Military family members reunite in Djibouti

November 15, 2006
By Army Spc. Eric P. Jungels Jr.
Central Command Public Affairs.

DOHA, Qatar – The senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command’s reserve forces recently returned here from Djibouti after a visit in which she assisted fellow troops, including one special service member.

Sgt. Maj. Judith M. Harford, acting command sergeant major for USCENTCOM Forward Headquarters met up with her brother, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel R. Husner, a hospital corpsman with the 5th Provisional Security Company deployed to Djibouti, Africa.

Army Sgt. Maj. Judith M. Harford, acting command sergeant major for U.S. Central Command Forward Headquarters, poses for a photo next to her brother, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel R. Husner, a hospital corpsman with the 5th Provisional Security Company, in Djibouti, Africa. The two were able to catch up while Harford was visiting troops from the 5th PSC and other reserve servicemembers in the region. USN Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Eric A. Clement.

The two were able to catch up while Harford was visiting troops from the 5th PSC and other reserve troops serving in the Horn of Africa alongside of Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis L. Brownhill, CENTCOM’s highest ranking enlisted leader.

“My job is to help Soldiers focus on their tasks by helping take care of other issues,” said Harford, whose goal for the trip was to get to know the reserve Soldiers and work out any administrative or personal issues they had. Seeing her brother, she said, was quite a bonus.

“We haven’t seen each other a lot in the last few years,” said Harford, who has worked in an active guard reserve capacity with CENTCOM for the last three years.

Between deployments and overseas assignments, Harford said, she and her brother have been very busy, actively serving and supporting the recent Global War on Terror.

The two, who according to Husner, have not seen each other in at least two years, were able to meet up, have a couple drinks, and even see a movie.

“Seems like the only time I see her is overseas some place!” said Husner, who joined the Marines as a reservist during Operation Desert Storm.

As Harford puts it, they are two siblings from a “true joint family.” Harford and Husner’s father is a former Marine and they have a brother who also served in the Air Force.

Husner, who is a social worker when he’s not deployed, has been in Djibouti since September. The Marines he works with provide base security, conduct patrols, and work with villagers to keep the area safe and free of terrorist activity.

“I’m proud of him,” said Harford, of her brother. “He’s 52 years old—working with the Marines and going on patrols with them.”

“I got to watch him work,” said Harford. “He’s well trained in medical care and even field surgery—if I had any medical concerns, I would go to him.”

Violence in Iraq Drops in Weeks After Ramadan

Nov. 20, 2006
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON – As expected, violence in Iraq has dropped following the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a coalition spokesman said in Baghdad today.
Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said civilian and Iraqi security force casualties were at the lowest levels since the government was formed in May.

So far this month, the civilian casualty count is well below the casualty count in October and below the six-month average. The security force casualties reduced 21 percent over the past four weeks, and are at the lowest level in 25 weeks, he said.

“In Baghdad, there was a 22 percentage drop in casualties related to sectarian violence and executions,” Caldwell said during a televised news conference. “Coalition forces will continue to work closely with the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces to control the sectarian violence and terrorist attacks.”

But attacks do continue. The more the Iraqi government led by Nouri al-Maliki asserts its authority, the greater the threat from foreign and extremist elements seeking to undermine both stability and reconciliation in Iraq, Caldwell said. “Last week we did see a spike in coalition and civilian casualties,” he said. “Murders remain the gravest threat to civilians.”

A line of Humvees parade around the unit’s motor pool during a Nov. 1 transfer of authority ceremony in Kirkush. The unit is made up of heavy and light-wheeled vehicles along with ambulances and tow trucks. 210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

A new wrinkle is mortar attacks on markets and mosques, and coalition and Iraqi security forces are watching the situation and taking steps to prevent those, the general said.

He said Operation Together Forward – planned to provide security for the neighborhoods in Baghdad – will continue. Patrolling continues in some neighborhoods, he said, with roughly 95,000 buildings searched, 282 persons detained and 1,900 weapons seized.

In other neighborhoods, the Iraqis have moved into a protect-and-build strategy. “Stability means more than just freedom from fear; it means being able to count on essential services,” Caldwell said. “Consequently, more than $7.5 million have been committed to these projects and essential services.”

Iraqi public servants brave attacks to continue working on power generation, water treatment, trash collection to sewage disposal. He said over the past 11 months local civic leaders and soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, which just transferred back to Fort Hood, Texas, worked hard in Baghdad to make progress in local improvement projects. “During that time, 146 water and sewage projects came on line, (along with) 140 educational projects, 57 medical and public health projects and 37 agricultural projects,” Caldwell said.

The water and sewage projects undertaken through this partnership include the completion of 19 water treatment plants, six compact water delivery systems, 13 sewage pumping stations and the replacement of more than 25 kilometers of pipe. The 140 education projects included upgrading 111 school facilities that serve more than 310,000 elementary students. The 57 Baghdad medical projects include the renovation of 21 hospitals and clinics and building and opening six new clinics for the citizens of Baghdad.

“There is a committed effort to hire local Iraqi firms and workers,” the general said. “These projects alone have provided over 23,000 jobs at the peak employment period.”

Caldwell said there will be more transfers of authority to the Iraqis as the security forces become more capable. He used an operation in Diyala province as an example of the progress the Iraqi army is making. On Nov. 13, the Iraqis launched a joint operation to seize five major weapons caches. The Iraqi forces faced improvised explosive devices and numerous small-arms exchanges with enemy forces. The soldiers killed somewhere between 25 and 40 enemy fighters and detained another 23.

The raid resulted in taking hundreds of explosive rounds capable of being used in car and roadside bombs, and 300,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition. “This is potentially hundreds of car bombs that will never be built or detonated in Iraqi markets,” Caldwell said. “This is 12,000 sniper rounds that will not be aimed at security forces.”

Caldwell said it is impossible to estimate the number of attacks these raids prevented, “but it was significant.”

“Iraq must have a security force that is competent, but also enjoys the confidence of its people,” he said. The forces will continue to enforce the rule of law and free the country from the threat of militias. He said Iraqi confidence in the police is slowly rising, but will require continued reform.

The forces continue to combat sectarian violence, most of which, occurs within a 30-mile radius around Baghdad. Forces launched 58 missions against death squads that netted 184 cell members and eight cell leaders.

The coalition and Iraqis continue to attack al Qaeda in Iraq. The forces launched 92 focused operations that killed 48 terrorists and detained 286, Caldwell said.

The general also told reporters that U.S. forces remain committed to finding Army Spc. Ahmed Kusay Altaie, a soldier kidnapped Oct. 23. More than 3,000 coalition and Iraqi security forces are looking for him. “We will never stop looking for our servicemembers,” Caldwell said. “Everyone must know that we will continue our intensive efforts to locate Specialist Altaie.”

Caldwell said that all people want to see a unified, secure and prosperous Iraq, “but it will take time.”

“The people in Iraq are showing tremendous perseverance in fighting these foreign influences that seek to destroy their goal of a unified Iraq,” he said.

Afghan Def. Min. Thanks US, Praises Troops, Rumsfeld

Nov. 21, 2006
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON – Afghanistan’s defense minister thanked the United States today for its steadfast support for his country, specifically recognizing the U.S. troops who have served and sacrificed there and outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak told Pentagon reporters Afghanistan is indebted to the United States for the progress it’s made during the past five years. “These achievements would not have been possible without the advice, guidance and generous support we have received from the United States,” he said.

Wardak gave special thanks to Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, who joined him at the podium, as well as Rumsfeld, whom he met with before today’s news conference.

“Secretary Rumsfeld has been a great support of the Afghan cause as a whole,” he said. “He played a fundamental role in delivering Afghanistan from years of destruction, occupation and civil war.”

Afghanistan as a nation “has all the love, respect and admiration for him,” Wardak said of Rumsfeld. “He founded a security relationship that will endure, and we have every intention to build on those relations.”

Wardak expressed “the profound and everlasting gratitude of the Afghan government and people for everything the United States government and people are doing to help deliver Afghanistan from years of terror and destruction.”

The Afghan defense minister also recognized the U.S. forces who have served in Afghanistan, noting the commitment they have shown and the sacrifices they have made.

“They are representing your great nation proudly and demonstrating the high standards of service and professionalism,” he said. “I pray that their sacrifices will one day no longer be necessary, and that my own nation will be able to repay its debt through our enduring partnership with the United States.”

Wardak and Eikenberry are visiting Washington for consultations with U.S. government and military leaders, Eikensberry told reporters.

The two paid an earlier visit to Fort Bragg, N.C., to observe United Endeavor, a week-long exercise that’s preparing 82nd Airborne Division leaders and their Afghan, International Security Assistance Force, interagency and non-governmental organization partners for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

The mission rehearsal exercise brought together about 1,300 servicemembers who will deploy in January as Combined Joint Task Force 76. The task force, which also will include other supporting Army and Air Force elements, will serve in Regional Command East under the NATO-led ISAF.

The exercise built on a troop-level training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. About 50 Afghan soldiers trained with their 82nd Airborne Division counterparts in late October.

Eikenberry called the Afghan troops’ first deployment to the United States for field training a significant step that “underscores the continuing development of the Afghan national security forces.”

Proof of a Positive Impact in Gode, Ethiopa

November 20, 2006
Story by SSgt Anne O’Neill
Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.

GODE, Ethiopia – One man’s return to Gode is positive proof of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa success in eastern Ethiopia. The story began when U.S. Navy Master Chief Andrew Smith spent four months in the sometimes-austere Ogaden region from April to the end of July this year.

During his time at Contingency Operating Location Gode, he served as the noncommissioned officer in charge. Smith oversaw the support for humanitarian missions in the region.

U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Andrew Smith greets old friends at the former COL Gode, Ethiopia. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Philip A. Fortnam.

U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Andrew Smith greets old friends at the former COL Gode, Ethiopia. Master Chief Smith participated in a humanitarian mission airlifting flood relief supplies to Gode when he had the opportunity meet old friends from COL Gode. An Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) delivered humanitarian aid to flood victims in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Philip A. Fortnam.

Some of these projects included building improvements on clinics, schools, dormitories, medical civic affairs projects and veterinary civic affairs projects. Work also included a new irrigation system, a new clinic in Kunka Village and two new school buildings in Badal Segal. People of CJTF-HOA also provided employment to surrounding villagers and boosted the local economy, providing people a much-needed source of income.

So it was a welcome-home party of sorts when Smith participated in relief flight support for the Gode region Nov. 10. This time, an U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane delivered food and relief supplies to flood victims there. Smith served as the assistant commander and oversaw the logistics of moving a lot of materials in a short time.

The people of CJTF-HOA made several deliveries in a two-day operation and delivered 23 pallets of supplies such as food, high energy biscuits, rice, water containers, plastic sheeting, bedding and water purification materials.

The supplies were donated by Ethiopia’s Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency, and U.S. Agency for International Development. The DPPA representative in Gode is in charge of disbursing the supplies from the Airfield to the affected areas.

For Smith, returning to Gode was quite a unique experience.

“Going back there was sort of a small homecoming,” Smith said. “I had wondered if we had a positive impact on their lives. When we landed there we were pleasantly surprised. People who remembered me came from all over to shake my hand, some came from miles away.”

“Flying in the C-130 and getting to look out and see the amount of flooding, it was easy to see why they were in need,” he said. “They were extremely displaced from food and water.”

Ethiopia’s DPPA said the flooding had killed at least 80 people and left more than 217,000 homeless in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In total, more than 360,000 people were affected.

“It was a great mission to be on for two reasons,” Smith concluded. “The first part was delivering supplies to people in need. The second best part of the mission was being thanked [by local citizens] for the work we did there from April to the end of July.”

Chad: State of Emergency Extended

Chad State of Emergency Extended

Ndjamena
The Chadian government has extended a state of emergency to six months from an initial 12 days in the midst of continuing violence that has displaced tens of thousands of people.

“There is a kind of crisis of confidence between the communities in the areas and, in one way or another, between the communities and the administration,” Prime Minister Pascal Yoadimnadji told parliament on Thursday when requesting that it authorise the extension.

“More time is needed to restore the administration, to sensitise the population, to reconcile populations and create confidence,” he said.

The prime minister also said that the government would have the power disarm civilians and put in place more civilian and military authorities.

The state of emergency would affect the capital, N’djamena, and several areas in the east w[h]ere various armed groups have forced at least 75,000 people to flee their villages in the past year – 12,000 of them this month alone, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

Armed men on horseback have attacked at least 23 villages in southeastern Chad since the beginning of November, UNHCR said, and people have fled 20 other villages in fear of more attacks. At least 200 people have been killed and dozens others wounded. Some have had their eyes gouged out, while others have been burned after being trapped when their homes were set on fire.

Last week some 10,000 other people were displaced by an attack on villages around the town of Koloy in the southeast. One aid worker from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was also killed and the whereabouts of three others remain unknown.

In his speech, Prime Minister Yoadimnadji blamed the government of Sudan for igniting violence between local communities in the east. He said Sudan is seeking to destabilise Chad by exporting its conflict from neighbouring Dafur.

Sudan denies the accusation. MSF issued a statement on Friday saying that the recently displaced people are victims of incursions from armed men from Sudan but also of fighting between the Chadian army and Chadian rebels.

NGAUS Legislative Update: 11/24/2006

What’s Happening In Congress?
Congress will be in recess for two weeks during the Thanksgiving holiday. The Senate will return on December 4 and the House on December 5. The Senate Armed Services Committee will conduct a confirmation hearing Defense Secretary nominee Robert Gates – Dec. 5. The short term stop-gap fiscal 2007 spending measure will expire on Dec. 8.

New Leaders in the House:
Last week LEGIT reported the results of the Senate leadership elections for both the Democrats and the Republicans. The House caucused late last week with most Democrat races uncontested. Here are the official results from the House of Representatives:

Speaker of the House: Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Democrats:
Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer, Md.
Majority Whip: James E. Clyburn, S.C.
Caucus Chairman: Rahm Emanuel, Ill.
Caucus Vice Chairman: John B. Larson, Conn.

Republicans:
Minority Leader: John A. Boehner, Ohio
Minority Whip: Roy Blunt, Mo.
Conference Chairman: Adam H. Putnam, Fla.
Conference Vice Chairman: Kay Granger, Texas
Conference Secretary: John Carter, Texas
Policy Committee Chairman: Thaddeus McCotter, Mich.
Chairman, National Republican Congressional Committee: Tom Cole, Okla.
Chief Deputy Minority Whip: Eric Cantor, Va.

The Duties of a House Party Leader:
The U.S. Constitution establishes the Speaker of the House as the most senior official of the House of Representatives and the third most senior in the federal government. House rules invest broad-ranging powers to the Speaker, including: presiding over debate in the House, recognizing members for the purpose of speaking or making motions, setting the agenda by determining what and when legislation comes before the House, and deciding points of order. The Speaker of the House also serves as the primary spokesperson for the House of Representatives, and often times the party. The Speaker normally takes the leading role in negotiating with the Senate and the President.

The Majority Leader is the second most senior official in the House. The majority leader’s role has been defined through history and tradition as the day-to-day manager of House business and is responsible for scheduling legislation for floor consideration. The Majority Leader helps plan daily, weekly, and annual legislative goals and works to advance the agenda of the majority party.

The Minority Leader serves as the most senior official in the minority party and the floor leader of the “loyal opposition.” The Minority leader works with the party caucus to set agenda and strategy.

Both the majority and minority party elect whips. The title “whip” comes from a fox hunting expression – “whipper-in” – which refers to the individual responsible for keeping the dogs from straying during a chase. The Party Whips are responsible for counting votes and persuading members to vote along party lines.

For the last 12 years the Republicans have held all of the majority positions and the Democrats all of the minority positions. Beginning in January the positions will be reversed with the Democrats in control. The remaining leadership positions are unique to their respective party.

What’s Happening At NGAUS?

A Weekend at NGAUS.
This past weekend the Board of Directors met in Washington for their annual Winter Meeting. The Board received an extensive legislative update from legislative director, Brig. Gen. (ret) Richard Green, and was asked by the NGAUS Chairman, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, to assist in identifying qualified individuals to serve on committees and task forces for NGAUS. The next Board of Directors meeting will be in March 2007.

Upcoming Events at NGAUS:
Dec 5: Combat Support Task Force Meeting
Dec 5: Industry Day Mini-Workshop
Dec 6: Industry Day
Dec 6: OIF/OEF Exhibit Opening
Dec 7: Fire Support Task Force Meeting
Jan 16-17: Kentucky State Visit
Jan 21-25: NGEDA Conference
Feb 7-8: Arkansas State Visit
Feb 25 –Mar 1: AGAUS Conference
Mar 5-6: CACO Conference
Mar 9-11: Board of Directors Spring Meeting

NGAUS Notes: 11/24/2006

Board Approves ‘07 Budget, ‘09 Conference Location.
Association business dominated NGAUS board of directors meeting at The National Guard Memorial in Washington, D.C., last weekend.

Meeting for first time under Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, new chairman, the board approved an $11.9 million consolidated 2007 budget for the association, the NGAUS-Insurance Trust and the National Guard Educational Foundation.

The association’s portion of the budget includes operation of the memorial building, which has 175,000 square feet of fully leased office space in addition to the NGAUS headquarters, a library and a museum.

Projected revenues for 2007 fully cover expenditures in the spending plan. Building rent, membership dues and the proceeds from insurance, conference exhibit magazine advertising sales are the leading sources of income.

Board members also filled two board vacancies, electing Brig. Gen. Hugh Broomall of Delaware and Col. Deborah Ashenhurst of Ohio to serve as Air and Army representatives, respectively, for Area II.

General Broomall will fill the unexpired term of Col. Allyson R. Soloman of Maryland, who resigned, while Col. Ashenhurst replaces Brig. Gen. Norman E. Arflack of Kentucky, who was elected vice chair (Army) at the conference in September.

In addition, board members also approved a bid from Tennessee to host the 131st NGAUS General Conference and Exhibition in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 11 to 13, 2009.

They also reaffirmed March 31 as the Early Bird membership rebate cutoff date and approved holding a new train-the-trainer membership workshop in Washington early next year.

The board continues to work on a NGAUS strategic plan and further develop the conference’s officer professional development program.

Guard, Reserve Troop Rotations Unchanged.
The National Guard and Reserves are still operating under the same rules for mobilization length, and no troops have been mobilized for longer than the allowed 24 cumulative months, the top Defense Department official for reserve affairs said Nov. 17.

The current law allows President Bush to mobilize up to a million Guardsmen and Reservists for 24 consecutive months, but Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made the decision to make the rule 24 cumulative months, to relieve stress on the force, said Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, in an interview.

Mr. Hall explained that the 24-consecutive-months rule, in the strictest sense, could actually see a Guardsman mobilized up until one day short of the two-year mark, and then remobilized after a one-day break.

Using the cumulative rule allows the Reservist or Guardsman to maintain balance among military service, family and employer, Mr. Hall said.

“We need to maintain that balance so that our employers will continue to support us, [and] our families will continue to support us,” he said. “As you would well understand, if you donÕt get that support as a Guardsman or Reservist, it’s very hard for you to serve.”

Currently no Guardsmen or Reservists have been involuntarily mobilized longer than 24 cumulative months, and DoD thinks this could be a sustainable arrangement, he said.

However, Pentagon officials are always looking at force requirements, and could switch to the consecutive rule, he said.

Recent media reports suggest that the likelihood of such a change will increase in the months ahead.

NBC: Youth ChalleNGe Story Now Set for Friday.
The NBC Nightly News story on the California National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe program set to air Monday will now be part of the Friday newscast, according to NBC. The telecast airs at 6:30 or 7p.m Eastern Time depending on the market.

NORAD Ready for Santa Tracking on Christmas Eve.
In advance of the holiday season and its 51st season of tracking Santa Claus on his annual journey around the world, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) last Friday activated its “NORAD Tracks Santa” Web site (NORAD Santa) for 2006.

The program began in 1955 when an errant phone call was made to NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A child had dialed a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper and reached NORAD instead.

The commander who answered the phone gave the youngster Santa’s whereabouts, and the Santa tracking tradition began.

The program has grown since its first appearance on the Internet in 1998. Last year, the Web site received 912 million hits from 204 countries. On Christmas Eve, aided by 550 volunteers, the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations answered nearly 55,000 phone calls and nearly 98,000 e-mails from children around the world.

The Web site features the history of the program, information on how NORAD tracks Santa and games. On Dec. 24, beginning at 2 a.m. Mountain Time, the Web site will post a minute-by-minute update on Santa’s travels. All of this information is available English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

Island Web Studios, America Online, Akami, Analytical Graphics, Globelink Language and Cultural Services, Qwest Communications, Verizon, and Microsoft Virtual Earth help to make the program possible, NORAD officials said.

Communications Dept. Seeks Seasoned Staff Writer.
The National Guard Association has an immediate opening for an experienced staff writer. Selected candidate will contribute to National Guard, the association’s monthly magazine, NGAUS Notes and the NGAUS Web site.

Duties include writing short news stories and covering a variety of hearings on Capitol Hill and elsewhere.

For the magazine, the successful candidate will contribute at least one substantial feature story each month and assist in editing and producing the final product. Some travel is required.

Candidates must have five years of reporting experience. Familiarity with the military and the National Guard is preferred.

Interest in writing about military/legislative topics a must. Car required. Salary: low- to mid-40s. Excellent benefits include health and dental coverage and a 401k plan. Convenient Capitol Hill location.

Please send cover letter, resume and three writing samples to:

Communications Department
National Guard Association of the United States
One Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

Fax: 202-682-9358
E-mail: Chris Prawdzik.

Please enter “Application” in the subject line if sending e-mail.

This Week in Guard History.
Nov. 22, 1970: Hensley Field, Texas – Second Lt. Constance Kries is welcomed back to the Texas Air National Guard’s 136th Air Refueling Wing, after completing her officer training school (OTS) course leading to her commission.

She becomes the first Air Guard woman to complete the course, opened to female Guard personnel in early 1970. She not only finishes the course but is the Class 70-04 Distinguished Graduate, ending the course as class leader.

Women were authorized to join the Guard starting in 1956 but the only positions available to them were for existing nurses or other college-educated specialties, such as law or administration. Military schools were not available to them until Congress changed regulations in 1969 to allow female candidates.

NGAUS History.
NGAUS influenced Guard transformation between World War I and II, when the National Defense Act of 1920 gave Guard leaders a listening post within the War Department. This was the Militia Bureau, which was charged with issuance of supplies, uniforms and equipment to the states for their Guard units.

The association’s objectives included a consolidation of footholds within the bureau and an increase in its freedom from the general staff’s uniformed bungling of routine Guard affairs.

The end result of the act had been a settlement of major issues and the plotting of the Guard’s future, but NGAUS was still unsatisfied with a few minor items.

Among them was the motorization of National Guard artillery regiments over Army opposition because of a professional belief in horses for the rugged southwest along the Mexican frontier.