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U.S. Army National Guard Specialist Wilson Berlin, a Security Force (SECFOR) member of Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah, scans his sector while pulling security on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Farah Province, Afghanistan on April 3, 2012. SECFOR is made up of National Guard infantrymen out of Alaska who are responsible for ensuring the safety of everyone assigned to FOB Farah. PRT Farah is a unit of Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen working with various government and non-government agencies tasked with facilitating governance and stability in the region by working hand in hand with local officials and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). The goal of the PRT is to promote the Afghan government and their ability to resolve local issues and provide security to the people. The GIRoA and PRT are dedicated to finding long lasting and sustainable solutions to the instability in the region and shift the population's dependence from foreign aid to the local and national government.
U.S. Army soldiers from Charlie Company 2nd battalion 35th infantry regiment, Task Forces Bronco during a foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan Chaw Kay district in Kunar province August 18, 2011.
ALI FADEN, Djibouti (Dec. 3, 2009) – Kenya army soldiers stand hand in hand to block local villagers during the multinational, Eastern Africa Standby Force Field Training Exercise near Ali Faden, Djibouti Dec. 3, 2009. Ten nations are participating in the exercise. The EASF FTX is a mandated mission authorized by the summit of the Eastern Africa region.
British Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) during operations around the Nad E Ali area of Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan –August/September 2012
Crown Copyright 2012
Private Robert Oneill from the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment on a patrol with the Other Government Agencies Platoon. The Platoon is providing protection while a Shura with local residents is conducted.
Mid Caption: The OGA or Other Government Agencies Platoon is the security element attached to the Australian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team – Uruzgan. The Other Government Agencies the title refers to include AusAID, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the American State Department and USAID.
The Platoon is a mixture of Infantry, Engineers and Cavalry and is designed to provide security, mobility and protection to the development and stability specialists who make up the civilian component of the PRT.
Image by Corporal Raymond Vance
An Afghan National Army Company Commander and his men set security inside of a compound during an operation in Baraki Barak district, Logar province, Jan. 8. Afghan National Army Commandos complement counterinsurgency efforts and enable conditions for improved security, governance and development. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kyle Wagoner/Released)
U.S. Army Pfc. Robert Davis (left), a native of Atlanta and grenadier, and U.S. Army 1st Lt. Greg Lins, a native of Point Pleasant, N.J., and 3rd Platoon leader, both assigned to Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, conduct a security patrol outside a qalat covered in caked and dried cow dung July 7, 2012. In villages throughout Khowst province, cow dung is often mixed with straw and is dried and used as a fuel or biogas to generate heat.
Alaskan National Guard Pfc. Laurence Yeaton provides security while members of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team's engineering department conduct a site assessment of a future midwifery facility March 6, 2012 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Kandahar PRT is a joint team of U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy service members and civilians from various U.S. agencies deployed to the Kandahar providence of Afghanistan to assist in the effort to rebuild and stabilize the local government and infrastructure.
Provincial Governor Mohammad Omar Shirzad leads the Deh Rafshan shura (meeting) on completion of Operation OMEED ATIL at Patrol Base Samad, Afghanistan.
Mid Caption: The 6th infantry Kandak of the Afghan National Army’s (ANA) 4th Brigade has successfully planned and executed an insurgent disruption operation in the Deh Rafshan area near Tarin Kot that has uncovered a number of weapons and munition caches.
Operation OMEED ATIL was a week-long operation led by the ANA and supported by their Australian mentors, Mentoring Task Force - Three (MTF-3), to degrade insurgent influence in the Deh Rafshan district of Uruzgan Province and build local confidence in the ability of the Afghan security forces.
A large number of improvised explosive devices, illegal weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and ammunition were discovered during the operation and their removal will reduce the ability for insurgents to attack civilian, ISAF and Afghan forces in the area.
The ANA has increasingly assumed the lead for the planning, preparation and execution of tactical operations, allowing Australian forces to concentrate on partnering Afghan Command and Control and Combat Support functions.
US Army Paratroopers from 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Patrolling the in the mountains while serving in Afghanistan
NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Sgt. Nick Andrews, an infantry squad leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, from Marshalltown, Iowa, looks from a ridge into the town of Tupac, Afghanistan, Jan. 21. Soldiers from Co. C, joined Afghan National Army Soldiers from Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 201st Infantry Corp, on the patrol. After seven hours of dismounted searching through rugged terrain, Co. C and their Afghan counterparts located an improvised explosive device along Route Iowa, thanks to a tip from someone in the area of Tupac, Afghanistan. The Soldiers had been struck by an IED in Tupac two days earlier. Fortunately, no U.S. or Afghan Soldiers were injured in the attack. After locating the IED, the Soldiers then walked back to Forward Operating Base Kalagush, hiking about eight miles up and down mountains for the day.
U.S. Army Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment conduct a patrol through Shele Kalay, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, 16 Jan., 2012. The Soldiers were clearing compounds in the area during Operation Regular Flint, searching for materials used to create Improvised Explosive Devices and Taliban insurgents.
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Prieto, a platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, keeps his company commander abreast of his platoon’s progress during a mission to sweep a road for improvised explosive devices June 30, 2012, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. Prieto serves with Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Pfc. Justin Vnenchak and Capt. Joseph Driskell, paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, return from a U.S. – Afghan operation to find a weapons cache with Afghan policemen April 8, 2012, in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. While no weapons were found, the team was able to gather intelligence for future operations.
Cookie for the groom. I had planned to use the Army's round logo until I saw Pam's cookies and she graciously allowed me to copy her idea www.flickr.com/photos/cookiecrazie/4982619084/
U.S. Army Soldiers of the Focused Tactical Force Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 6th Regiment, Task Force Duke, observe an item found during a mission in Bowri Tana, Khowst province, Afghanistan, July 17, 2011.
Operation TOR SHEZADA meaning Black Prince in Pashtu, was carried out by Combined Force Nad-e Ali (CF NDA) to clear known insurgents from Sayedebad and involved UK troops and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)...Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Frazer Lawrence OBE, Commanding Officer (CO) The 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment is commander of CF NDA and led the operation..
U.S. Army Spc. Bogdan Tkachuk of 1st Platoon, Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment packs explosive material (C4) into a metal picket during training on how to construct a makeshift Bangalore torpedo at Pabrade training area, Lithuania, Feb. 27, 2015. Lightning Troop spent the day learning the process of assembling and detonating improvised explosives under supervision of 1st Platoon, Bravo Troop, Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2d CR. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Megan Leuck/ released)
Army Family Action Plan leads to change
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Home on leave from Iraq, Matthew Smith swerved across an Indiana roadway to avoid a soda can he thought was a roadside bomb and nearly crashed into oncoming traffic.
Smith, 27, now a sergeant with the Kaiserslautern-based 457th Civil Affairs Battalion, mentioned the 2007 memory to his wife Stephanie, who had an idea. Why doesn’t the Army make mental health screenings mandatory for deployed Soldiers before their Rest and Recuperation leave?
“That event really scared him,” said Stephanie Smith, an Army Community Service employee at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern. “If someone had warned him – to take time to reintegrate and make adjustments on R&R – that could have been prevented.”
Last year, the Smith’s submitted the idea as a suggestion the Army Family Action Plan – a grassroots program where community members indentify quality of life issues for the Army to address. It ended up being considered at the highest Army levels.
“Change starts with people like me, just another community member,” Smith said.
Representatives from U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg and U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern came together Oct. 19 for a combined 2011 AFAP conference. Roughly 200 people attended the three-day event held at the Kaiserslautern Community Activity Center on Daenner Kaserne.
In past years, ideas were submitted anonymously in community drop boxes. This year, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern webmaster Brandon Spragins created a way for community members to offer AFAP ideas online – significantly increasing submission numbers from previous years, said Michelle Thomas, Army Community Service director at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern. Also, mobile device photographed a special bar code that pointed them directly to the submission site.
“This allowed users to offer ideas with ease, from either their workplace or the comfort of their home,” Spragins said. “Using today’s interactive technology revolutionizes how community members can suggest improvements and make changes both locally and Army wide.”
At the conference, issues were prioritized and solutions recommended. Some topics brought up this year included improvements to parking, housing, speeding on post and the transformation of Sembach Kaserne, where several Army units are moving.
Some issues were raised to higher commands or senior Army leadership. Other problems can be addressed at the local level, Thomas said.
“We have command team that has no problem with confronting issues and finding solutions. They’re family and Soldier oriented,” Thomas said. “When you have that in a command team, you have a wonderful thing.”
AFAP conferences began in 1983. Early issues focused on child care standards and volunteer support. Since then, milestones included changes to pay, healthcare, insurance, single
Soldier programs and school liaisons. AFAP suggestions also led to an increase of annual leave carryover, toll-free hotlines for wounded service members and education benefits for surviving spouses. AFAP issues even led to legislative changes as well as changes of Army and DoD policies, AFAP program manager Kimberly Lazarow said.
“Our first step is to see if the submitted issues affect the local community or is it something Army-wide,” Lazarow said. “About 90 percent of issues submitted are worked at the local level, others are pushed higher.”
Last year, the Smith’s issue was elevated through Installation Management Command to the Department of the Army for consideration.
“This really works. Everything has to get looked at and nothing gets pushed off to the side,” Stephanie Smith said. “One little event in my husband’s life may change Army policy.”
German Bundeswehr army soldiers with the 3rd platoon of the Quick reaction Force 5 (QRF) walk in a combat outpost in Chahar Dara district on the outskirts of Kunduz, May 8, 2010.
Georgian Army soldiers assigned to the 33rd Light Infantry Battalion gather intelligence during Operation Northern Lion in Mohammadabad, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 24, 2013. Northern Lion was a Georgian-led operation conducted to deter insurgents, establish a security presence, and gather human intelligence in the area. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alejandro Pena/Released)
The Army West Point Football team staged a dramatic comeback effort against Tulane Nov. 14, but could not walk away with the victory at Michie Stadium. Despite overcoming a 21-point deficit, the Black Knights lost 34-31 on a last-second field goal by the Green Wave.
The Black Knights record now stands at 2-8 while the Green Wave moves to 3-7.
The Cadets' quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw set a career-high with 121 passing yards and added 72 rushing yards. The sophomore threw two touchdowns and tacked on another score on the ground while completing 6-of-10 passes.
Army running backs Christian Drake and John Trainor each had career days as well. The freshman Drake had 69 rushing yards while Trainor, who was split out wide much of the game, hauled in three catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.
The Black Knights jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but Tulane followed with 28 unanswered points. The Army comeback began as the end of the first half approached. Bradshaw ripped off a 41-yard run that placed the Black Knights 19 yards from the end zone. John Trainor found pay dirt on the next play as Bradshaw's pass narrowly went over the hands of an outstretched Tulane defender. Army cut the lead to 28-14 with 1:40 showing in the half.
Army created a special teams score at the conclusion of the next Tulane drive. As Tulane's Zachary Block went to punt the ball away on 4th-and-10 from his own 35-yard line, Army linebacker Andy Davidson broke through to block the attempt. Linebacker Kenneth Brinson scooped the ball up at the 21-yard line and ran in for the touchdown. It was the first time Army blocked a punt since the Navy game last season, which was also returned for a touchdown. The Black Knights trailed 28-21 at the break.
Photos by Eric S. Bartelt/Pointer View (USMA PAO). Words by Mark Mohrman/Army Athletic Communications.
An Afghan National Army Commando sets security on top of a compound during an operation in Baraki Barak District, Logar Province, Jan. 8. Afghan National Army Commandos complement counterinsurgency efforts and enable conditions for improved security, governance and development. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kyle Wagoner/Released)
NCAA Football- Chas Dodd threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns, and Rutgers scored twice late in the fourth quarter as the Scarlet Knights defeated Army, 27-12, Nov. 12, at Yankee Stadium. Mohamed Sanu hauled in 13 of Dodd's aerials for a game-high 129 yards receiving to lead Rutgers (7-3) to its second straight victory. Army freshman fullback Larry Dixon rushed for a career-high 93 yards and one touchdown to pace the Black Knights, who fell to 3-7 on the season. Freshman quarterback Angel Santiago added 149 yards of total offense, throwing for 77 yards and rushing for 72 in his first career start. Senior wide receiver Davyd Brooks led Army's receiving corps with three catches for 35 yards. Photo by Tommy Gilligan/West Point Public Affairs
U.S. Army Pfc. Scott Braman, a native of Rochester, N.Y., and radio telephone operator assigned to 3rd Platoon, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, conducts a security patrol outside of Forward Operating Base Salerno July 7, 2012. The purpose of the patrol was to facilitate members of the female engagement team as they conducted key leader engagements at both a girls’ school in the village of Mangas and discuss the midwife program in the village of Kunday.
This Image shows troops from the 1 Royal Irish with members of the Afghan National Army stopping of in a compound used as a known firing point. After a conducting search, during a foot patrols around Nadi-E-Ali as part of Operation Tora Kamjak 5.
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Afghan troops, trained and mentored by Brits, have taken the lead in clearing insurgents from the rugged area of Shin Kalay, in Helmand province, in an overnight air assault operation.
Operation TOR KANJAK 5 (“Black Thorn” in English) was launched in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Designed as a clearance and search operation, its aim was to provide better security for the locals of Shin Kalay and its surrounding area.
Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers, backed up by troops from Shropshire-based 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, were inserted into the area under the cover of darkness, achieving full advantage from the element of surprise.
The Afghan and British troops cleared compounds and insurgent firing points whilst others provided security to the flanks. Meanwhile, another group of Afghan soldiers, along with troops from Canterbury-based 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, cleared through the village.
Alpha Company, 164th Engineers, North Dakota National Guard, in Balad, Iraq with their RG-31 route clearance vehicle, February 2006.
Having checked out a suspicious vehicle and package via a remote control EOD robot, SGT Terry James from 3 CER and attached to the ANZAC Battle Group, further investigates during a Counter-IED tasking in Nurgal at Cooperative Spirit 08.
Mid Caption
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts and assets from 15 Combat Engineer Troop (15 CE Tp), 3 Combat Engineer Regiment (3 CER) have been attached to the ANZAC Battle Group as part of Cooperative Spirit 08. Responsible for Counter-IED (Improvised Explosive Device) tasks throughout the ANZAC Battle Group Area of Operations, they have been called into the town of Nurgal to render safe a suspicious package and vehicle. Local residents want their community to be free from the threat posed by IEDs, which indiscriminately endangers the safety of their people and have requested ANZAC Battle Group assistance. Local residents have been moved to safe distance and infantry soldiers have set up a cordon while EOD experts and assets conduct the delicate task to remove the threat posed to the townspeople.
Deep Caption
Approximately 180 personnel drawn mostly from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) in Townsville have deployed to Germany on Cooperative Spirit 2008 (CS08). CS08 is a multinational exercise intended to test interoperability among the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies (ABCA).
The 1 RAR contingent comprises of a Battle Group HQ and Combat Team Force Element and will be combined with a company from the 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) to create the ‘ANZAC Battle Group’ during the exercise. They will conduct operations in the field, under stressful battlefield conditions, complete with a sophisticated opposing force and realistic training scenarios in a world-class training facility.
CS08 is being conducted by the United States at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC), located in Hohenfels, Germany, between 11 Sep and 10 Oct 08. Around 1800 troops from ABCA Armies are taking part in the activity. The month-long exercise aims to develop skills common to ABCA armies and increase interoperability for combined operations, offering significant opportunities to train soldiers in a combined (multinational) environment.
Latvian Soldiers taking part in the large scale Kevadtorm 2012 (Spring Storm) series of exercises – 15th/18th May 2012
U.S. Army paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and soldiers with the Afghan army’s 3rd Brigade, 203rd Corps, patrol across the Tarnak River June 15, 2012, in southern Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. The river separates Gelan District to the north and Nawah District to the south.
An Afghan child watches on as soldiers from A Company of the 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles and the Afghan National Army patrol near Nahr e Saraj village, in Helmand on June 23, 2010. The Kabul government got behind US General Stanley McChrystal, hoping he keeps his job despite the furore over an interview in which he criticised top American officials. Defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi said there had been great improvements since McChrystal took command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) last year.