here on the Somali border, and this camp is supposed to be here for quite a while. They will be utilizing the camp as a training area and for continuing operations to keep this region safe,” he said.

About two miles away in the shadow of a steep hill, other members of the Rapid Action Regiment sharpened their marksmanship skills using the Russian PKM 7.62-mm machine gun, which is the equivalent of the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Automatic gunfire and the ricochet of rounds echoed from the large rock-covered hill as each two-man team practiced firing in staccato bursts of three and five rounds.

“Very well done,” one of the instructors exclaimed after seeing a bullseye on the target of one team.

Ali said the training and mentoring provided by the 137th is beneficial because the cadre of instructors bring real-world operational experience.

“We already had a good relationship with the U.S. Army, and I have to say it’s a good thing and we have a good image of the U.S. Army,” Ali said.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

Official Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica

Royal Marines from 42 Commando Boarding RFA Mounts Bay

Members of 42 Commando Fleet Contingency conducting high vertical assaults on RFA Mounts Bay as part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials. 42 Commando Royal Marine’s Fleet Contingency Troop have been conducting high vertical assault drills onto RFA Mounts Bay in Portland Harbour, supported by Offshore Raiding Craft and Coxswains from 47 Commando RM.

The training forms part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials, utilising modern communication systems and autonomous capabilities, including mobile ad hoc networking radios MPU5, Ghost drone, which provides a live feed to ground commanders and the MADFOX unmanned surface vessel, used to provide deception and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Photos: LPhot Joe Cater

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group carry whole blood to a waiting C-130 Hercules at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 22, 2014. The blood is being sent to Liberia to support U.S. troops deployed for Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

Royal Marines from 42 Commando Boarding RFA Mounts Bay

Members of 42 Commando Fleet Contingency conducting high vertical assaults on RFA Mounts Bay as part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials. 42 Commando Royal Marine’s Fleet Contingency Troop have been conducting high vertical assault drills onto RFA Mounts Bay in Portland Harbour, supported by Offshore Raiding Craft and Coxswains from 47 Commando RM.

The training forms part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials, utilising modern communication systems and autonomous capabilities, including mobile ad hoc networking radios MPU5, Ghost drone, which provides a live feed to ground commanders and the MADFOX unmanned surface vessel, used to provide deception and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Photos: LPhot Joe Cater

Royal Marines from M Coy hone their skills during Royal Marine Boarding Course

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The Marines of M Coy, 42 Commando RM, have been consolidating their tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) on the final exercise of the RM Boarding Course at Bovington Training Area, Dorset.

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The arduous 8-week course will qualify the Commandos to take the mantle as the Fleet Contingency Troop (FCT) and will see them being held at a high state of readiness for potential deployments to key areas of national interest.

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Image: POPhot Paul Hall

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U.S. Army interpreter, Mohamed Said, instructs soldier of the Djiboutian Army’s 1st Quick Reaction Regiment his sector of fire during a training scenario at Camp Ali Oune, Djibouti, Feb. 2, 2011.

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey

ALI OUNE, Djibouti– Under an overcast sky, nearly 200 members of the Djiboutian Army’s elite 1st Rapid Action Regiment honed their infantry skills, mentored by members of the U.S. Army National Guard’s 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment.

The training included instruction on squad movements, convoy operations, contact drills, camp security and marksmanship, and was part of a one-month course which began Jan. 16 and culminated with a graduation Feb. 10. The instruction included mortar crew training and a combat engineering course, according to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Perkins, mission commander and member of Charlie Company.

“Our mission here is to mentor the Djiboutian military as they prepare for upcoming missions. We’re trying to help them so they are capable of preventing conflict, establishing regional stability, and protecting coalition interests here,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Elder, an infantry squad leader with the 137th, who is a sheriff’s deputy in his hometown located near Topeka, Kan.

“My team and I are out here mentoring the soldiers and helping them along, basically giving them more tools for their toolbox. We’re showing them things that have helped us get through certain operations, and we want to help them so they can get through their future missions without any problem,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges the instructors faced was the language barrier due to few Djiboutian soldiers speaking English, according to Sgt. Jonathan Moyer, a team member with Echo Company. Instructors relied heavily on 2nd Lt. Omar Ali, Djibouti Army 2nd Company commander, who is fluent in four languages, and Mohamed Said, a Somali-born U.S. Army interpreter.

Throughout the morning, the small groups practiced team movements, and communicated contact and direction of fire. Loud whistle bursts signified enemy contact, and the Djiboutian soldiers moved succinctly, went into the prone position and assumed their staggered firing positions.

The regiment, which was established in 1991 and is comprised of a number of 20-year combat veterans, is the first unit in the Djiboutian Army called to deploy during a contingency, according to Ali. The regiment also provides border security on the Somaliland border located approximately seven miles from the camp.

“The goal for my soldiers is to prepare them for their mission and especially for a deployment under the United Nations, like they did in Haiti and Central Africa,” Ali said, who has been in the army since 2001. He attended an officer’s course with Germany’s mountain troops from 2004-2008 and will soon attend the Infantry Career Captain’s Course at Fort Benning, Ga.

According to Ali, the training is part of a continuation of training that began in September 2010 that included effective methods of instruction, commander operation skills course, a command post exercise, and company grade and noncommissioned officer courses.

Just one month ago, the newly-formed training camp consisted of just six concrete pads. Today the camp consists of about 12 tents, a mosque and a large covered classroom area.

“Camp Ali Oune is actually the first of its kind. The Djiboutians don’t have any bases here on the Somali border, and this camp is supposed to be here for quite a while. They will be utilizing the camp as a training area and for continuing operations to keep this region safe,” he said.

About two miles away in the shadow of a steep hill, other members of the Rapid Action Regiment sharpened their marksmanship skills using the Russian PKM 7.62-mm machine gun, which is the equivalent of the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Automatic gunfire and the ricochet of rounds echoed from the large rock-covered hill as each two-man team practiced firing in staccato bursts of three and five rounds.

“Very well done,” one of the instructors exclaimed after seeing a bullseye on the target of one team.

Ali said the training and mentoring provided by the 137th is beneficial because the cadre of instructors bring real-world operational experience.

“We already had a good relationship with the U.S. Army, and I have to say it’s a good thing and we have a good image of the U.S. Army,” Ali said.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica

Airmen with the 108th Contingency Response Group of the New Jersey Air National Guard train for technical rescue situations at the PATRIOT 2014 exercise at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wis. July 20, 2014. Several units of the Air National Guard, Army National Guard and Reserve units from various states are working with local, state and national organizations to train on, perform and assess their ability to respond to multiple emergencies. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jenna V. Lenski/Released)

Master Sgt. Stephen Nelson, 435th Contingency Response Group contingency air traffic controller, instructs Bulgarian paratroopers on the correct way to use a standard U.S. parachute during a flying training deployment, July 17, 2013, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. American and Bulgarian paratroopers exchanged parachutes for the opportunity to conduct a wing exchange at the end of FTD Thracian Summer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Trevor Rhynes)

Photographer - Cpl Wes Calder RLC

Pictured - Soldiers from B Company 2 Riles conduct house clearing through a village.

Exercise BAVARIAN CHARGER is the first of three large contingency operation exercises being undertaken by 20th Armoured Brigade between May ñ October 2013. Contingency Operations training is known as Hybrid Foundation Training or HFT.

The aim of this exercise is to train the 5 Rifles, The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) Battle Groups and 1 Logistic Support Regiment in combined arms manoeuvre.

The exercise is split into 3 main phases. The first phase consists of a two week live firing exercise in Grafenwoer, Southern Germany, that enables the units and soldiers to refine their skills with their equipment and weapons. Training is constructed to develop skills from the individual level through to the Battlegroup level and culminates in a final attack that sees the use of helicopters, tanks, artillery and infantry combined.

The second phase will see all the exercising units transition from Grafenwoer to Hohnfels, some 100 km further south and simulates the kind of movements that are undertaken when moving an Armed force into hostile territory.

The third, and final phase is designed to test the planning and execution of combined arms manoeuvre operations in a hostile environment. The units will execute orders based on the delivery of Brigade Orders to defeat the enemy within the scenario.

2100 personnel with upto 768 vehicles ranging from Landrover, to Tanks to Apache helicopters are being exercised from 20th Armoured Brigade whose Headquarters are based in Sennelager, Germany. Approximately 500 personnel are required to support those training to ensure that supplies are maintained, vehicles are fixed and soldiers fed.

NOTE TO DESKS:

MoD release authorised handout images.

All images remain crown copyright.

Photo credit to read - Cpl Wes Calder RLC

Email: wescalder@mediaops.army.mod.uk

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (May 9, 2015) - Nepalese army soldiers and U.S. Air Force 36th Contingency Response Group Airmen work with Republic of Singapore Air Force members to unload relief supplies from an RSAF C-130 Hercules at the Tribhuvan International. The Nepalese army and Airmen worked together to process 537,816 pounds of cargo in a 24-hour period from 13 aircraft delivering relief supplies delivered in response to a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released) 150509-F-XN788-053

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Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., tear down their air mobility forward support base at the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La., at the end of their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 24, 2013. The CRW specializes in rapidly establishing air mobility support operations in disaster-stricken, austere or hostile environments in response to natural disasters or combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres/Released)

LADOT - Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Special Traffic Operations, Transportation and Traffic Management Plan and Program Contingency Engineers during the operation of the Ciclavia Meets The East, Central and West Hollywoods Open Streets for the People Powered Bikes and Pedestrians with Non-Motorized Vehicular Traffic in the Cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood Open Streets Bicycle Route followed by La Brea Avenue is a (Anti-Gridlock Zone and Do Not Block Intersection signage) general crossing point for automobiles and bikes to cross traffic for automobiles intersection traffic signal green lights, left turn protected permissive yellow green arrow lights (No U Turn signage), pedestrian crosswalk crossing white walking lights located at Hollywood area in Los Angeles, California 90038 and the City Limits of West Hollywood, California 90046 - 90069.

This is the continuous Ciclavia Meets The Hollywoods between East and West Hollywood Bike Route.

(Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Division Patrol Station Number 6, LAPD West Traffic Division Station Number 27, LADOT - Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Parking Enforcement Hollywood Division Agency 54 on 411 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California 90004-3512, Los Angeles City Council District 13 Office of Councilmember Mitchell O’Farrell transitioning into Hugo Soto-Martinez)

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Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., tear down their air mobility forward support base at the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La., at the end of their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 24, 2013. The CRW specializes in rapidly establishing air mobility support operations in disaster-stricken, austere or hostile environments in response to natural disasters or combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres/Released)

www.usaraf.army.mil

U.S. Army Africa command team visit peacekeeping training sites in Rwanda, Burundi

Story and photo by Sgt. Maj. Kimberly Williams

U.S. Army Africa

ENTEBBE, Uganda – Capacity building is a top priority for U.S. Army Africa. Therefore, during a visit to Rwanda and Burundi Oct. 19-20, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III and Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Bronson, the command team for U.S. Army Africa, seized the opportunity to see Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance sites in both countries.

“I was very impressed by the ACOTA programs in Rwanda and Burundi, where we are working closely with our partners to increase their capacity to support peacekeeping operations,” said Garrett.

Managed and funded by the Department of State, ACOTA is an initiative designed to improve African ability to respond quickly to crises by providing selected militaries with the training and equipment required to execute humanitarian or peace support operations.

At each site, civilian facilitators work closely with U.S. military noncommissioned officers, sent to the countries as mentors, in order to provide the most up-to-date and realistic learning experience possible.

Bronson, as U.S. Army Africa’s senior NCO, took the opportunity to meet with the U.S. facilitators and mentors in both countries to determine the road ahead. In the future, said Bronson, U.S. Army Africa needs to develop a process to prepare U.S. Army mentors for their role and to match up the right individuals with the skills needed.

But, Bronson said he is very impressed with what he has seen so far in both Rwanda and Burundi.

The ACOTA program is Rwanda is focused on preparing soldiers for peacekeeping operations while deployed in Darfur, Sudan. The site in Rwanda also has a computer simulation lab, which is the only simulation center for peacekeeping support operations in Africa.

“The partnership is doing great,” said Col. Aloys Muganga, commandant of the Rwanda Military Academy at Gako, which hosts the ACOTA in Rwanda. “They have trained my people so well that we can now train ourselves.”

Similar to Rwanda, the ACOTA program in Burundi focuses on preparing soldiers for peacekeeping operations, but in this case, to Mogadishu, Somalia.

This is the seventh iteration of ACOTA in Burundi.

The four-week program in Burundi includes individual skills, collective skills, lane evaluations, weapons familiarization and live fire ranges.

The 1st Battalion of the Burundi Land Forces took part in the first ACOTA rotation in 2007 and just recently returned from deployment to Mogadishu. Now, the Burundi Land Forces are bringing in these experienced soldiers to train the next rotations.

Sgt. Norberto Ramos, from the U.S. Army National Guard’s Co. B, 165th Infantry Battalion from Puerto Rice, is in Burundi along with two other NCOs to provide mentorship during the four-week program. Ramos said he believes the ACOTA program is successful.

“This has been great,” he said. “You can see the Burundi soldiers’ eagerness to learn in their eyes. “They are a beautiful people.”

“I’m happier and more satisfied with what I’m doing here than any time before,” Ramos said. “It builds me up as a leader and a person. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here.”

CAPTION: Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuriyo (left), Burundi Land Forces commander, describes the outstanding efforts of Capt. Nicolas Bashizimpaka (right), who recently returned from peacekeeping operations in Mogadishu, Somalia, as Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, U.S. Army Africa commanding general, presents a coin to Bashizimpaka. Bashizimpaka attended the first Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program in Burundi and will now pass on his first-hand knowledge to train battalions before they deploy.

Djiboutian Army 2nd Company 1st Rapid Action Regiment, 2nd Lt. Omar Ali (center), 2nd Company commander, properly positions his soldiers during a soldier techniques class as part of a training course held in Ali Oune, Djibouti, Feb 2, 2011.

Photo by Master Sgt. Dawn M. Price

ALI OUNE, Djibouti– Under an overcast sky, nearly 200 members of the Djiboutian Army’s elite 1st Rapid Action Regiment honed their infantry skills, mentored by members of the U.S. Army National Guard’s 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment.

The training included instruction on squad movements, convoy operations, contact drills, camp security and marksmanship, and was part of a one-month course which began Jan. 16 and culminated with a graduation Feb. 10. The instruction included mortar crew training and a combat engineering course, according to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Perkins, mission commander and member of Charlie Company.

“Our mission here is to mentor the Djiboutian military as they prepare for upcoming missions. We’re trying to help them so they are capable of preventing conflict, establishing regional stability, and protecting coalition interests here,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Elder, an infantry squad leader with the 137th, who is a sheriff’s deputy in his hometown located near Topeka, Kan.

“My team and I are out here mentoring the soldiers and helping them along, basically giving them more tools for their toolbox. We’re showing them things that have helped us get through certain operations, and we want to help them so they can get through their future missions without any problem,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges the instructors faced was the language barrier due to few Djiboutian soldiers speaking English, according to Sgt. Jonathan Moyer, a team member with Echo Company. Instructors relied heavily on 2nd Lt. Omar Ali, Djibouti Army 2nd Company commander, who is fluent in four languages, and Mohamed Said, a Somali-born U.S. Army interpreter.

Throughout the morning, the small groups practiced team movements, and communicated contact and direction of fire. Loud whistle bursts signified enemy contact, and the Djiboutian soldiers moved succinctly, went into the prone position and assumed their staggered firing positions.

The regiment, which was established in 1991 and is comprised of a number of 20-year combat veterans, is the first unit in the Djiboutian Army called to deploy during a contingency, according to Ali. The regiment also provides border security on the Somaliland border located approximately seven miles from the camp.

“The goal for my soldiers is to prepare them for their mission and especially for a deployment under the United Nations, like they did in Haiti and Central Africa,” Ali said, who has been in the army since 2001. He attended an officer’s course with Germany’s mountain troops from 2004-2008 and will soon attend the Infantry Career Captain’s Course at Fort Benning, Ga.

According to Ali, the training is part of a continuation of training that began in September 2010 that included effective methods of instruction, commander operation skills course, a command post exercise, and company grade and noncommissioned officer courses.

Just one month ago, the newly-formed training camp consisted of just six concrete pads. Today the camp consists of about 12 tents, a mosque and a large covered classroom area.

“Camp Ali Oune is actually the first of its kind. The Djiboutians don’t have any bases here on the Somali border, and this camp is supposed to be here for quite a while. They will be utilizing the camp as a training area and for continuing operations to keep this region safe,” he said.

About two miles away in the shadow of a steep hill, other members of the Rapid Action Regiment sharpened their marksmanship skills using the Russian PKM 7.62-mm machine gun, which is the equivalent of the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Automatic gunfire and the ricochet of rounds echoed from the large rock-covered hill as each two-man team practiced firing in staccato bursts of three and five rounds.

“Very well done,” one of the instructors exclaimed after seeing a bullseye on the target of one team.

Ali said the training and mentoring provided by the 137th is beneficial because the cadre of instructors bring real-world operational experience.

“We already had a good relationship with the U.S. Army, and I have to say it’s a good thing and we have a good image of the U.S. Army,” Ali said.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Feb. 26, 2022) - Airmen of the 123rd Contingency Response Group, Kentucky Air National Guard, prepare to offload materiel from a U.S. Air Force C-130J from the California Air National Guard during Exercise Arctic Eagle-Patriot 2022. Joint Exercise Arctic Eagle-Patriot 2022 increases the National Guard’s capacity to operate in austere, extreme cold-weather environments across Alaska and the Arctic region. AEP22 enhances the ability of military and civilian inter-agency partners to respond to a variety of emergency and homeland security missions across Alaska and the Arctic. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. LeAnne (Ian) Withrow) 220226-A-VL305-0046

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Burundi peacekeepers prepare for next rotation to Somalia

By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa

BUJUMBURA, Burundi – Under the shade of a tree, Pvt. Avlerie Mdayimiye cleans her Kalashnikov assault rifle and chats with fellow infantry soldiers about their upcoming peacekeeping deployment to Somalia.

One of two women in her battalion, Mdayimiye reflects on her decision to join the infantry with pride.

“I want to support my nation and to help other people,” she said.

In the coming months, the infantrywoman will have the opportunity to do both.

Recently trained through the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program, Mdayimiye’s battalion will soon serve with the African Union Mission in Somalia, a peacekeeping operation geared toward stabilizing Somalia’s security situation.

But now, she is among hundreds of Burundian National Defense Force troops awaiting orders to move to Mogadishu, the Somali capital, where they will serve a one year tour alongside Ugandan troops. While waiting, the battalion set up camp near the Bujumbura International Airport.

Soldiers dry clothes and bedding under midday sun and cluster under shade to clean their rifles. A few hundred yards away, a massive Ethiopian Airways jet touches down on the tarmac. Nearby, air defense artillerymen shout commands as they drill with their 23-mm cannons.

Smoke drifts from peat cooking fires between the camp’s green camouflage tents, signaling lunch time. Mdayimiye taps a magazine into her rifle, checks that it’s functioning properly and heads to a nearby field, where soldiers stir large pots of rice and beans.

Meanwhile, at Burundi’s military headquarters, U.S. Army Africa officers are discussing peacekeeping operations with senior Burundian officers – sharing ideas on how brigade staff plan missions and run a tactical field headquarters, an effort to improve efficiency within Burundi’s peacekeeping contingent.

Burundi regularly supports African stability through military partnerships, with troops recently taking part in three regional exercises. In Sept. 2009, Burundi sent troops to Mlima Kilimanjaro, an exercise in Tanzania, followed by Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led a humanitarian and civic assistance exercise held in Uganda during October. Then, in late-November, Burundi participated in Eastern African Standby Brigade military exercises in Djibouti.

Meanwhile, they continue to train and deploy peacekeepers to Mogadishu, a mission Burundi has supported since 2007.

The U.S. State Department supports Burundi’s ongoing efforts to partner with other African nations in peacekeeping, to include offering assistance through the ACOTA program. U.S. Army Africa coordinated its recent mentorship engagement with the U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura.

Participating in peacekeeping is very important for Burundi, a nation that experienced 15 years of war within its borders, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, who currently heads Burundi’s land forces and is slated to serve in a senior leadership role with AMISOM in Somalia.

“Today our country is peaceful,” Ndikuryio said. ‘We were helped by the African Union and the international community. Supporting peacekeeping efforts shows we are now able to help others through the AU and offer experiences we learned.”

For nearly two decades, Somalia endured war and chaos. Following a 2007 peace deal, some stability was established as moderate Islamists joined the Somali government.

Still, Mogadishu remains violent, with extremists and criminal groups working against international efforts to bring security to Somali people.

Hardliners have made their intent clear, targeting peacekeepers from Burundi and Uganda.

“One of the main challenges our forces are facing is the use of IEDs by al-Shabaab insurgents,” Ndikuryio said.

In February 2009, 11 troops from Burundi died when insurgents attacked an African Union peacekeeping base in Somalia's capital. Another 15 peacekeepers sustained serious injuries. The Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. Then in Sept. 2009, extremists struck again with a suicide bombing at Mogadishu airport that left at least nine African peacekeepers dead, to include Burundian Maj. Gen. Juvenal Niyoyunguruza, deputy commander of the AMISOM force.

“Most of our soldiers who have been killed were killed by IEDs,” Ndikuryio said. “We are not experienced with managing that kind of threat, so we look to our international partners, such as U.S. Army Africa, for information to better prepare ourselves.”

Cleared for public release.

Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa

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INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 20, 2017) A Mark 38 Mod. II machine gun system aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) fires 25mm rounds during a live fire exercise on the starboard weather deck. America, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Asia Pacific region to strengthen partnerships and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Vance Hand/Released)

Maj. Mike Welch, 621st Contingency Response Wing air mobility liaison officer assigned to the U.S. Army’s 1st Theatre Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., sets up a marker for a C-130 Hercules circling over the drop zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 17, 2013, during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09. Air Mobility Command AMLOs are rated pilots or navigators assigned to U.S. Army and Marine units who coordinate with joint and coalition partners for Air Force air mobility services. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres/Released)

A convoy of vehicles from 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade 1st Cavalry Division, arrives on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, Oct. 7. The unit, which is the first self-redeploying unit to leave Iraq, passed through COB Adder to allow soldiers to rest and refuel before heading on to Kuwait.

Sgt. Victor Aguirre, 509th Signal Battalion (rear), observes Spc. James Lagerstrom adjust cables on a satellite dish on communications gear associated with the U.S. Army Africa Forward Command Element.

Photo by Rich Bartell, U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs Office

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

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When the U.S. Army Africa Forward Command Element rolls onto a C-130 to head to Ghana in August, it will be with state of the art electronics allowing worldwide communications.

The USARAF FCE, similar to a tactical operations center with sophisticated internet and video teleconference capabilities, is a flexible command post that responds to deployment requests through U.S. Africa Command.

“The USARAF FCE can move out and be in any given African country in less than 72 hours,” said Sgt. Maj. Aaron Miller, non-commissioned officer in charge of the USARAF Contingency Command Post.

During a recent tour of the mobile command center, USARAF Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg saw firsthand the power and flexibility of the mobile command post.

“Our C-130 version of a crisis command headquarters makes USARAF capable of deploying anywhere in the world if needed, but more specifically, anywhere in Africa. We can roll off the plane and within two hours have a fully operationally command and control system to cover any environment, Army pure, joint or inter-agency. We have tremendous capability now,” Hogg said.

Hogg expressed his gratitude to Soldiers of the USARAF G-6, Communications and Information Services and higher headquarters.

“Colonel Joe Angyal and his G-6 staff have done a wonderful job and none of this would have happened without the support of Headquarters Department of the Army. So we definitely want to thank them,” Hogg added.

NEW COMMUNICATIONS GEAR GIVES WORLDWIDE REACH

Recently, USRAF communications Soldiers with the FCE took on the challenges that new electronics can pose. The new system provides worldwide communications capability along with the added ability to work from a remote location with few amenities.

“We have about two weeks of training to smooth out some of the wrinkles” said Maj. Gary Philman, the USARAF signal operations officer and acting chief of the CCP. “We’ve been fortunate to get the new communications package and we’re integrating it with some of our existing systems.”

Philman said the FCE is the deployable headquarters for USARAF, and can be the first organization to hit the ground in advance of a joint task force.

“The FCE staff size depends on the mission request and can vary from eight to more than 20 personnel,” Philman said. “Our commanding general comes with the FCE when requested by an ambassador, [but] it can be commanded by a USARAF staff colonel or the CCP chief,” Philman said.

USARAF Spc. James Lagerstrom, information technology specialist with the CCP, deploys with FCE as one of the Soldiers ensuring the command element’s communications gear is up and running.

“Wherever we go … we can communicate,” Lagerstrom said. “We have internet and even have video teleconference ability [as well as] highly mobile.”

In August the FCE will get a chance do a live shakedown test of its communications equipment in the Republic of Ghana.

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www.142fw.ang.af.mil/

The 142nd Fighter Wing's rich history began just prior to World War II as the United States increased its military readiness while war raged across Europe and Asia.

Today, as a vital Air National Guard asset to Air Combat Command and Air Expeditionary Force structures, the 142nd Fighter Wing conducts Air Sovereignty Alert operations 24/7 in the Pacific Northwest. The wing also participates in contingency operations in support of state and federal authorities.

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The Oregon Air National Guard and the 142nd Fighter Wing's history began just prior to World War II when the United States, monitoring the war raging in Europe and China, began focusing less on neutrality and more on preparedness. Answering the call to arms was Major G. Robert Dodson, an Oregonian serving with the 321st Observation Squadron, U.S. Army Reserve at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington. He requested the National Guard Bureau's authorization to form an Oregon flying unit. His short, official request -- "We've got people, we've got a place, and we're ready!" -- launched the 123rd Observation Squadron on April 18, 1941. The newly formed unit began operations with two officers, 108 enlisted men and two aircraft, a North American BC-1A (like the AT-6) and a Douglas O-46A.

Five months later, on September 15, 1941, the squadron was federally activated and deployed to Gray Field at Fort Lewis, Washington from which it conducted coastal patrol and training operations in the Pacific Northwest with the North American O-47. This included one of the first missions flown from a U.S. base on December 7, 1941. In March 1943 the 123rd was redesignated as a Reconnaissance Squadron, and redesignated again in August 1943 as the 35th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (PRS). From September 1944 to August 1945 the unit flew the F-5 reconnaissance variant of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning in combat operations in the China-Burma-India theatre as part of the Fourteenth Air Force, the famous "Flying Tigers." The squadron received credit for participation in seven campaigns in World War II. Not all 123rd personnel served with the 35th PRS, as some were diverted to other units as early as 1942 and served elsewhere in the Pacific and in Europe. As part of the large drawdown of forces after the war, the 35th PRS inactivated on November 7, 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

Less than a year later, the 35th PRS was revived, redesignated as the 123rd Fighter Squadron (Single Engine, SE) and allocated to the State of Oregon National Guard, effective 26 June, 1946. At a similar time, and as part of a larger ANG reorganization, the 371st Fighter Group was allocated to the State of Oregon, and redesignated as the 142nd Fighter Group on May 24, 1946. The 123rd FS (SE) fell under the 142nd Fighter Group at Portland Air Base. The 142nd inherited the lineage and honors of the 371st FG, which flew combat missions with the P-47 Thunderbolt in the European Theater of Operations in World War II and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for exceptional heroism in 1945. Thus the 142nd FG began fighter operations for the first time in the North American P-51D Mustang with 75 officers and 800 enlisted. men.

Beginning in 1950, the group mobilized in response to the Korean War. Individually activated pilots of the 123rd FS flew over 1,000 combat missions with active duty squadrons of the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing in the F-51D Mustang. The 142nd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron deployed to Alaska to bolster ground radar coverage in remote areas against the growing Soviet bomber threat, while the 142nd Fighter Group performed the air defense mission as part of the Continental Air Command. In 1952 both the group and squadron were redesignated Fighter Interceptor units.

After supporting the Korean conflict the 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group remained very active in air defense matters through the Cold War years. In the summer of 1958, the 142nd began standing 24-hour air defense alert and continues to this day. As an example of the unit's readiness and capability, in 1976, the unit won top honors at a pair of Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) competitions, the Weapons Loading Competition and the famous William Tell Air Defense Competition. SMSgt Alan Kaser, TSgt Lane Hoffman, TSgt Mark Wiebold and TSgt Joe Woodburn won the Weapons Loading Competition with two near perfect loads, a high test score and maximum points on the tools and equipment checks. In William Tell 1976, the 142nd garnered first place in the F-101 category and Lt. Col. Don Tonole and Maj. Brad Newell captured the overall "Top Gun" title flying the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo. Success came again at William Tell 1984 when the unit placed first in the F-4 category flying the McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II and beat many of its F-15 Eagle and F-106 Delta Dart rivals in the overall competition. Majors Ron Moore and Bill Dejager were the overall F-4 "Top Guns" of the competition. In the 50th Year of William Tell Anniversary Competition held in 2004, the 142nd Fighter Wing was rated first in Maintenance, Element Attack and Gun categories. These William Tell successes demonstrate Oregon's long history of excellent performance and readiness to accomplish the real world mission.

Since the end of the Cold War, the 142nd has served as the principle air defense unit of the Pacific Northwest. In 1992, as part of a large USAF reorganization, both the group and squadron were redesignated yet again as the 142nd Fighter Group and the 123rd Fighter Squadron, respectively. In 1995 the group was elevated to wing status, beginning its current designation as the 142nd Fighter Wing. The wing participated in a wide variety of expeditionary and humanitarian assistance missions in the turbulent post-Cold War environment while providing air defense of the Pacific Northwest. These included major deployments to Turkey in 1998 for Operation NORTHERN WATCH and to Saudi Arabia in 2000 for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, patrolling the no-fly zones then in place over Iraq. The wing deployed aircraft to Panama in 1998 in support of counterdrug missions, helping stem the flow of the drug trade by air. Wing personnel deployed on various other missions, sending medical troops to Belize, civil engineers to Macedonia, and to such places around the globe as Curacao, Denmark, Germany, Guam, Kuwait, Spain and the United Kingdom.

On September 11, 2001, the wing was one of the first units to respond to the dastardly terrorist attacks on the east coast with increased air defense to enhance security on the west coast, and subsequently participated in Operation NOBLE EAGLE, the national military response to homeland defense. In 2004, unit personnel provided humanitarian aid in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2007 floods in Vernonia, Oregon. The wing also supported ongoing contingency operations in Southwest Asia, including Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, such as in the 2004 deployment of medical personnel to Qatar and the 2009 deployment of Security Forces Squadron personnel to Iraq.

From its creation, the 142nd Fighter Wing has flown the P-51/F-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, F-94 Starfire, F-89 Scorpion, F-102 Delta Dagger, F-101 Voodoo, F-4 Phantom II fighter planes and a host of support aircraft.

Today, the fighting "Redhawks" are proud to continue service as a vital part of the Total Force team, defending our nation with the F-15 Eagle, providing both continuous air defense and air superiority capabilities. With more than 1,000 officers and airmen, the 142nd Fighter Wing guards the Pacific Northwest skies from northern California to the Canadian border, on 24-hour Air Sovereignty Alert as part of Air Combat Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The wing also stands ready to participate in state and federal contingency missions as required.

Maj. Mike Welch, 621st Contingency Response Wing air mobility liaison officer assigned to the U.S. Army’s 1st Theatre Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., calls in instructions to a C-130 Hercules circling over the drop zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 17, 2013, during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres/Released)

USARAF Contingency Command Post Chief, Lt. Col. Mike Larsen, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Photo by U.S. Army Africa

A quick response by U.S. Army Africa to a request from U.S. Ambassador to the Ivory Coast, Phillip Carter III, evolved into an evacuation mission April 3.

Conflicting factions in and around the city of Abidjan had created dangerous conditions for civilian State Department employees, resulting in their relocation to safe havens. Within 36 hours of receiving the mission, a six-man USARAF team was on its way to Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

The team was led by Lt. Col. Mike Larsen, USARAF Contingency Command Post Chief, and consisted of Lt. Col. Nicolas Lovelace, Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Drafall, and U.S. Marines Staff Sgt. Pete Schumacher and Sgt. John Tillman, and Paul Levine, a Department of the Army civilian.

“Our team accomplished the mission very rapidly. We received our orders, packed, performed a quick SRP (Soldier Readiness Processing) and flew within a day,” Larsen said.

Traveling to Abidjan, in a C-130J, the team integrated with a joint operations command at Licorne, a French military base under the command of Brig. Gen. Jean-Pierre Palasset.

The political landscape in the Ivory Coast had been unstable since December, in the wake of a national presidential election, losing incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to recognize the winner, Alassane Ouattara.

According to Larsen, the streets of Abidjan were in turmoil when the USARAF team arrived. Roadblocks and factional fighting added to the danger and confusion of the situation. The USARAF team was unable to reach the U.S. Embassy through normal ground routes. At Licorne, they set up operations and communications links to home base in Vicenza, Italy.

“Things continued to fester and become more unstable in the Ivory Coast,” Larsen said. “Tensions from a previous civil war and cultural differences added to the general instability of the life in the Ivory Coast since the election.

“When we arrived in Abidjan a lot was occurring and the two factions were on the verge a major engagement. Lines of communication were cut-off. It was difficult to tell who the good guys were at many of the roadblocks that were set up. It was impossible to make it to the embassy from the ground, and several U.S. diplomats were in need of a safe haven,” Larsen said.

The French forces quickly established assembly areas where civilians were picked up and taken to the airport near the French base.

Larsen said Abidjan was rife with a variety of military activity and para-military personnel. In addition to the two combative Ivorian factions and various militia units, there was a large U.N. presence and French forces at Licorne Base. He explained the assistance provided by French troops and their leadership enabled the USARAF team to set up and begin their mission of finding and relocating more than 70 civilians from Abidjan.

“We would have been completely inefficient without the French military. It was refreshing and enlightening to work with the French Army. They were completely transparent and their operation was impressively efficient,” Larsen said.

“At assembly areas the French were balanced and professional. It was balance between lethal action, political pressure and force protection. At roadblocks French forces were careful to not to inject themselves into the confusion. Not one of the displaced embassy civilians were injured and it was amazing that for the amount of violence that surrounded them, only one French soldier was wounded by small-arms fire,” he said.

“It was clear French forces followed the UN’s mandate to protect the civilian population from the warring factions and additionally recognizing the legitimacy of president Ouattara,” Larsen said.

In a letter to Larsen, Drafall was credited by Ambassador Carter for his work during the mission.

“I want you to know how critical Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Drafall was to our operations in Abidjan, and how much I appreciated his work in support of the Embassy during an incredibly difficult and dangerous time in Cote d'Ivoire,” Carter said.

“During this time, I received calls from Ambassador Yates, Secretary Clinton, and President Obama, each of whom thanked the team here for loyal and steadfast duty during the crisis. This team includes the chief. His work with U.S. Africa Command and subordinate units and the country team here was critical to the success of the embassy,” Carter said.

For Lovelace, who is with USARAF’s International Military Affairs Division, Security Cooperation Directorate, the success of the mission was a result of prior training and coordination with the French.

“In Paris, Lt. Col. Larsen and I engaged the French joint staff during initial joint operations planning in December,” he said. Later, Lovelace participated in Lion Torch, a deployment to the Ivory Coast where he established critical relationships with key members of the French Joint Task Force at Licorne.

Lovelace echoed Larsen’s assessment of the team’s communications crew.

“Our two JSCE Marine NCOs are expert communicators. They knew the environment and exactly what it took to rapidly establish communications between our team at the French base, our headquarters in Vicenza and the embassy,” Lovelace said.

For JSCE communications NCO Schumacher, the Ivory Coast mission was all about teamwork.

“The collaboration between USARAF and JCSE members of the team was top-notch. Our mission went nearly flawlessly, our travel in and out of the country went smoothly,” Schumacher said.

“While on the ground in Abidjan, our equipment came up quickly and supported the team. Our French hosts were extremely accommodating and efficient in carrying out all operations with less technology and older equipment,” he said.

Larsen, who will soon take the helm of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rdAirborne Brigade Combat Team, summed up the mission.

“This was a team effort and this experience with USARAF had made me a better officer. It’s given me a better appreciation and understanding of how embassies work and component commands work. It’s been a professionally rewarding experience,” Larsen said.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

Merseyside Police Land Rover

Merseyside Police is asking members of the public to take care in today's severe weather conditions across the region.

During today's severe weather conditions, Merseyside Police has been working with partner agencies to ensure public safety and minimal disruption for the communities of Merseyside.

Merseyside Police would like to reassure the public that together with local resilience from partner agencies, it has tried and tested contingency plans in place for extreme weather conditions. Those plans have been implemented today and partner agencies will respond appropriately to all emergency calls and ensure recovery plans are in place to return to a state of normality as soon as possible.

The public are asked to exercise caution during periods of severe weather and avoid unnecessary journeys.

Officers are also reminding residents that the New Brighton promenade and Vale Park remain closed due to the severe weather conditions. Members of the public are advised to avoid these areas at this time and to be cautious around coastal areas.

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/live-merseysi...

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group remove the transport wheels from a mobile airfield operations center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 17, 2014, in support of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Airmen are operating an Intermediate Staging Base in Dakar to funnel humanitarian aid and military support equipment into affected areas, working in concert with Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 689th Rapid Port Opening Element to staff a Joint Task Force-Port Opening. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

A U.S. Air Force Airman part of the Joint Task Force-Port Opening team of the 621st Contingency Response Wing assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., helps to augment airport security along with local security personnel during Operation United Assistance, Oct. 16The JTF-PO is supporting a comprehensive U.S. government effort led by the U.S Agency for International Development, to support the World Health Organization and other international partners to help the Governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone respond to and contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/ Released)

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District’s Forward Engineer Support Team – Advance participate in Exercise Arctic Edge April 20-30, 2010, where they assisted with aerial route reconnaissance, bridge assessment and contingency gap crossing expertise. Read more about it at www.army.mil/-news/2010/04/07/36961-europe-engineer-suppo... (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)

BOULDER CITY, NEV. – The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and representatives from all seven Colorado River Basin states gathered today and signed completed drought contingency plans for the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins at Hoover Dam. These completed plans are designed to reduce risks from ongoing drought and protect the single most important water resource in the western United States.

Col. Timothy Brown, 435th Contingency Response Group commander, executes an airborne jump out of a C-17 Globemaster III over the drop zone in Alzey, Germany, June 14, 2010. Five NATO countries participated in the annual event to support one of U. S. Air Forces in Europe's top priorities, building partnerships. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Grovert Fuentes-Contreras)

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U.S. Army Africa command team visit peacekeeping training sites in Rwanda, Burundi

Story and photo by Sgt. Maj. Kimberly Williams

U.S. Army Africa

ENTEBBE, Uganda – Capacity building is a top priority for U.S. Army Africa. Therefore, during a visit to Rwanda and Burundi Oct. 19-20, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III and Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Bronson, the command team for U.S. Army Africa, seized the opportunity to see Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance sites in both countries.

“I was very impressed by the ACOTA programs in Rwanda and Burundi, where we are working closely with our partners to increase their capacity to support peacekeeping operations,” said Garrett.

Managed and funded by the Department of State, ACOTA is an initiative designed to improve African ability to respond quickly to crises by providing selected militaries with the training and equipment required to execute humanitarian or peace support operations.

At each site, civilian facilitators work closely with U.S. military noncommissioned officers, sent to the countries as mentors, in order to provide the most up-to-date and realistic learning experience possible.

Bronson, as U.S. Army Africa’s senior NCO, took the opportunity to meet with the U.S. facilitators and mentors in both countries to determine the road ahead. In the future, said Bronson, U.S. Army Africa needs to develop a process to prepare U.S. Army mentors for their role and to match up the right individuals with the skills needed.

But, Bronson said he is very impressed with what he has seen so far in both Rwanda and Burundi.

The ACOTA program is Rwanda is focused on preparing soldiers for peacekeeping operations while deployed in Darfur, Sudan. The site in Rwanda also has a computer simulation lab, which is the only simulation center for peacekeeping support operations in Africa.

“The partnership is doing great,” said Col. Aloys Muganga, commandant of the Rwanda Military Academy at Gako, which hosts the ACOTA in Rwanda. “They have trained my people so well that we can now train ourselves.”

Similar to Rwanda, the ACOTA program in Burundi focuses on preparing soldiers for peacekeeping operations, but in this case, to Mogadishu, Somalia.

This is the seventh iteration of ACOTA in Burundi.

The four-week program in Burundi includes individual skills, collective skills, lane evaluations, weapons familiarization and live fire ranges.

The 1st Battalion of the Burundi Land Forces took part in the first ACOTA rotation in 2007 and just recently returned from deployment to Mogadishu. Now, the Burundi Land Forces are bringing in these experienced soldiers to train the next rotations.

Sgt. Norberto Ramos, from the U.S. Army National Guard’s Co. B, 165th Infantry Battalion from Puerto Rice, is in Burundi along with two other NCOs to provide mentorship during the four-week program. Ramos said he believes the ACOTA program is successful.

“This has been great,” he said. “You can see the Burundi soldiers’ eagerness to learn in their eyes. “They are a beautiful people.”

“I’m happier and more satisfied with what I’m doing here than any time before,” Ramos said. “It builds me up as a leader and a person. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here.”

CAPTION: Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III (right), U.S. Army Africa commanding general, and Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuriyo, Burundi Land Forces commander, observe training being conducted at the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program in Burundi. The soldiers are preparing for an upcoming peacekeeping deployment in Mogadishu, Somalia.

JSC2014-E-026262 (12 March 2014) --- Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineers Reid Wiseman (left) of NASA and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency are pictured in a training mockup of the Zvezda service module on the International Space Station. This training was designed to train the crew members on ways to handle certain contingencies in an emergency scenario. Photo credit: NASA

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Perkins draws lines in the dirt to show a soldier of the Djiboutian Army’s 1st Quick Reaction Regiment his sector of fire during a training scenario at Camp Ali Oune, Djibouti, February 2, 2011.

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey

ALI OUNE, Djibouti– Under an overcast sky, nearly 200 members of the Djiboutian Army’s elite 1st Rapid Action Regiment honed their infantry skills, mentored by members of the U.S. Army National Guard’s 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment.

The training included instruction on squad movements, convoy operations, contact drills, camp security and marksmanship, and was part of a one-month course which began Jan. 16 and culminated with a graduation Feb. 10. The instruction included mortar crew training and a combat engineering course, according to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Perkins, mission commander and member of Charlie Company.

“Our mission here is to mentor the Djiboutian military as they prepare for upcoming missions. We’re trying to help them so they are capable of preventing conflict, establishing regional stability, and protecting coalition interests here,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Elder, an infantry squad leader with the 137th, who is a sheriff’s deputy in his hometown located near Topeka, Kan.

“My team and I are out here mentoring the soldiers and helping them along, basically giving them more tools for their toolbox. We’re showing them things that have helped us get through certain operations, and we want to help them so they can get through their future missions without any problem,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges the instructors faced was the language barrier due to few Djiboutian soldiers speaking English, according to Sgt. Jonathan Moyer, a team member with Echo Company. Instructors relied heavily on 2nd Lt. Omar Ali, Djibouti Army 2nd Company commander, who is fluent in four languages, and Mohamed Said, a Somali-born U.S. Army interpreter.

Throughout the morning, the small groups practiced team movements, and communicated contact and direction of fire. Loud whistle bursts signified enemy contact, and the Djiboutian soldiers moved succinctly, went into the prone position and assumed their staggered firing positions.

The regiment, which was established in 1991 and is comprised of a number of 20-year combat veterans, is the first unit in the Djiboutian Army called to deploy during a contingency, according to Ali. The regiment also provides border security on the Somaliland border located approximately seven miles from the camp.

“The goal for my soldiers is to prepare them for their mission and especially for a deployment under the United Nations, like they did in Haiti and Central Africa,” Ali said, who has been in the army since 2001. He attended an officer’s course with Germany’s mountain troops from 2004-2008 and will soon attend the Infantry Career Captain’s Course at Fort Benning, Ga.

According to Ali, the training is part of a continuation of training that began in September 2010 that included effective methods of instruction, commander operation skills course, a command post exercise, and company grade and noncommissioned officer courses.

Just one month ago, the newly-formed training camp consisted of just six concrete pads. Today the camp consists of about 12 tents, a mosque and a large covered classroom area.

“Camp Ali Oune is actually the first of its kind. The Djiboutians don’t have any bases here on the Somali border, and this camp is supposed to be here for quite a while. They will be utilizing the camp as a training area and for continuing operations to keep this region safe,” he said.

About two miles away in the shadow of a steep hill, other members of the Rapid Action Regiment sharpened their marksmanship skills using the Russian PKM 7.62-mm machine gun, which is the equivalent of the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Automatic gunfire and the ricochet of rounds echoed from the large rock-covered hill as each two-man team practiced firing in staccato bursts of three and five rounds.

“Very well done,” one of the instructors exclaimed after seeing a bullseye on the target of one team.

Ali said the training and mentoring provided by the 137th is beneficial because the cadre of instructors bring real-world operational experience.

“We already had a good relationship with the U.S. Army, and I have to say it’s a good thing and we have a good image of the U.S. Army,” Ali said.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica

U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Swanker, assigned to the Ohio National Guard's 1194th Engineer Company, 682d Engineer Battalion, carries the American Flag during the 25K Danish Contingency, or DANCON, ruck march at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, May 3, 2016. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Megan Doran)

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group set up a mobile airfield operations center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 17, 2014, in support of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Airmen are operating an Intermediate Staging Base in Dakar to funnel humanitarian aid into affected areas, working in concert with Soldiers from the U.S. Armyâs 689th Rapid Port Opening Element to staff a Joint Task Force-Port Opening. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)