RCP Interviews Gen. Caldwell

This is a copy of the interview/report from Iraq by Real Clear Politics. It was posted by Blake Dvorak. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Have a great day.

Yesterday I took part in the Defense Department’s Roundtable, a weekly event that allows members of the new media to talk directly with defense officials. Wednesday’s spokesman was Major Gen. William Caldwell, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Effects in Iraq. Printed below are some interesting parts of the discussion.

RCP: I was wondering if you could shed any light on when you are going to start getting worried about a lack of funds.

Gen. Caldwell: You know, it’s interesting you asked that question. I just walked out of a press conference that we do — we started to do at least one a week over here. That question was not even asked, and I really had anticipated that probably being a primary question.

It’s interesting. I link up with you all, and you all — right away, that’s the one thing that — (laughter) — and I’ll tell you, if you watch the debate back in the United States, you know, I’m an Army guy. My chief of staff, you know, taking off my Joint hat, the chief of staff of the Army back there has stated that, he’s been very clear on when that’s going to start having an impact on the United States Army. And that’s relatively soon, according to him. And I think he has always been a very straightforward caller, like no-nonsense kind of guy. So I would put a lot of credence into whatever he said back there.

Again, I don’t know because I’m not back there. But I can tell you from over here, it’s going to have an immediate impact in the sense that the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq element that we have is charged with building, equipping, helping to develop the Iraqi security forces, and that is going to have an impact on them. Now to what degree? You know, we can get into a lot more specifics, but they are already starting to feel the effects of not having this funding.

Again now, from the U.S. combat forces on the ground, it has not had an impact on us. We still have what we need to conduct our operations. But MNSTC-I, which is charged with, the Title X responsibilities associated in very simplistic form with the Iraqi security forces — it does have an impact today and will only get more pronounced with time.

Victoria Coates: Just to follow up on that quickly, the idea of the Iraqi Security Force bearing the immediate brunt of the funding lack — I was wondering if you could talk a little bit more about their performance over the last two months, and how integral they’ve been to the Baghdad security operation, and how effective you think you can be if their readiness starts to deteriorate.

Gen. Caldwell: I’ve been here almost a year now. And I can tell you that from a year ago when I first got here to now, and I’m out, you know, every week someplace, having the ability to get out and go around the country — that, you know, they continue to get better all the time.

From better equipment, more capable leadership and the quality of their young soldiers as they develop the professionalism inside their force, it’s going to still take time, but is beginning to take hold. Obviously, they’re not going to be anywhere near the capabilities and the professionalism of our force any time soon, but they’re moving forward, which is the important thing, and they are getting better all the time.

Obviously, we count on them very much. As part of this Fard al-Qanun, they brought into the city about 4,500 extra troops, nine battalions, with some headquarters, but they brought in nine additional infantry battalions. And again, when I go back a year ago, the idea of even trying to move one Iraqi battalion was unheard of. About six months ago, if we attempted to move Iraqi army battalions, it was a significant challenge and we were not always successful; and when we did move them, it was very painful and it was unsustainable.

Today they’ve moved nine battalions into the city, as they said they would. They got them there. They’ve come in at varying levels of overall strength, some very good, some needing additional troops brought in to bring it up to strength. But they’ve moved all nine, and they’re already starting to work the plans on how they would do the rotation out of those nine and bring nine more in. I mean, that is just an incredible step forward, to have developed that capability over the last year from non-existent last year this time to today they’ve moved nine in and they’re going so far as now talking about rotating those nine in and out, which is just an incredible step forward for them to have that planning, discussions, mapping it out and then going and executing it.

Obviously, we would like to see the Iraqi security forces continue to grow and develop. There’s plans on the shelf, as you know, to kick it up. You know, the prime minister has some initiatives out there that he’s going to grow the size of the Iraqi security forces, and that’s all been funded and planned for, and everybody’s moving out on that.

But at the current moment, because of this lack of funding, MNSTC-I is unable to continue at the pace they were in the developmental process of the Iraqi security forces. And, you know, obviously we’re looking at that real closely and it is starting to have some — an impact today and will only, you know, have more of an impact over time.

RCP: I read a story in The New York Times that Ayatollah al-Sistani has come out rejecting, the sort of re-Ba’athification of the government. And this has been interpreted a number of ways. One is that this is a severe setback in the political sphere. I was wondering if you were able to talk at all about that element.

Gen. Caldwell: I can. We read the same over-the-source reporting that Sistani had supposedly said that. But the method and the means by which it was done is not really consistent with how we have seen it done in the past. It was done a little differently, which — I don’t know what that quite means. But it could mean that perhaps it wasn’t quite as interpreted or transmitted as accurately if it was in fact from him as it normally is. Because they’ve got — he actually has a very set process he uses when he puts messages out that you can track back and say, yeah, that probably is actually from him.

And I say that like we’re experts. We’re not. But even the government of Iraq officials that I’ve engaged with and asked have a little bit of a question about what may or may not have been said. And I think everybody’s just seeking a little further clarification at this point because how it was done was not normally how it’s done.

RCP: So it’s unclear whether Sistani actually has [denounced re-Baathification]?

Gen. Caldwell: That’s correct. We’re not — and I say “we” — many members of the government of Iraq, too, because we obviously went to them first and said, “Do you think this is accurate?” And they’ll be the first to tell you, well, that’s not normally how it’s done, and so I would question perhaps if it is accurate and we probably need to seek clarification.

RCP: Thank you very much, General.

Iraqis, Coalition Working Together to Secure Tal Afar

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces are working with city leaders to secure the Iraqi city of Tal Afar after a bombing at a market killed more than 80 people earlier this week, a military official said today in a briefing from the city.

“It’s been a tremendously busy four days, tremendously stressful four days,” Army Lt. Col. Malcom Frost, commander of 3rd Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, told journalists from Forward Operating Base Sykes in Tal Afar. “But … the city is now secure and going back to its normal routines.”

The question of possible involvement by Iraqi security forces, police or army has come up since the March 27 attack. Frost dismissed the notion that Iraqi forces had anything to do with the incident.

“As we investigate this, there’s no indication that this was an inside job or that the Iraqi police or army or security forces supported this incident from the inside so to speak,” he said. “As much as we want war to be, it is not a zero-defect exercise, and unfortunately the enemy sometimes finds a seam. This is the case in this incident.”

Extra measures are in place to prevent another such incident, he added. Checkpoints are being reinforced and joint checkpoints are being increased, as are patrols.

Frost said coalition an Iraqi security forces are working to ensure that the attack doesn’t overshadow the good works done during the past 15 months. Schools and medical clinics have been built, infrastructure and the general economic situation of the residents of Tal Afar have been improved.

“I want to emphasize that this tragic event is absolutely not indicative of the thousands of good things that have happened over the last 15 months in the city of Tal Afar,” Frost said.

In addition to working with the Iraqis to help secure the city, he added that coalition forces are conducting successful humanitarian assistance missions to provide food, medical supplies and shelter to the victims of the March 27 blast.

Frost describes the market bombing as the insurgents’ “Hail Mary” attempt to regain a foothold in the city, incite sectarian violence, and undermine the credibility of the Iraqi police and the local government. It fell short, he said.

Instead of driving the city into continued sectarian violence, it has had the opposite effect, he said, as the city’s residents have come together.

“Sometimes you must take half a step back to take two steps forward,” he said. “I’m confident that the city that has already come together will take those steps forward and continue to progress toward a more secure and stable area here in Tal Afar.”

Black Jack Performs Medical Mission in Baghdad

By Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division

BAGHDAD, March 30, 2007 — As Haifa Street residents begin coming back out into the streets that were once too dangerous to step into, coalition and Iraqi security forces are beginning to lend a much needed hand in many of the basic needs.

So, with hundreds of medical supplies, a few Army medical soldiers and an Iraqi doctor and nurse on hand, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, used an elementary school to perform examinations on hundreds of local citizens during a medical mission in the Haifa Street district of Baghdad, March 24.

“It’s really good that they are doing this,” said a man who brought his daughter to the clinic. “With the security plan working now, we can come out again.”

According to Maj. Bruce Rivers, the 2nd Brigade’s surgeon, there hasn’t been a medical mission such as this in the Karkh District in a long time. Due to the violence there during the last two years, most of the hospitals and clinics were closed. So, many of the people there have had to do without, said Rivers.

“The goal of this medical mission was to improve on the confidence of the Iraqi people of their medical system,” he said. “What I envisioned was both the Iraqi doctors and ISF medical personnel being here.”

Within a five-hour period, the team saw more than 230 patients, who were mostly women and children, according to Rivers.

“We treated anything from high blood pressure and diabetes, to respiratory infections and urinary tract infections,” he said. Yet, there were many cases that the medical team could not help with. “There were people we could not help,” he said sadly. “Their problems were beyond the scope of what we can do.”

He said his plan is to work with the National Iraqi Assistance Center and other organizations to seek further care for the people they couldn’t help. With hundreds of people waiting in line, a team of medics from Troop B, 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, worked with interpreters to screen patients. Spc. Marc Allen, a 4th Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment medic from Federal Way, Wash., personally screened more than 100 patients before sending them to one of the rooms inside the makeshift exam area.

Capt. Christopher Dawson, commander, Troop B, 4-9 Calvary Regiment, said missions like this are extremely important because it should be used as a model for future operations.

“The bottom line is that we are (eventually) going away,” said the Lima, Ohio native. “We are here supplementing what the (ISF) will plan in the future.” According to Dawson, the medical mission wasn’t designed to treat everyone.

It was to treat those who could be treated, and for the rest, it was supposed to get them by until they could seek proper medical attention.

His troop[s], along with the local Iraqi National Police, provides security to the hundreds of residents who came to seek medical attention.

“We’ve been doing a few humanitarian missions with the security being better,” Dawson said. “And in the past couple of months, it’s gotten better … they are thirsting for security here. We started the constant presence – day-to-day you can see the little stuff, but that little stuff adds up.”

Capt. Gene Palka, the 4-9 Operations officer, said the medical mission went well. In the future, Rivers said he hopes that hospitals and clinics will eventually start opening up in that area because the people there really need the medical attention. “

The people really like us being there,” he said. “Every time we go, we get a really warm reception.”

Photo: U.S. Army Pfc. Roxanne Nissen, a 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Brigade Combat Team medic, shows a little patient where the surgeon wants to look during the medical mission in Baghdad, Iraq, March 24, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim.

Nondestructive testing keeps Bagram aircraft flying

31 March 2007
By Staff Sgt. Kevin Tomko
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNEWS) — They endure wide swings in temperature and dusty conditions, and they are constantly pushed to their limits. They are the F-15E Strike Eagles stationed here.

But they are machines–expensive machines that require teams of experts to keep them in top running condition.

One of those teams is the nondestructive inspection or team, part of the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron.

Nondestructive inspection, or NDI, is a program the Air Force uses to ensure the durability of structural parts and components of aircraft without destroying the part and, in some cases, without removing the part from the aircraft. This team uses sophisticated equipment to find discrepancies in critical areas of the aircraft.

In combat zones such as Bagram Airfield, the tools and techniques of NDI may be the same as at a home base, but the team works at an increased tempo.

Staff Sgt. Corey Whitman, non-commissioned officer in charge of NDI, said the NDI team uses processes such as eddy current, ultrasound, and X-rays to test the components of the aircraft. They also test lubricants.

Eddy current is a process that uses electrical current to detect abnormalities in the material such as cracks or damage from heat. Ultrasound and X-rays are also used for finding cracks depending on the type of material inspected. If the part to be tested cannot be removed from the aircraft, it is done on the aircraft.

“For the most part we deal with cracks and oil analysis,” Sergeant Whitman said. “We have different types of inspections. We have phase inspections and those that are ordered by the crew chief.”

Phase inspections are scheduled inspections and preventive maintenance accomplished when the aircraft accumulates a certain number of flying hours.

As for the F-15s at Bagram, there have been no major trouble areas and the aircraft have been performing quite well according to the NDI team.

“Really, just about every place on the aircraft is vulnerable to some type of failure,” said Senior Airman Kevin Louie, a journeyman technician for NDI. “Some are more critical than others. But I can’t say that we have any major trouble areas with our F-15s.”

He said as far as the type of work is concerned, everything he is doing here is the same as he does at home. The only differences are the size of facilities and the environment. “We are trying to make this a better lab. The work we do here has never been done here before.”

Sergeant Whitman said he knows the importance of his work and the necessity of keeping the aircraft in the air and doing it safely. “I know I’m here for a good reason, and I’m playing a part in something that’s bigger than me.”

Photo: Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Pilgreen of the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron nondestructive inspection team inspects an aircraft part using an ultraviolet light and a special dye to detect flaws. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Tomko).

Joint Police Force Works Toward a More Secure Iraq

By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne),
25th Infantry Division

ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq, March 31, 2007 — The future security of Iraq starts at the ground level with the Iraqi security forces. In order to prepare the Iraqis for this responsibility, soldiers in transition teams have been working around the clock all over Iraq.

Soldiers of the 127th Military Police Company are ready for this challenge.

Based out of Forward Operating Base Kalsu, the headquarters for the 127th has platoons throughout the battle space for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

One platoon in particular, 3rd Platoon “Wolf Pack” is operating in Iskandaryiah, Iraq, home to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. The Wolf Pack arrived at Forward Operating Base Iskan approximately four months ago fully knowing their mission.

“Our mission as a police transition team is to make sure the (Iraqi police) are fully trained and qualified to take on the mission of securing their country and keeping the citizens safe,” said Staff Sgt. Johnny Colon, squad leader and native of Guayama, Puerto Rico.

This mission is of the highest priority not only to the Iraqi police who are training but also for the civilians they are training to protect.

“In our area of operation, the important thing is that more of the local population is beginning to trust the IPs,” said 1st Lt. Nathan Diaz, platoon leader for the Wolf Pack. “The people are happy to see the IPs going through their villages and towns patrolling the area as well as a large increase of information being given to the IPs to help combat the insurgents in the local areas.”

“In the short time that we have been here, the human intelligence has grown dramatically,” said Diaz. “We are getting more and more tips on events that could harm Iraqi security forces and coalition forces in the local neighborhoods.”

The relationship between the police and the civilians is the not the only one that matters. Soldiers of Wolf Pack worked daily with the IPs of the local area helping them to become more proficient in their job and building bonds in the process.

These bonds will lead to lasting impressions for both the IPs and soldiers.

“Moving from unit to unit, you have to start from scratch building trust with the people that you are working with. We have different personnel that work with the leadership of the IPs to help in specific areas,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael King, platoon sergeant for the Wolf Pack.

“Whether that area involves investigations, accountability of weapons, or training; we have built a strong relationship with all of the stations that fall within our AO.”

Progression of the IPs is sometimes compared to the police forces in United States, but that is inequitable, noted King.

“One of the things when looking at progress of the IPs is you can not look at them as law enforcement in the United States for the simple fact the threat in Iraq is much greater,” said King. “That causes unique challenges for the IPs. I have noticed an increase in professionalism as well as proactive efforts.”
These soldiers will not only grow from the experience of working with IPs but also working with the Paratroopers of 1st Battalion, 501st PIR.

“It has been a very unique experience for me working with paratroopers for the first time. I have made life-long bonds with many of them and I know that I can count on them no matter what,” said Colon.

“The paratroopers of 1-501st PIR welcomed us in with open arms. Whenever we needed something to happen there was never any issue with getting it done,” said King.

The soldiers of Wolf Pack and the IPs will be better for this experience, noted Diaz.

“Our soldiers will take with them a lasting positive impression on what they have learned during their time here and I know our IP counterparts will feel the same,” he added.

Photo: Sgt. Christopher Benjamin, 3rd Platoon, 127th Military Police Company, watches as Iraqi policemen handle the flow of traffic at a checkpoint south of Baghdad, March 22. Benjamin, a native of Tampa, Fla. is visiting the checkpoint as part of his platoon’s mission as a police transition team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Marcus Butler.