Update: Back home and back to life

Hello readers,

I just put up three OpOrders from my time in Iraq. This was the end of the soft story stuff for me. I was working in the Sal Ah Din Province near Tikrit until just before Christmas, when I got moved to Mosul to be part of "The last stand of Al Qaeda." I will post some of those stories in the next few days.

In the meantime, please enjoy these stories.

For those of you who follow this blog, my sincerest appologies for not posting in more than a year. I got too busy to manage this site from Iraq. Now that I am back, and am settling back into my post-war life, I decided it would be nice to put all my news releases (OpOrders, as I call them here) for your reading pleasure.

Thanks for reading,

Eric

Me at a sheik meeting in a village in the southeastern Nineveh Province on one of my last missions in Iraq.

Giving the Gift of Raw for Christmas: Superstars Spend Quality Time With Troops in Iraq

By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
December 12, 2007

TIKRIT, Iraq – While the holidays may just be another day in a war zone, this year World Wrestling Entertainment gave a special Christmas gift to the troops by spending three days with them.

Wrestling superstars took their show on the road for the fifth straight year to spend time with Soldiers in remote areas who rarely even get time to watch their favorite wrestlers and divas on television.

From Dec. 5 to Dec. 7, they visited forward operating bases and patrol bases, followed by the performance of a Monday Night Raw show on Contingency Operating Base Speicher. The purpose of the visit was to boost morale and show support for the men and women in uniform serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“The least we can do is come over here and give the small token to bring a little Americana back over here to you just to remind you that everyone back in America loves and supports you,” Said WWE chairman, Vince McMahon.

After a 20-hour flight from the states, the group split into four teams to cover a larger area, visiting troops on more than 20 bases in Taji, Tarmiyha, Balad, Tikrit, and Mosul. Superstars from the WWE didn’t just spend time in secured areas signing autographs, but they also got outside the wire into the combat zone to visit troops in small patrol bases, braving the dangers of Iraq to thank troops for their service.

This trip was Superstar Chris Jericho’s first with the WWE, who said that after 17 years traveling all around the world in the wrestling business, this is possibly the best experience he has ever had professionally.

"I didn’t know what to expect, I just knew that I wanted to come,” Jericho said. “After being here and seeing it up close and personal from the Army bases and the further outposts and getting into the unsecured war zone, we got the full meal deal of the Iraqi experience.”

Jericho also said his goal coming here was to see the men and women and thank them for what they are doing, a goal that was accomplished on many levels. The troops were happy to see the Superstars, but not as happy as the Superstars were to see the troops.

Brig. Gen. James Boozer Sr., deputy commanding general of 1st Armored Division, accompanied the Superstars during their tour and said having the WWE was great for the Soldiers.

"I know the WWE are great fans of our Soldiers, but the Soldiers are big fans of the WWE,” Boozer said. “Our Soldiers have heart and they have the backing of the American people and the great fans like the WWE.”

Not all of the superstars were new to the Tribute Tour. Ring announcer Lilian Garcia has been to Afghanistan once, and this was her third trip to Iraq. Garcia, who grew up in a military family, said that making this trip was very meaningful, and being around men and women in uniform was like being home and around family.

“I think it is very important for WWE to come here,” Garcia said. “It is so wonderful to be part of something like this to be supporting the men and women of our military. Without them we wouldn’t have the freedom we have.”

Another Superstar who is already a veteran of the Tribute Tour is wrestler JBL. He was one of the first wrestlers to make a trip to see troops five years ago in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. He said he thinks the troops understand that the WWE are big fans of them, and they made the trip with no vested interest other than to say thanks. JBL added it was a terrific honor to come to Iraq and to thank the troops in person.

“To see what these guys have to go through, with their finger on the trigger all the time, and this is the way they live,” said JBL. “This is why we are so free in our country, because these guys do this. It is just a remarkable thing. They are Soldiers and they are heroes and they understand that they want to fight the enemy over here rather than fight the enemy back home. Since they do, we get to live a pretty good life.”

During the three day visit, Superstars spent time with troops, posing for photos and signing autographs. They also spent time talking and getting to know the men and women they were here to see, often not being able to eat meals because they gave every opportunity to the troops for one-on-one time, even during chow.

The Superstars also got in the weeds with the troops, riding in UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, sitting in Stryker Armored Vehicles, learning how howitzers work and spent time on the flight line learning about the weapon systems on OH-58D Kiowa helicopters and Black Hawks.

On the second night of the tour, WWE chairman, Vince McMahon, and some of his Superstars visited 1st Armored Division Headquarters here, meeting with Maj. Gen Mark Hertling, commanding general, Multi-National Division-North, and his staff. Hertling took time to give the Superstars plaques and commanders coins.

“What we do when we get these great stars who are supporting us so well, we send them out to every FOB and every patrol base,” Hertling said. “There are not a whole lot of people who understand what we do over here, and they (the Superstars) come over here and see it. They volunteer to do it. We appreciate it and it makes us feel good to see these guys come over here and spend some time with us.”

Hertling expressed his appreciation by saying these are all the tough guys of wrestling, but the very fact they volunteered to come over here and do this raised his enthusiasm for the wrestlers, which he said went up about ten notches.

After receiving his coin and plaque from Hertling, WWE chairman, Vince McMahon said the troops are the real superstars in the real world.

The Tribute to the Troops Tour culminated in the filming of an episode of Monday Night Raw at the bombed out soccer stadium on Contingency Operating Base. This gave the event the appearance of ancient gladiatorial combat. Hundreds of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and civilian contractors packed the stadium for the show, which will air on the USA Network Christmas Eve at 9 p.m. Eastern.

After the show, Superstars took time to sign more autographs and pose with troops for more photos before returning to America. Superstar John Cena said WWE’s trip to Iraq is nothing short of phenomenal. He said it is good to have an entire company spread the word of the people that make freedom happen.

"These guys and gals are my favorite, I love them all,” Cena said. “I want to say thanks for opening your home to us. I will let the people in America know that we are in good hands. You guys not only make me proud but you make every American proud to be an American. This is where freedom happens and I am proud to say I was able to be here today.”



World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon speaks with Commanding General, Multi-National Division-North, Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling during the WWE’s Tribute to the Troops tour at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, Dec. 6. The WWE superstars toured many forward operating bases during a three-day tour to show support for the troops which ended with a live wrestling match that will air on Christmas Eve on the U.S.A. Network. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)



World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Triple H shakes hands with 1st Armored Division Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Blackwood during the WWE’s Tribute to the Troops tour at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, Dec. 6. The WWE superstars toured many forward operating bases during a three-day tour to show support for the troops which ended with a live wrestling match that will air on Christmas Eve on the U.S.A. Network. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)



World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Triple H gives Spc. Lanedela Allensworth a ride on his shoulders during the WWE’s Tribute to the Troops tour at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, Dec. 7. The WWE superstars toured many forward operating bases during a three-day tour to show support for the troops which ended with a live wrestling match that will air on Christmas Eve on the U.S.A. Network. Allensworth is assigned to Company E, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)



World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Triple H yells to the crowd after performing a move during the World Wrestling Entertainment’s Tribute to the Troops tour final show at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, Dec. 7. The WWE superstars toured many forward operating bases during a three-day tour to show support for the troops which ended with a live wrestling match that will air on Christmas Eve on the U.S.A. Network. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)




World Wrestling Entertainment Diva Maria high-fives troops as she heads toward the ring during the World Wrestling Entertainment’s Tribute to the Troops tour final show at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, Dec. 7. The WWE superstars toured many forward operating bases during a three-day tour to show support for the troops which ended with a live wrestling match that will air on Christmas Eve on the U.S.A. Network. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Taking Care of Business Iraqis Work to Secure Their Country

By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

November 28, 2007

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi army soldiers led a raid into an area of Ad Dawr with Iraqi police and a small contingent of U.S. Soldiers, Nov. 21, to put a stop to insurgent activities there.

The 1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army led the pre-dawn raid into the area to capture insurgents and disrupt illegal traffic checkpoints used by those insurgents to rob and kill local Iraqis. The Iraqi police provided security for the team. The U.S. Army Military Transition Team of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division provided guidance and support for the Iraqi army who planned and executed the mission.

Maj. Jackie Kaina of the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army MiTT said the operations are driven by intelligence, which is mostly gathered by the Iraqi army. The mission was coordinated by the IA when an informant who had been ostracized by the insurgents came forward with information.

The operation, called Hellstorm, was a success in that the IA captured several of the High-Value Individuals on their list, and in the process seized several vehicles used in the illegal operations. They also discovered an emplaced improvised explosive device hidden under a bridge. The MiTT called in a U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, who detonated the IED in place.

The IED is one of the reasons that the MiTT accompanies the IA on larger operations. Their mission is to train, advise and mentor the IA. They bring with them capabilities like aeromedical evacuation, air weapons teams and other military assets that the IA doesn’t have yet, said Kaina.

The present-day IA formed in 2005 when it transitioned to an actual army, Kaina said, who worked with Iraqi army soldiers during his last deployment.

“As an Army they have come a huge way since 04-05,” said Kaina. “They have come a lot further than I thought they would. Two years later, I really didn’t think they would be at this point. Maturity-wise, the officers act like officers, and the NCO corps is starting to grow.”

Since his last deployment with the IA, Kaina said he has seen them grow by leaps and bounds.

“Their improvement is in their command and control,” Kaina said. “Now they are much more objective focused and much more professional. They are very visible—that is one of the biggest improvements. To the Iraqi populace, they know who the IA is.”

Kaina said that he believes that at this point, The Iraqi army is mature enough on the ground that they are taking the lead, and the U.S. forces are no longer in the lead by any stretch of the imagination. The MiTT is there to assist if the IA needs it, but it is the IA making the decisions and conducting the missions on their own.

The IA is already conducting daily patrols and company-sized raids on their own, without the help of the MiTT.

“They are very much in the lead and very much taking control,” Kaina said. “Where before they would have come to us and asked what to do next. Their leadership has matured to the level at which they no longer need to ask us those questions, they have done enough, know enough and are successful enough to know where they are going.”

Iraqi army Col. Musfab Yousif exchanges information with Capt. Adrian Cole during a raid in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. Cole is with the 1st BN Military Transition Team, who was coordinating coalition assets to the IA. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi Army Col. Msfab Yousif reloads his AK-47 after using it to destroy a vehicle that was used in illegal checkpoint activities by insurgents in Ad Dawr near Tikrit; Iraq; Nov. 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigae, 4th Iraqi army and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi army Col. Msfab Yousif uses a 12.7 mm machine gun to destroy a vehicle that was used in illegal checkpoint activities by insurgents in Ad Dawr near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi army soldiers and U.S. Army Soldiers work together to repair a machine gun on an IA Humvee in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. The Iraqi soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, led a pre-dawn raid that was accompanied by U.S. Soldiers from the 1st BN. Military Transition Team. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi Army Col. Musfab Yousif works with 1st Lt. David Pierce to repair a 12.7 mm Machine gun during a raid in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, November 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, and Pierce is with the 1st BN Military Transition Team. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Carrying on Traditions, Red Cross Deploys to Iraq, Providing Services Like Messages and Smiles

By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Novermber 19, 2007

TIKRIT, Iraq – Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines have a lot to worry about in a forward-deployed combat zone. Besides roadside bombs, sniper attacks, and ambushes, they also have to worry about their families back home who may have emergencies arise while the service member is away. That is why the Red Cross deploys to the front lines.

The American Red Cross has its roots with the Armed Forces, dating back to the Civil War, when Clara Barton founded the organization. The Red Cross works closely with the military even today, often working in forward-deployed combat areas in Red Cross Stations like the one on Contingency Operating Base Speicher.

The Red Cross’s mission here is to ensure service members have communication with their families back home in the event of an emergency, said Debby Hutton, assistant station manager for the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services, who added that the Red Cross will initiate a message from the family to the deployed service member’s command. The command will then make the decision to send the service member home on emergency leave based on information provided by the doctor treating the family member back home, said Hutton, of Kingsport Tenn., who has been a volunteer for 15 years, and an employee of the Red Cross for the last five years.

Not all of what the Red Cross does in deployed areas is deliver messages with bad news.

“The most rewarding part of my job is the interaction with soldiers and being able to help,” Said Hutton, wearing her desert camouflage uniform that was issued to her by the Red Cross. “It is a small part in what goes on over here, but when you get to pass off the birth messages—the good news, that is really great.”

Another service the Red Cross provides for service members, said Hutton, they also provide hospital visits here for the wounded warriors.

“It is a bad situation if a service member is there,” Said Hutton “If you can go talk to them for five or 15 minutes and take them a magazine or a phone card to call home when they get out, so you can make them smile—then that makes the day worth while."

Hutton, who transferred to the Armed Forces Emergency Services side of the Red Cross from a local chapter in Kingsport, said she wanted to work more closely with the service members because she respects what the men and women in the military and wanted to be able to help them more.

Aside from the missions Red Cross performs for service members here, Hutton has her own mission as well.

“I had a mission when I came over here, that everybody I met, I would make them smile,” Said Hutton. “I have run up against a few—I am still working on them. I have gotten smirks, not full smiles, but I will get a smile before I leave. It is my mission.”

The current members of the Red Cross station here, who arrived Nov. 4th for their four-month tour, provide services to all Marines in theater as well as the majority of service members in northern Iraq.

Debby Hutton gives a comfort kit to Army 2nd Lt. Larry Cook at the Combat Support Hospital on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 19. Hutton, of Kingsport Tenn., is the assistant station manager of the Red Cross station on COB Speicher. Cook, of Greensboro, N.C., is a platoon leader with 3rd Battalion, 1st Aviation. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqis, Soldiers Get to Work

October 1, 2007

Iraqis, Soldiers Get To Work
Initiative to train Iraqis gets under way
Multi-National Division – North PAO
By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

TIKRIT, Iraq – In Salah Al-Din Province, where 2.3 million Iraqis live, few people have reliable electricity, and even fewer have running water. U.S. Soldiers have teamed up with local Iraqis and U.S. Government agencies to create a program that will train some of the people who live in the Maryland-sized province to get the skills they need to rebuild their country.

The program aims to put Iraqis to work –help train them and open the door to obtaining U.S. Government contracts, or starting their own contracting companies.

The program is known as IBIZ, or Iraqi Business and Industrial Zone. Construction on the first project, the Joint Regional Contract Center, began April 16, and was completed May 30. The completed project, officially named the Sal Al-Din Business Center, is a large complex adjacent to the Entry Control Point on Contingency Operation Base Speicher.

“The idea started earlier this spring between the military, the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Joint Regional Contract Center,” said Capt. Jim Golby, the commander of Headquarters Support Company, 25th Special Troops Battalion stationed here. “The group got together and decided to come up with this integrated concept.”

The Sal Al-Din Business center consists of three facilities. The first facility is the JRCC office that gives Iraqis access to U.S. Government contracts that they can do on the COB with increased protection from Soldiers. The second area of the center is the material transfer point for Turkish and Iraqi contractors to deliver material to a rock crusher and concrete batch plant for making force protection barriers. The third facility is the Kellogg Brown and Root Skills Training Area.

Golby, who has been involved with the project since its inception, said there are 35 Iraqi workers hired by KBR to do on the job training. They will learn plumbing, electrical and carpentry skills to U.S. and British standards. The aim of this training is to enable them to become qualified for better paying jobs on the COB. He estimates that the project, which is still in its infancy, could save the U.S. government $5-10 million this year.

There are approximately 100 Iraqis working at the site. Golby expects there to be an additional 55 workers in the program by January. These new workers will have opportunities to learn skills in welding, heating ventilation and air conditioning, and small engine repair for generators. He estimates that eventually there will be around 500 employees working at IBIZ.

When IBIZ is fully operational, planners estimate it will save the U.S. $70 million and infuse around $19 million into the Iraqi economy annually, by awarding contracts to lower costing Iraqi labor. According to IBIZ planning documents, the facilities were projected to cost $685,000 to build, and approximately $1.5 million per year to operate.

“This is a tremendous initiative for the Iraqis,” said Golby. “It allows them to get skills training. It allows them to develop economic capacity and get jobs.”
The initiative, which provides jobs and bolsters the local economy, didn’t come about easily.

“We had to integrate this project into our entry control point, which was a major task,” said Golby. “We went through a lot of hard work, but thankfully I’ve had a lot of dedicated Soldiers and NCOs who have spent 12-hour days out in the sun, sometimes in 125-degree heat who have secured this area and made it a very safe place for Iraqis to work and American Soldiers to be as well.”

Another challenge Golby mentioned was getting a variety of different agencies to work together. Hard work and dedication have made it a success, he said. One part of that success was getting village leaders involved in recruiting. Another significant hurdle was cleared when the provincial government gave its blessing to the project.

Not only will Iraqis gain work skills that can allow them to work on the COB, or through government contracts, but they will also be able to take their skills into the local economy and continue to rebuild their country, Golby said.

“Local contracts are good because it helps to develop their businesses in the local economy,” said Capt. George Plansky, the contracting officer with the JRCC, Tikrit. “It actually puts people to work. You may have a contract with 20 to 25 guys who are being put to work. The rock crusher is being operated by local Iraqis. When there is more money pumped into the local economy, there’s less guys in the streets trying to plant Improvised Explosive Devices and stuff like that.”
In addition to providing skills training and alternatives to destructive activities, Plansky says IBIZ offers hope.

“We have put a lot of Iraqis to work,” said Plansky. “We have made a lot of people happy that we are employing people and it is giving them hope. Instead of just buying commodities, we get these guys to construct things or produce things such as gravel and concrete. Those kinds of activities for us will eventually spawn activities of the same caliber on the outside. If they can do it here in a secure environment, they will start to have impacts on their local economy.”

Golby and his Soldiers are getting ready to go home after their 15-month deployment here. During that time, they have built relationships with the locals, and given something back to the people of Iraq.

“I think this is an outstanding initiative. I spent my last deployment over here as a scout platoon leader facing IEDs and small arms attacks on a fairly regular basis,” Golby said. “This time I have been able to work on this initiative, and I think the things we are doing here are the sort of things we need to do to help give Iraqis the chance to set up a working economy and a government that can sustain itself.

An Iraqi laborer uses a rip saw to trim some molding at the Salah Al-Din skills training center on Contingency Operations Base Speicher October 17. The Skills center trains local Iraqis in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills so they can work on the COB, or use their skills to do contracting work in their villages. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

A small Iraqi flag flutters in the wind, while an Iraqi laborer works on a remodeling project at the Salah Al-Din skills training center on Contingency Operations Base Speicher October 17. The Skills center trains local Iraqis in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills so they can work on the COB, or use their skills to do contracting work in their villages. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

An Iraqi laborer sands a mirror frame for a remodeling project at the Salah Al-Din skills training center on Contingency Operations Base Speicher October 17. The Skills center trains local Iraqis in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills so they can work on the COB, or use their skills to do contracting work in their villages. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi contractors use a front-end loader to transfer materials into the concrete batch plant at the Salah Al-Din Business Center on Contingency Operations Base Speicher October 17. The concrete plant uses materials to produce force protection barriers for the COB. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Flight To Mecca

October 1, 2007

Flight to Mecca
Iraqis and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers build terminal, opportunities
Multi-National Division – North PAO
By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MOSUL, Iraq – During the last month of the Islamic year, more than a million Muslims make the pilgrimage, or Hajj, to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This year, local Iraqis here can make the pilgrimage more easily for the first time in almost 14 years, due to a working relationship between the Provincial Reconstruction Team, the provincial Iraqi government, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The relationship created a plan to renovate the Mosul Passenger Terminal on Forward Operating Base Diamondback in order to allow people to take flights out of the area to complete the pilgrimage. That plan was set into motion July 1, when construction began.

“This project is primarily the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Iraqis of course,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alex Barlas, the PRT representative working on this project with USACE and the local Iraqi government. “It is very important we integrate them into all of our projects. The Iraqis wanted this terminal renovated. The terminal has not had any flights since around 1993”

The project, led by USACE, has approximately 70 people working to complete the renovation prior to the terminal’s scheduled opening November 12.

“The end-state goal is to have the interior of terminal renovated to the point where it can be used by people passing through,” said Barlas. “We want to have it open in time for people to make it to Mecca.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Turkish contractors are in charge of the renovation.

“The renovation’s basic scope is to install electric, phone, and data lines,” said Alda Ottley, the project engineer for USACE. “We will have new paint and plaster, polish the tile and repair any missing ones.”

The building which was already in place will be modernized, and some new additions will be included.

“The staircase will be renovated with modern railing,” said Ottley. “There is a lounge upstairs, and a VIP area for departure and arrival with kitchen. There is also a security, and concierge desk.”

These new additions are intended to make passengers’ travel through this terminal more enjoyable and to eventually make this terminal more than just a place where people can connect with the pilgrimage. The first order of business for the terminal is to allow local Iraqis the opportunity to fly out for their pilgrimage for the first time in more than a decade; subsequent plans include expanding services.

“With a minimum of two flights a day, we are expecting a minimum of 300 passengers a day,” said Ottley. “During the month of the Hajj, it will be straight Hajj flights, but eventually it will be a full blown terminal.”

The importance of this terminal is underscored by more than just a need for modern facilities – it will allow people of Islamic faith from more remote northern areas to make the pilgrimage more easily. Muslims believe The Hajj must be completed in order to get to Heaven.

“This will have a major impact on the city of Mosul,” Ottley said about the project, which has had no significant set-backs to construction. Upon completion, the daily flights will allow Muslims in the area the chance to fulfill their religious duties.

Easier air travel will soon be available to the people of the area. This project is the work of not just the USACE and PRT, but several other Iraqi agencies as well.

“Iraqi Civil aviation authority, and Iraqi Airways are working on this project,” Said Barlas. “The money is being funded through the Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Finance.”

With the completion of the project nearing, as well as the beginning of the Hajj, Barlas feels that progress is being made.

“[This is] A very good project and we are glad to be working on these things, with the Iraqis,” said Barlas. “The reason we are here is to assist the Iraqi people. But really it is about helping others"

A contractor prepares a wall for repair in the lounge area of the Mosul Passenger Terminal on Forward Operating Base Diamondback September 30. The terminal will be used to provide air transportation to local residents for the upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca. The renovation is being conducted by a partnership of Iraqi agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reopen the terminal after 14 years. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Contractors move a reel of cable for construction at the Mosul Passenger Terminal on Forward Operating Base Diamondback September 30. The terminal will be used to provide air transportation to local residents for the upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca. The renovation is being conducted by a partnership of Iraqi agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reopen the terminal after 14 years. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Construction workers use a crane to move barrels of material on the airfield side of the Mosul Passenger Terminal on Forward Operating Base Diamondback September 30. The terminal will be used to provide air transportation to local residents for the upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca. The renovation is being conducted by a partnership of Iraqi agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reopen the terminal after 14 years. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Contracted construction workers pour concrete to repair the parking lot at the Mosul Passenger Terminal on Forward Operating Base Diamondback September 30. The terminal will be used to provide air transportation to local residents for the upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca. The renovation is being conducted by a partnership of Iraqi agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reopen the terminal after 14 years. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Putting Iraq Out Front: Soldiers aid Iraqi Police with missions
Multi-National Division – North PAO
By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

QAYYARAH, Iraq – A joint Iraqi police and Coalition Forces operation netted a counterfeit document production facility in Qayyarah, Iraq, Sept. 13.

The site included a printing press, printer plates, gold leaf used to reproduce official gold seals on documents, ID cards, and ink and accessories used in creating false documentation.
Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, assisted the IP with the raid.

The mission was to detain suspected counterfeiters who were facilitating Al Qaeda in Iraq supporters, and seize and disrupt their activities.

“We got intelligence from a local informant,” said Capt. Daniel Lloyd, HHB’s Commander. “The IP were in front, primarily the IP in coordination with the Iraqi Army. The two targets were suspected of facilitating AQ-I through financing, and producing counterfeit documents, IDs, money and government fuel coupons.”

The Soldiers, deployed out of Fort Bliss, Texas, alongside the IP, conducted a cordon and knock in the neighborhood, and questioned residents about the operation. The suspect residence was located, and a Sensitive Site Exploitation search began.

The IP and Soldiers from the battery’s White Platoon provided security and helped search the residence and detain and question the suspects. After the exploitation, the Soldiers and IP loaded the two detainees and all of the seized equipment into IP vehicles and trailers provided by the battery’s Red Platoon which provided the quick reaction force during the raid.

The IP and White Platoon then moved into the marketplace in Qayyarah to search the suspect’s photo shop.

“We got the key from the owner, and made soft entry,” Lloyd said. “We got more hard drives and printers. This mission specifically was targeting people that are facilitating foreign fighters and Al Qaeda. We are trying to stop the money going to the terrorists funding, the financial path. It is a crime operation and they are making money from the whole thing, but at the same time, that money and the services they provide aid to the terrorist to operate in the area freely.”

During the raid, Cpl. Mason Radcliff conducted searches and provided security for the mission. Radcliff feels that working alongside the IP is helping to make a difference.

“It is important to work with the IP,” said Radcliff of Prattville, Ala. “The Iraqi people will see coalition forces, but they also see the IP out there doing good things to help catch bad people in their community. With the IP, they [Iraqis] see us working with them -- it is kind of like bonding with them. It lets the Iraqis know that we are there to help.”

That help came in the form of having a suspected terrorist financier and illegal document forger being removed from their neighborhood. For this raid, the intelligence definitely pointed in the right direction.

“We got a lot of information, so I think they will be going away for a while,” said Radcliff. “It was a big success.”

Lloyd agrees with the mission being a success, and points out why it helps the Iraqis.

“Obviously it’s like anything -- you are going to have bad guys in your neighborhood,” said Lloyd. “If bad guys are in your neighborhoods, then foreign fighters and Al Qaeda are going to be coming into Qayyarah because they know they are getting their help from that area. We are cutting the jugular right there, if we get rid of the facilitators, then they are not going to come to Qayyarah to try to get money, passports, or documentation, to legitimize themselves. As a whole, operations like this help out the public because we are pulling bad guys out of the city. If the bad guys aren’t there to create documents and aide in operations of the safe houses, they have to move somewhere else, or cease to exist.”

During the raid, in which no shots were fired and no injuries occurred, Soldiers of HHB once again helped build rlationships with not just the people of Iraq, but with the IP as well, by allowing their Iraqi counterparts to lead, and by taking a supporting role in the mission.

“We transitioned from unilateral to bilateral operations almost immediately after we got here,” said Lloyd. “We immediately adopted the whole idea of Iraqis in the lead. They are going to be the ones that actually control the operations. We are going to be there to aide and facilitate in the operations.”

Iraqi Police with an interpreter and a Soldier from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division question a local Iraqi about a terrorist counterfeiting operation going on in his neighborhood in Qayyarah, Iraq, September 13. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and Iraqi Police question local Iraqis in a neighborhood of Qayyarah, Iraq, about a suspected counterfeiting operation in the area during a pre-dawn raid September 13. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Cpl. Mason Radcliff communicates with Soldiers on the ground, while providing over watch security from a rooftop during a raid with Iraqi Police to detain suspected counterfeiters who were supporting terrorists in the area of Qayyarah, Iraq, September 13. Radcliff, of Prattville, Ala., is a Soldier of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, which is currently deployed out of Fort Bliss, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

A Soldier of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division inspects a printing press believed to be used in a terrorist counterfeiting operation. The press, along with 10 other printers, five computers and three cell phones were all seized by the soldiers and Iraqi Police during a raid to disrupt terrorist funding activities in Qayyarah, Iraq, September 13. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division load a printing press believed to be used in a terrorist counterfeiting operation, while other Soldiers provide security in Qayyarah, Iraq, September 13. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi Police, along with Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, provide security during a cordon and knock mission outside of Qayyarah, Iraq. The September 13, raid netted two suspects believed to be supporting terrorist activities by running a counterfeiting operation. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Iraqi Police, along with Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, provide security during a cordon and knock mission outside of Qayyarah, Iraq. The September 13, raid netted two suspects believed to be supporting terrorist activities by running a counterfeiting operation. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Local Iraqis go about their business while Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82D Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and Iraqi Police search a photo shop believed to be connected to a terrorist counterfeiting operation in the market place of Qayyarah, Iraq, September 13. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Making Progress

Making Progress: Unit relationships with Iraqi locals pays off
Multi-National Division – North PAO
By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


SAMARRA, Iraq – As the much anticipated Iraq Report was released this month, one unit is finding that they are making progress.


An Iraqi teenager who was an informant for coalition forces in Samarra was kidnapped by insurgents and held for several days. He was beaten and moved to different locations. The teen managed to escape, ignoring the death threats of his captors for talking with coalition forces, and after his escape, he went straight to Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora to ask for help.
That help came from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, which kicked off Operation Reciprocity II Aug. 27.

“They kidnapped him, beat him and then made him promise to never come to this area again or work with coalition forces,” said Capt. Adisa King, Alpha Company commander. ”The kid agreed, went into his house, took the AK that he had and shot at the guys who kidnapped him, then took their truck and came here and told us about the whole thing. So he was a hero to us and that’s how we got the information that led up to Reciprocity.”


Reciprocity II, a pre-dawn raid in the areas south of Samarra was built off intelligence from the teenage informant based on what he saw as a captive.


King, of Jackson, Miss., said the informant is about 16 years old and very intelligent, being able to read maps and help them find insurgent targets, many of whom were aiding foreign fighters in the area. According to the informant, they were also part of an IED cell that emplaced culvert bombs in the area. Alpha Company was gathering information on locals in their area from the time they arrived, just over a year ago. This helped to identify who the kidnappers were and where they lived.


Alpha Company launched a ground and air assault that consisted of over 100 personnel on three objectives, including a tank element from 2nd Platoon, Company D, 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. During the assault, Alpha Company Soldiers detained 17 suspects and found one IED consisting of two 155 artillery rounds buried under the road.
During the raid, elements of 3rd Platoon assaulted one of the houses and detained eight suspects. Like the rest of the elements, 3rd Platoon suffered no casualties.


“The mission went well. We found a good amount of personnel that we feel the evidence pointed towards them being anti-Iraqi forces,” said Sgt. Eldon Garhart of Spearfish, S.D., a forward observer with 3rd Platoon. “Of course, as always, it was a great mission as everyone returned back safe and unharmed.”



The mission demonstrated the success of the troops in the area. Locals are trusting coalition forces enough to inform on suspected al-Qaida in Iraq forces, and raids are producing results.


“We found the targets,” King said. “Several things we were looking for were: AQI facilitators and the bunker that the kid was supposedly taken to during the kidnapping and thrown in. We didn’t find that, but we did find a lot of information about the travel of their groups in that area, and that was the best thing about going through and infiltrating that. Hopefully we got a lot of people responsible for the culvert bombs. It is a good thing that we’re still going after them.”


With just a few months left of their deployment, Alpha Company plans to continue going after insurgents, not slowing down their pace, even if they are on the home stretch, King said.


“Just like in a football game or any sport you’re in, if you start slowing down, hanging back, guys get lax. ‘Ah, you know, we only have 15 more days or 30 more days until we go home,’” King said about his company, which continue to go on missions without losing momentum. “You start thinking that way when you’re out there, then you forget about the fact that there’s still somebody out there right now who is planning and who is waiting for the opportunity to kill you, to take you out. So if you’re not on your A-game when you’re out there, that’s a problem. The barn door’s not open yet … you’re not there.”


When it comes to building relationships with the Iraqi people, Alpha Company has been working with the Iraqi Army and locals throughout its tour to build relationships. It appears to have paid off.


“We’re getting to know the people,” King said. “We talk about winning hearts and minds, but you find out after working with the IA, as coalition, we don’t really need to win hearts and minds. I truly believe that because to this day I’ve had several Iraqis come up to me and say, ‘We know you guys are merciful. We know you’re not mean. We know you won’t abuse people.’ They know that, but they’re afraid because they know we’re going to leave. Sometimes it’s the Iraqi forces we need to work with and say ‘Look, this is how you do it.’ Iraqi forces are really the ones who need to win hearts and minds. And we are there helping them out to do that, taking them on missions and putting them in the forefront.”

Sgt. Eldon Garhart guards detainees during a raid in a village south of Samarra, Iraq August 27. Garhart, of Spearfish, S.D., is a forward observer with 3rd Platoon, Company A 2-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment out of Fort Bragg, N.C. The raid was part of Operation Reciprocity II, an operation to arrest suspected kidnappers and Improvised Explosive Device implanters in the area. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company A, 2-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment out of Fort Bragg, N.C., prepare to provide security for detainee extraction during a raid in a village south of Samarra, Iraq, August 27. The raid was part of Operation Reciprocity II, an operation to arrest suspected kidnappers and Improvised Explosive Device implanters in the area. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company A, 2-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment out of Fort Bragg, N.C., load onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter after conducting a raid in a village south of Samarra, Iraq, August 27. The raid was part of Operation Reciprocity II, a mission to arrest suspected kidnappers and Improvised Explosive Device implanters in the area. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford)

Greetings from Iraq

Well, we all made it here safely. It is hot, and we haven't seen much outside the wire. Just a quick update. The average daily temp is around 115 degrees. It took us a couple days longer to make it due to some dust storms in Kuwait. I have yet to see the infamous camel spider, death walker scorpion or the Persian viper thing we hear so much about. What I have seen for the first time was the Bunker right outside my CHU (Connex Housing Unit.) Some jerk shot a rocket at us last night and managed to hit a large open area of dirt,of which we have plenty. No one got hurt. It was kind of exciting and moderately scary.

Aside from that, things have been quiet. I will be going on storys soon, so it will be nice to be able to do my job in the field.

I will post more when I get a chance.

Citizen-Soldiers Answer the Call

I wrote another story. It got published in the Fort Dix "Post" paper. Hope you enjoy. Time is short here on Fort Dix, so I might be even further between posts for a while.

Citizen-Soldiers Answer the Call
Troops from A Co., 1-175th prepare for Iraqi deployment

Story by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford

FORT DIX, N.J. – Santa brought Brian Tarr a special kind of present this year – a present that he wasn’t expecting. He was opening gifts with his family when a knock came at the door. Thinking it was a friend stopping by to deliver good tidings, Tarr went to open it.
“As soon as I saw that purple hat, I knew what it was,” said Tarr, an infantryman with Alpha Company, 1-175th Infantry. “I opened the door and the FedEx guy handed me my package and asked if I was in the military. It was addressed to Spc. Brian Tarr. I stuffed it under my shirt and went back inside to my family. I told them that it was just an old friend stopping by to wish me Merry Christmas.”
After two years of civilian life, Tarr had received his Individual Ready Reserve recall orders calling him back to duty on Christmas Day.
“I took the package into the bathroom and read it,” Tarr said as he stared thoughtfully out of the window of a humvee parked online at the training Forward Operating Base here. “I left it in there, and my niece found it and brought it out in front of my mom. I asked her not to freak out and ruin Christmas.”
Tarr, a West Palm Beach, Fla., resident, is one of about 12 Soldiers who were called-up from the IRR to serve with the Frederick, Md. unit. Tarr, who was in college at the time, didn’t get upset by the news, even though it was delivered on Christmas Day.
“It didn’t bother me. I knew this was going to happen,” Tarr said. “This is my calling. My morale and motivation helps Soldiers. What I know can help people stay alive.”
Tarr, an Operation-Iraqi-Freedom veteran, said he is anxious to finish mobilization training and put his skills to use in the fight in Iraq.
About half of Alpha Co. has already served on combat tours. Ten percent of the company is made up of IRR call-ups.
“They bring a lot to the table, a lot of motivation. They are here and they are doing the best that they can,” said 1st Sgt. Duane Diven of Alpha Company. “Our guys want to get going. They want to get out there.”
Diven, who returned from a deployment to Guantanamo Bay in April, said that after 22 years, he continues to serve because he likes what he does, and he believes in the cause.
“Everything we do is vital. Our mission is just another piece of the pie. It is essential to the peace process.”
Alpha Company was mobilized May 22 and arrived at Fort Dix on May 25 to receive training for their yearlong deployment to Iraq, which begins later this summer. The company is training on convoy operations, route reconnaissance, weapons familiarization and first aid, among other Soldier skills. The infantry unit’s mission in Iraq will be force protection and convoy operations.
Tarr said their mission will help with the progress in Iraq.
“Progress is being made,” he said. “Good stuff doesn’t make a story. Bad stuff and violence make a story. Since I was there in ’03 to ’04, progress has been made. I am looking forward to seeing the progress.”
When it comes to the training and deployment, Tarr said Soldiers should listen to what trainers have to say.
“Stay motivated and stay positive,” he said. “You’ve got 50 to 60 guys to boost you up when you are down. Remember, it can always get worse. These are only blanks flying over your head here. And training can be fun. Take everything you can get here. Every little piece helps. This is good training.”
The advice Diven gives to Soldiers getting ready to deploy is a little simpler.
“Get fit. Get mentally and physically prepared,” he said.
The IRR, which consists of around 300,000 personnel, is an Army program that allows Soldiers who have completed their active duty or reserve time, but still have time left in their eight-year Military Service Obligation to return to their civilian life with the possibility of being recalled to duty.
Most Soldiers who join the Army sign an eight-year contract. Any time of that contract not served as an active duty Soldier, National Guardsman or Reservist is fulfilled under the Individual Ready Reserve. During that time, a Soldier can be recalled to active duty.
For the citizen-Soldiers of Alpha Company 1-175th Infantry, that possibility became a reality. That reality for many of them became an opportunity to once again answer America’s call for service.
While deployment can be difficult on a Soldier and his family, it can be especially hard on a Soldier who has been a civilian for some time.
Alpha Company Soldiers, whether IRR recalls or not, have been dealing with the difficulties and persevering during their training for deployment to Iraq.

I MADE THE COVER!

I wrote a piece for the Fort Dix "POST" paper. I actually think the story sucks, but it is what I wrote, and they liked it enough that the posted my story on the front page below the fold, and my photo above the fold! I think it is pretty cool. I wrote this story as the first piece in a three-part series. Hope you enjoy.

Jumping Across the Pond
British paratroopers train on Fort Dix for Afghanistan deployment

Story and photos by U.S. Army Spc. Eric A. Rutherford
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT DIX, N.J. – The hand-held wind meter’s plastic cups spun rapidly in the breeze, displaying a wind speed of seven knots. Low clouds spread over Coyle Field in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, sky-lining the humvees and the troops working diligently at the top of the hill. A light rain pattered down.
“They should have been here ten minutes ago,” said Major John Meredith, speaking with a heavy Welsh accent. “There must be some sort of problem.”
Meredith, a member of the British 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment Reserve, worked with the ground crews to ensure the drop zone was prepared properly for the British paratroopers who would soon land. The ground crew continued to take wind readings, and set up large neon orange tarps on the ground in the pattern of an “A,” while observers and medical personnel stood by. Static crackled over a member of the crew’s hand-held radio.

“We have you in sight. You are clear to jump,” he transmitted into the radio.
As those on the ground looked toward the horizon, the grey aircraft floated out of the clouds like a shark stalking through murky water. Almost as quickly as the Air Force C-130 cargo plane came into view, it was overhead, leaving four distinct contrails behind it. When it passed over the drop zone, small objects began falling from it. They fell free for a brief moment before blossoming into round canopies, dangling their human cargo as they headed for the ground. Seconds later the plane was out of sight.
Joyous yelling and laughter could be heard from the people in the parachute canopies as they descended for about 20 seconds toward the earth.
The yells and the laughter came from members of the 4th Parachute Regiment Reserve. A paratrooper infantry unit that traveled from Leeds, Yorkshire, England, to Fort Dix for two weeks of mobilization readiness training this June and July in preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan next year. The training is designed to familiarize British paratroopers with American equipment, signals and terminology.
“The training here is first class,” said Warrant Officer Doug Muirhead, the regimental sergeant major, about the unit’s opportunity to come to an American installation and train with U.S. forces. “We are getting good training, which is important for interoperability.”
The two-week training that the unit, which is made up of around 400 troops from throughout Great Britain, is conducting here is comprised of low-level jump certification, weapons training and land navigation. Of the unit’s 400 troops, about 130 made the trip to America for the training.

“Trips abroad don’t come around that often, so we look forward to it. The training facilities are fantastic,” Muirhead said about his experiences training on American installations.
The training mission was no small task to organize, and was assisted and planned by the 404th Civil Affairs Reserve of Fort Dix. Staff Sgt. Monica Peck said American forces helped to survey the drop zone, familiarize the British with U.S. parachutes, rig the chutes and perform safety checks. Peck, an Army Reserve jumpmaster and civil affairs team leader from the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion out of Riverdale, Md., not only assisted with planning and set up, but also made the jump with a handful of other American Soldiers. This is not Peck’s first time working with British paratroopers. She trained with them at Fort Bragg in 1997, but wasn’t unable to jump with because she had to end the training to attend jumpmaster school.
“Here I am, ten years later and it is a real honor for me to get to be the leader with this group of guys, (they are) good folks,” Peck said.
The British paratroopers return home July 8, and will deploy to Afghanistan next year.

Warrant Officer First Class Jim O'Donnell wraps up his parachute to clear the drop zone after a low-level jump from an Air Force C-130 aircraft at Fort Dix, N.J. O'Donnell, from Glasgow, Scotland, is a Senior Permanent Staff Instructor for the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment Reserves. The unit is spending two weeks at Fort Dix to prepare for a mobilization to Afghanistan next year.

British Paratroopers from the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment Reserve glide toward the ground Fort Dix, N.J. during a two-week exercise. The unit, which is located in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, is preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan next year.

Warrant Officer First Class Jim O'Donnell touches down from a low-level jump out of an Air Force C-130 aircraft at Fort Dix, N.J. O'Donnell, from Glasgow, Scotland, is a Senior Permanent Staff Instructor for the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment Reserves. The unit is spending two weeks at Fort Dix to prepare for a mobilization to Afghanistan next year.

British Paratroopers from the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment Reserve practice low-level jumps from an Air Force C-130 aircraft at Fort Dix, N.J. during a two-week interoperability readiness exercise. The unit, which is located in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, is preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan next year.

Photos and Story by U.S. Army Spc. Eric A. Rutherford

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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