Thursday, July 30, 2009
sorry about no new posts lately
I've been very busy with the work effort and it will last another week, so please hang in there... we will post as much as possible as quickly as I can...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
'America's Battalion' In Afghanistan on NPR
David Gilkey/NPR - Marine Sgt. Maj. Robert Breeden at Camp Leatherneck
in Afghanistan June 12, 2009. Back at Camp Lejeune, N.C., his wife, Barbara,
organized a drive for donations to send the Marines on deployment.
NPR has a reporter embedded with The Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment — known as "America's Battalion" and has reports periodically from the field: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105411007 if you haven't bookmarked this site you probably will...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
US Marines Echo and Fox Companies in Helmand Afghanistan
One of our facebook friends from Italy - Filippo Ferrero - passed on to us the location of this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_WQ8tbeQqI
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
David Guttenfelder - AP Photographer
from the NY Times: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/assignment-4/
David Guttenfelder is a photgrapher who has been out in the hot spots -
David Guttenfelder is a photgrapher who has been out in the hot spots -
where people dread being there or are excited to be... or both -
check out the Lens blog from the NY Times at the link above
Monday, July 20, 2009
Camp Dwyer Medical Staff story...
Registered nurse Lt. j.g. Phyllis Dykes records doctors notes while staff members of the
Combat Logistics Battalion 8 Surgical Support Team examine a new patient, July 8.
Editors note: The Jerry Bland mentioned in the story is a fellow Everett Silvertips fan. (Hockey team in the WHL)
Emergency Medical Staff Saves Lives With Controlled Chaos
Regimental Combat Team 3
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Cox Date: 07.20.2009 Posted: 07.20.2009 10:28
CAMP DWYER, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Chaos theory is the study of order within seemingly random arrangements. By looking closely enough, scientists can find patterns. The resulting theory being that there is likely no such thing as random events – at least in the study of physics.In the middle of this barren and unforgiving environment that the locals call the "Desert of Death," a perfect example of controlled chaos outside of a laboratory is embodied by the doctors, corpsmen and Marines at Combat Logistics Regiment 2's Bravo Medical Company.
THE LAYOUT Four tents make up the living quarters and work spaces for the 87 Sailors and Marines who make up the staff of the Shock Trauma Platoon and the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite. The STP is one possible stop for seriously wounded Marines after the "line corpsmen" provide immediate care to stabilize their vital signs enough for helicopter transport. The line corpsmen live and work with the battalions and are with their Marines every dangerous step of every operation. The other U.S. military hospitals are at locations throughout Afghanistan, but sometimes they're too busy, or there just isn't enough time to get a patient there.In those cases where patients are in dire enough straights to necessitate immediate surgery, they come to the FRSS. Even though the staff has the capability and equipment to conduct major surgery, the FRSS is no TV operating room. Two long-legged, black, mesh cots are the operating tables. All the gloves, medicine vials, IV bags and the rest of the tools and supplies are in open, stacked weather-proof boxes. There's no need, and no room, to unpack. They need to be ready to move on short notice. Additionally, all the electricity to power the lights, monitors and machines comes from generators, so ensuring they remain fueled is a job for the Marines
The Marines: "They call us 'The Marines,'" said Lance Cpl. Alan R. Davis. The good-natured 21-year-old from Ballston Spa, N.Y., and the eight other Bravo Medical Company Marines were picked from the motor pool at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and attached to the surgical team about three weeks prior to deploying here. All of them are motor transport operators by trade. Spending their first deployment outside of an all-Marine environment, these young men are like Labrador puppies – trainable, full of energy and loyal."Here we're the drivers, security, triage – I don't even know what that word means – but we bring the most injured person first," Davis said. When a call comes in at any hour, the Marines are among the first to respond. They receive the call and within two minutes are geared up, in the ambulance – a medically modified mine resistant ambush protected vehicle – and, with a corpsman, are on the short dirt road to the helicopter pad. They always wear their flak jackets and helmets and are armed when they move, but even in the flurry of initial activity to get their wounded brothers to the docs, their focus is intense."It's kind of hectic," Davis said. "We get real close to the helicopter, grab the litters and run. If there's two guys, we'll put both of them in the back, but it's a little more time consuming."Sometimes a doctor will go with us," he continued. "They'll grab their med bag. I never see what goes on in the back after we start driving."
The New Guy: On every military deployment, there is a mixture of experience in the group. From those with years of expeditionary practice to those on their first tour, every Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine has to start somewhere. One of those in the shock trauma platoon here is Seaman Jerry J. Bland who is about as far from familiar surroundings as his home of Everett, Wash., is from the desert he's living in now. When he rides in the ambulance with the Marines, he is one of the first corpsmen here to take stock of incoming patients."It was a drastic change," the 23-year-old said comparing his duties in the States to those here. "The medical aspect of things didn't catch me off guard. The only thing it couldn't prepare me for was the shock of actually seeing it." Bland earned the title of corpsman in February last year, transferred to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., and worked mostly around routine "sick call" injuries and illnesses for the recruits and permanent staff there. For him, coming to Afghanistan to work in the emergency room was like being thrown into the deep end when you've only seen pictures of a swimming pool."It's basically like anything you haven't done before," he said. "Your heart is racing and your senses are whacked out, but then your adrenaline pumps and everything gets taken care of." Most green-side corpsmen, as those who are attached to Marine units are called, experience everyday life as a Marine – eating, sleeping and working in the most austere and demanding conditions. Working in the surgical trauma unit is different."When I learned I was deploying, I asked other corpsmen what to expect," Bland said. "I now know what I was told by line corpsmen was not a description of the environment the surgical team is living in. I was expecting to be sleeping on the ground, but here we have cots and A/C."Temperatures reach the 130s on some days and air conditioning is a luxury that not all the Marines in the area have. It's a symptom of the logistical challenge faced by Marine Corps planners who have to keep up with the necessities of war. Even so, triage – or attention based on necessity – is recognized and practiced by logisticians. Those who need air conditioning, get it."It's definitely important to have those amenities," Bland said. "We're on 12-hour shifts. If you can't get any sleep when you're off, you'll be complete garbage on the next shift."
A Special Place: Since corpsmen are the first aid wounded Marines receive in a combat zone, they hold a special place among them. All Marines share the bond of brothers in arms, but the "docs" save their lives. Over time, corpsmen eventually realize why their special place in the pecking order is unique when compared to their peers in other military services."The Air Force and Army are very specialized in this job description," explained Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher V. Daily. "FMF [Fleet Marine Force] corpsmen provide a higher level of care."Shortly before this deployment, the Bravo Medical Co. STP and FRSS as they are today did not exist. With only a few weeks notice, the call went out for specialists who could fulfill the predicted need here. In answer to that call, doctors and corpsmen came from medical facilities all over the world. The resulting unit is made up of sailors and Marines from California, North Carolina, Hawaii, and even Japan. "We're really using the world as a surplus of skilled professionals to serve together in this AO [area of operations]," said Daily. Daily, who hails from Downingtown, Pa., is the unit's medical regulator and mortuary affairs director. Since his earliest days as an emergency medical technician on ambulance calls in the suburbs of Philadelphia, the tall Sailor has born the burden every emergency medical practitioner carries, painful memories of trying to save people in horrible condition. "Over time, you get numb," he said. "It's good because you're more level headed, but I wish I could forget some of the things I've seen."What makes Daily and the rest of the staff rest easy at night is not the hard work or a feeling of pressure to perform, but simply being there for those who need them. And the thought of those patients' loved ones who appreciate what they do, even though they don't even know Bravo Medical Co. is here.
The Real World: Unlike their civilian peers, military medical practitioners in a combat environment have a much clearer picture of why they do what they do. Doctors in big cities face traumatic injuries that are sustained under less than honorable conditions on a regular basis. For the docs here, there are no doubts about their patients."In the civilian world, normally you're taking care of people who are hurt acutely, but they're not always pleasant," said Lt. Cmdr. William Brown, an emergency medical doctor and assistant officer in charge of the STP. "You get people who are shot, stabbed or blown up in a meth lab. These are people who are sometimes shady. "When I run into a guy who just got wounded out here, and I'm able to let him know he's in a safe place – that's what keeps us going," he said. "When he looks up and sees your face and the uniform, you can see the relief on his face." Civilian doctors also may not constantly worry about lawyers' opinions, but the concern over potential law suits over educated judgment calls made during touch and go situations influences how they handle their business, according to Brown who professionally cross-trains in civilian hospitals each year. In the civilian world, doctors worry about people who want to take advantage of them, so they order an extra test just to be sure of the most appropriate course of action – to marginalize the possibility of an honest mistake, says the doctor from Charleston, S.C. This sometimes causes delays, self-doubt and disenfranchisement with a system specifically created to care for people."Here, I know that guy just wants me to be the best doctor I can be," he said. "I can't think of a better way to use my skills than to take care of these kids who are going above and beyond."
Controlled Chaos: From May to mid-July, the Bravo Medical staff saw 75 patients with problems ranging from heat exhaustion to catastrophic injuries. All of them either went directly back to their units or were transferred to a facility with longer-term intensive care accommodations.At any time and with little-to-no notice, this group of individuals can go from the daily grind to a fully functioning surgical facility where patients are literally brought back from the brink of death. Bullet wounds and improvised explosive devises injure military members and local residents alike. This collection of skilled professionals drawn from all over the world is solely focused on devoting the time and attention to ensure the victims of these events survive.Together, they turn what could be a chaotic end to a random event into the rest of someone's life.
Emergency Medical Staff Saves Lives With Controlled Chaos
Regimental Combat Team 3
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Cox Date: 07.20.2009 Posted: 07.20.2009 10:28
CAMP DWYER, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Chaos theory is the study of order within seemingly random arrangements. By looking closely enough, scientists can find patterns. The resulting theory being that there is likely no such thing as random events – at least in the study of physics.In the middle of this barren and unforgiving environment that the locals call the "Desert of Death," a perfect example of controlled chaos outside of a laboratory is embodied by the doctors, corpsmen and Marines at Combat Logistics Regiment 2's Bravo Medical Company.
THE LAYOUT Four tents make up the living quarters and work spaces for the 87 Sailors and Marines who make up the staff of the Shock Trauma Platoon and the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite. The STP is one possible stop for seriously wounded Marines after the "line corpsmen" provide immediate care to stabilize their vital signs enough for helicopter transport. The line corpsmen live and work with the battalions and are with their Marines every dangerous step of every operation. The other U.S. military hospitals are at locations throughout Afghanistan, but sometimes they're too busy, or there just isn't enough time to get a patient there.In those cases where patients are in dire enough straights to necessitate immediate surgery, they come to the FRSS. Even though the staff has the capability and equipment to conduct major surgery, the FRSS is no TV operating room. Two long-legged, black, mesh cots are the operating tables. All the gloves, medicine vials, IV bags and the rest of the tools and supplies are in open, stacked weather-proof boxes. There's no need, and no room, to unpack. They need to be ready to move on short notice. Additionally, all the electricity to power the lights, monitors and machines comes from generators, so ensuring they remain fueled is a job for the Marines
The Marines: "They call us 'The Marines,'" said Lance Cpl. Alan R. Davis. The good-natured 21-year-old from Ballston Spa, N.Y., and the eight other Bravo Medical Company Marines were picked from the motor pool at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and attached to the surgical team about three weeks prior to deploying here. All of them are motor transport operators by trade. Spending their first deployment outside of an all-Marine environment, these young men are like Labrador puppies – trainable, full of energy and loyal."Here we're the drivers, security, triage – I don't even know what that word means – but we bring the most injured person first," Davis said. When a call comes in at any hour, the Marines are among the first to respond. They receive the call and within two minutes are geared up, in the ambulance – a medically modified mine resistant ambush protected vehicle – and, with a corpsman, are on the short dirt road to the helicopter pad. They always wear their flak jackets and helmets and are armed when they move, but even in the flurry of initial activity to get their wounded brothers to the docs, their focus is intense."It's kind of hectic," Davis said. "We get real close to the helicopter, grab the litters and run. If there's two guys, we'll put both of them in the back, but it's a little more time consuming."Sometimes a doctor will go with us," he continued. "They'll grab their med bag. I never see what goes on in the back after we start driving."
The New Guy: On every military deployment, there is a mixture of experience in the group. From those with years of expeditionary practice to those on their first tour, every Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine has to start somewhere. One of those in the shock trauma platoon here is Seaman Jerry J. Bland who is about as far from familiar surroundings as his home of Everett, Wash., is from the desert he's living in now. When he rides in the ambulance with the Marines, he is one of the first corpsmen here to take stock of incoming patients."It was a drastic change," the 23-year-old said comparing his duties in the States to those here. "The medical aspect of things didn't catch me off guard. The only thing it couldn't prepare me for was the shock of actually seeing it." Bland earned the title of corpsman in February last year, transferred to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., and worked mostly around routine "sick call" injuries and illnesses for the recruits and permanent staff there. For him, coming to Afghanistan to work in the emergency room was like being thrown into the deep end when you've only seen pictures of a swimming pool."It's basically like anything you haven't done before," he said. "Your heart is racing and your senses are whacked out, but then your adrenaline pumps and everything gets taken care of." Most green-side corpsmen, as those who are attached to Marine units are called, experience everyday life as a Marine – eating, sleeping and working in the most austere and demanding conditions. Working in the surgical trauma unit is different."When I learned I was deploying, I asked other corpsmen what to expect," Bland said. "I now know what I was told by line corpsmen was not a description of the environment the surgical team is living in. I was expecting to be sleeping on the ground, but here we have cots and A/C."Temperatures reach the 130s on some days and air conditioning is a luxury that not all the Marines in the area have. It's a symptom of the logistical challenge faced by Marine Corps planners who have to keep up with the necessities of war. Even so, triage – or attention based on necessity – is recognized and practiced by logisticians. Those who need air conditioning, get it."It's definitely important to have those amenities," Bland said. "We're on 12-hour shifts. If you can't get any sleep when you're off, you'll be complete garbage on the next shift."
A Special Place: Since corpsmen are the first aid wounded Marines receive in a combat zone, they hold a special place among them. All Marines share the bond of brothers in arms, but the "docs" save their lives. Over time, corpsmen eventually realize why their special place in the pecking order is unique when compared to their peers in other military services."The Air Force and Army are very specialized in this job description," explained Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher V. Daily. "FMF [Fleet Marine Force] corpsmen provide a higher level of care."Shortly before this deployment, the Bravo Medical Co. STP and FRSS as they are today did not exist. With only a few weeks notice, the call went out for specialists who could fulfill the predicted need here. In answer to that call, doctors and corpsmen came from medical facilities all over the world. The resulting unit is made up of sailors and Marines from California, North Carolina, Hawaii, and even Japan. "We're really using the world as a surplus of skilled professionals to serve together in this AO [area of operations]," said Daily. Daily, who hails from Downingtown, Pa., is the unit's medical regulator and mortuary affairs director. Since his earliest days as an emergency medical technician on ambulance calls in the suburbs of Philadelphia, the tall Sailor has born the burden every emergency medical practitioner carries, painful memories of trying to save people in horrible condition. "Over time, you get numb," he said. "It's good because you're more level headed, but I wish I could forget some of the things I've seen."What makes Daily and the rest of the staff rest easy at night is not the hard work or a feeling of pressure to perform, but simply being there for those who need them. And the thought of those patients' loved ones who appreciate what they do, even though they don't even know Bravo Medical Co. is here.
The Real World: Unlike their civilian peers, military medical practitioners in a combat environment have a much clearer picture of why they do what they do. Doctors in big cities face traumatic injuries that are sustained under less than honorable conditions on a regular basis. For the docs here, there are no doubts about their patients."In the civilian world, normally you're taking care of people who are hurt acutely, but they're not always pleasant," said Lt. Cmdr. William Brown, an emergency medical doctor and assistant officer in charge of the STP. "You get people who are shot, stabbed or blown up in a meth lab. These are people who are sometimes shady. "When I run into a guy who just got wounded out here, and I'm able to let him know he's in a safe place – that's what keeps us going," he said. "When he looks up and sees your face and the uniform, you can see the relief on his face." Civilian doctors also may not constantly worry about lawyers' opinions, but the concern over potential law suits over educated judgment calls made during touch and go situations influences how they handle their business, according to Brown who professionally cross-trains in civilian hospitals each year. In the civilian world, doctors worry about people who want to take advantage of them, so they order an extra test just to be sure of the most appropriate course of action – to marginalize the possibility of an honest mistake, says the doctor from Charleston, S.C. This sometimes causes delays, self-doubt and disenfranchisement with a system specifically created to care for people."Here, I know that guy just wants me to be the best doctor I can be," he said. "I can't think of a better way to use my skills than to take care of these kids who are going above and beyond."
Controlled Chaos: From May to mid-July, the Bravo Medical staff saw 75 patients with problems ranging from heat exhaustion to catastrophic injuries. All of them either went directly back to their units or were transferred to a facility with longer-term intensive care accommodations.At any time and with little-to-no notice, this group of individuals can go from the daily grind to a fully functioning surgical facility where patients are literally brought back from the brink of death. Bullet wounds and improvised explosive devises injure military members and local residents alike. This collection of skilled professionals drawn from all over the world is solely focused on devoting the time and attention to ensure the victims of these events survive.Together, they turn what could be a chaotic end to a random event into the rest of someone's life.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Helicopter Crash in Kandahar - No Marines on chopper
We will have more details as they become available - The crash occured close to where some of our Marines are at... Stock photo used - The crashed helo is a burned out wreck...
Afghanistan crash kills 16: no Canadians on board
By Matthew Fisher, Canwest News Service July 19, 2009 11:08 AM
Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan -- A Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter under contract to NATO forces crashed Sunday killing 16 people and injuring five others as it was taking off from this airfield, which is the logistical hub for the war against the Taliban, sending a huge black plume of smoke into the sky.
There were no Canadians were on the helicopter which crashed, according to Canadian military spokesmen at the Kandahar Airfield which is the main headquarters for Canada's Task Force Afghanistan. According to Interfax, the Russian news agency, the helicopter was owned by Vertikal-T.
The twin turbine Hip transport is a common sight in southern Afghanistan, where re-supply and passengers are often moved by air because the Taliban plants improvised explosive devices on the few roads in the region, making them dangerous to travel on.
Much such work is done by NATO helicopters including six Canadian Chinook CH-47 transports. But with 38,000 coalition troops in the rugged south, demand for food, water and ammunition and more arriving every day, the demand has become so great that scores of Soviet-era transport helicopters have been working under contract with Canadian, British and American forces.
Many such contracts in Afghanistan involve Skylink, a Canadian company which has leasing arrangements with helicopter companies from eastern Europe. Contractual arrangements prevented the alliance from saying which company actually held the contract on the Russian-owned aircraft which crashed on Sunday, a NATO spokesman in Kandahar said on Sunday.
This was the third serious helicopter accident in southern Afghanistan this month. Two Canadian airmen and a British Royal engineer died earlier this month when a Canadian Forces CH-146 Griffon helicopter crashed on takeoff at an airfield in neighbouring Zabul. The Taliban claimed to have shot down another leased Soviet-era Mi-26 Halo transport helicopter last Tuesday in neighbouring Helmand province. Six Ukrainian crew members died in the crash of what is the largest helicopter flying in the world today. The incident is being investigated by NATO and Afghan officials.
Because of the intense heat and dust and many high mountain ranges, Afghanistan is regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the world to conduct helicopter operations.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Afghanistan crash kills 16: no Canadians on board
By Matthew Fisher, Canwest News Service July 19, 2009 11:08 AM
Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan -- A Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter under contract to NATO forces crashed Sunday killing 16 people and injuring five others as it was taking off from this airfield, which is the logistical hub for the war against the Taliban, sending a huge black plume of smoke into the sky.
There were no Canadians were on the helicopter which crashed, according to Canadian military spokesmen at the Kandahar Airfield which is the main headquarters for Canada's Task Force Afghanistan. According to Interfax, the Russian news agency, the helicopter was owned by Vertikal-T.
The twin turbine Hip transport is a common sight in southern Afghanistan, where re-supply and passengers are often moved by air because the Taliban plants improvised explosive devices on the few roads in the region, making them dangerous to travel on.
Much such work is done by NATO helicopters including six Canadian Chinook CH-47 transports. But with 38,000 coalition troops in the rugged south, demand for food, water and ammunition and more arriving every day, the demand has become so great that scores of Soviet-era transport helicopters have been working under contract with Canadian, British and American forces.
Many such contracts in Afghanistan involve Skylink, a Canadian company which has leasing arrangements with helicopter companies from eastern Europe. Contractual arrangements prevented the alliance from saying which company actually held the contract on the Russian-owned aircraft which crashed on Sunday, a NATO spokesman in Kandahar said on Sunday.
This was the third serious helicopter accident in southern Afghanistan this month. Two Canadian airmen and a British Royal engineer died earlier this month when a Canadian Forces CH-146 Griffon helicopter crashed on takeoff at an airfield in neighbouring Zabul. The Taliban claimed to have shot down another leased Soviet-era Mi-26 Halo transport helicopter last Tuesday in neighbouring Helmand province. Six Ukrainian crew members died in the crash of what is the largest helicopter flying in the world today. The incident is being investigated by NATO and Afghan officials.
Because of the intense heat and dust and many high mountain ranges, Afghanistan is regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the world to conduct helicopter operations.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Thursday, July 16, 2009
USO stars coming to Kandahar
Bradley Cooper, D.B. Sweeney, Leeann Tweeden, Warrick Dunn, and Coach Don Shula are the scheduled headliners... more details later
go to http://www.uso.org/gallery/details.aspx?id=271 to see pictures of them with servicemen & woman
Admiral Mike Mullen to Visit Military Leaders and Embark on Second Consecutive Summer USO Tour to Boost Troop Morale
Bradley Cooper, Warrick Dunn, Don Shula, D.B. Sweeney and Leeann Tweeden Among Those to Bring a Touch of Home to America’s Armed Forces
ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2009 – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, is gearing up to leave the U.S. as part of a seven-day, three-country summer USO tour. Accompanying Admiral Mullen as his special celebrity guests are actor Bradley Cooper, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, NFL Hall of Famer Don Shula, actor/director D.B. Sweeney and sports commentator Leeann Tweeden. This trip will mark the first USO tour for Shula, the second for Dunn and Sweeney, the third for Cooper and the thirteenth tour for Tweeden.
Designed to boost morale and bring a touch of home to America’s armed forces, Admiral Mullen’s USO tour will make stops at military bases both large and small, including forward operating bases and a deployed ship at sea. Admiral Mullen and his special guests will also provide thousands of soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors with a much-needed break from day-to-day activities with a series of autograph signings and meet-and-greets.
“Each and every USO tour is unique and means the world to so many of our nation’s troops,” said Admiral Mullen. “The fact we are able to send them out regularly speaks volumes about our nation’s ongoing support for those in uniform. I’m privileged to be associated with something that brings so much happiness to those who sacrifice so much.”
One of the industry’s most sought-after young actors, Cooper currently can be seen in Warner Brothers’ hit film “The Hangover” and “He’s Just Not That Into You,” opposite Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. Having recently reprised his role as ‘Aidan Stone’ on the critically acclaimed F/X drama “nip/tuck,” Cooper will next be seen in “All About Steve” with Sandra Bullock and “New York I Love You,” directed by Allen Hughes.
Selected in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft, Dunn is a former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons. Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 by the Associated Press, he played for five years with the Buccaneers before signing on with the Falcons, and later becoming an unrestricted free agent. In 2007, Dunn became the 22nd player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards and 4,000 yards receiving.
Inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in July of 1997, Shula is the winningest coach in NFL history. The only NFL head coach to win more than 325 games and appear in six Super Bowls, Shula won two consecutive Super Bowl titles, advanced to the playoffs 20 times and averaged more than 10 wins per season. Shula retired from an illustrious career in the NFL in 1995, after serving as head coach for 26 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and seven seasons with the Baltimore Colts.
Best known as the hockey player turned figure skater in the romantic comedy “The Cutting Edge,” D.B. Sweeney made his debut as screenwriter, director and producer in 2008’s “Two Tickets to Paradise.” A native New Yorker, his credits include Francis Ford Coppola’s “Gardens of Stone,” “Memphis Belle”, “Eight Men Out” (as ‘Shoeless Joe Jackson’) and “Fire in the Sky.” He also played ‘Dish Boggett’ in the epic television miniseries “Lonesome Dove.”
Former host and sports reporter for the Fox Sports Network, Tweeden has covered everything from professional football and extreme sports to entertainment and news. The recipient of a Sports Emmy and a Telly Award, she began her career in modeling at the age of three and has graced the covers of such magazines as “FHM” and “Fitness RX.” The daughter of an Air Force veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, Tweeden is a long-time supporter of U.S. troops. She is currently the host of NBC’s “Poker After Dark,” which airs six nights a week as well as the annual “National Heads Up Poker Championship.”In times of peace and war, the USO consistently delivers its special brand of entertainment and comfort to military families around the world. In 2008, celebrity volunteers traveled to 27 countries and 23 states, entertaining more than 236,000 troops and family members.
For a list of recent and upcoming USO tours, visit www.uso.org/whatwedo/entertainment. To learn more about the USO and to find out how to support the troops, visit www.uso.org.
# # #
About the USOThe USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined millions of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.
Contacts: Oname Thompson, 703-908-6471, othompson@uso.org
go to http://www.uso.org/gallery/details.aspx?id=271 to see pictures of them with servicemen & woman
Admiral Mike Mullen to Visit Military Leaders and Embark on Second Consecutive Summer USO Tour to Boost Troop Morale
Bradley Cooper, Warrick Dunn, Don Shula, D.B. Sweeney and Leeann Tweeden Among Those to Bring a Touch of Home to America’s Armed Forces
ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2009 – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, is gearing up to leave the U.S. as part of a seven-day, three-country summer USO tour. Accompanying Admiral Mullen as his special celebrity guests are actor Bradley Cooper, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, NFL Hall of Famer Don Shula, actor/director D.B. Sweeney and sports commentator Leeann Tweeden. This trip will mark the first USO tour for Shula, the second for Dunn and Sweeney, the third for Cooper and the thirteenth tour for Tweeden.
Designed to boost morale and bring a touch of home to America’s armed forces, Admiral Mullen’s USO tour will make stops at military bases both large and small, including forward operating bases and a deployed ship at sea. Admiral Mullen and his special guests will also provide thousands of soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors with a much-needed break from day-to-day activities with a series of autograph signings and meet-and-greets.
“Each and every USO tour is unique and means the world to so many of our nation’s troops,” said Admiral Mullen. “The fact we are able to send them out regularly speaks volumes about our nation’s ongoing support for those in uniform. I’m privileged to be associated with something that brings so much happiness to those who sacrifice so much.”
One of the industry’s most sought-after young actors, Cooper currently can be seen in Warner Brothers’ hit film “The Hangover” and “He’s Just Not That Into You,” opposite Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. Having recently reprised his role as ‘Aidan Stone’ on the critically acclaimed F/X drama “nip/tuck,” Cooper will next be seen in “All About Steve” with Sandra Bullock and “New York I Love You,” directed by Allen Hughes.
Selected in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft, Dunn is a former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons. Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 by the Associated Press, he played for five years with the Buccaneers before signing on with the Falcons, and later becoming an unrestricted free agent. In 2007, Dunn became the 22nd player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards and 4,000 yards receiving.
Inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in July of 1997, Shula is the winningest coach in NFL history. The only NFL head coach to win more than 325 games and appear in six Super Bowls, Shula won two consecutive Super Bowl titles, advanced to the playoffs 20 times and averaged more than 10 wins per season. Shula retired from an illustrious career in the NFL in 1995, after serving as head coach for 26 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and seven seasons with the Baltimore Colts.
Best known as the hockey player turned figure skater in the romantic comedy “The Cutting Edge,” D.B. Sweeney made his debut as screenwriter, director and producer in 2008’s “Two Tickets to Paradise.” A native New Yorker, his credits include Francis Ford Coppola’s “Gardens of Stone,” “Memphis Belle”, “Eight Men Out” (as ‘Shoeless Joe Jackson’) and “Fire in the Sky.” He also played ‘Dish Boggett’ in the epic television miniseries “Lonesome Dove.”
Former host and sports reporter for the Fox Sports Network, Tweeden has covered everything from professional football and extreme sports to entertainment and news. The recipient of a Sports Emmy and a Telly Award, she began her career in modeling at the age of three and has graced the covers of such magazines as “FHM” and “Fitness RX.” The daughter of an Air Force veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, Tweeden is a long-time supporter of U.S. troops. She is currently the host of NBC’s “Poker After Dark,” which airs six nights a week as well as the annual “National Heads Up Poker Championship.”In times of peace and war, the USO consistently delivers its special brand of entertainment and comfort to military families around the world. In 2008, celebrity volunteers traveled to 27 countries and 23 states, entertaining more than 236,000 troops and family members.
For a list of recent and upcoming USO tours, visit www.uso.org/whatwedo/entertainment. To learn more about the USO and to find out how to support the troops, visit www.uso.org.
# # #
About the USOThe USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined millions of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.
Contacts: Oname Thompson, 703-908-6471, othompson@uso.org
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Marines Honor Two Fallen Brothers
.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/07/13/GA2009071302993.html?referrer=facebook
Nikki Kahn of The Washington Post gets photographic credit...
A memorial service is held on July 13, 2009, for two U.S. Marines with Delta Company 2nd LAR who were killed in action in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Master Sgt. Jerome D. Hatfield and Lance Cpl. Pedro A. Barbozaflores were killed when a makeshift bomb exploded.
Thanks for the heads up from Angie Pefley
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/07/13/GA2009071302993.html?referrer=facebook
Nikki Kahn of The Washington Post gets photographic credit...
A memorial service is held on July 13, 2009, for two U.S. Marines with Delta Company 2nd LAR who were killed in action in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Master Sgt. Jerome D. Hatfield and Lance Cpl. Pedro A. Barbozaflores were killed when a makeshift bomb exploded.
Thanks for the heads up from Angie Pefley
Monday, July 13, 2009
A Marine should always look good...
Bravo Company commander Cpt. Drew Schoenmaker of the U.S. Marines shaved his face
and head inside a compound where the company stayed for the night in the Nawa district
of Afghanistan’s Helmand province Wednesday. (David Guttenfelder/Associated Press)
Police problems in Afghanistan
AP IMPACT: Crooked Afghan police challenge Marines
By JASON STRAZIUSO and DAVID GUTTENFELDER
AYNAK, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan villagers had complained to the U.S. Marines for days: The police are the problem, not the Taliban. They steal from villagers and beat them. Days later, the Marines learned firsthand what the villagers meant. As about 150 Marines and Afghan soldiers approached the police headquarters in the Helmand River town of Aynak, the police fired four gunshots at the combined force. No larger fight broke out, but once inside the headquarters the Marines found a raggedy force in a decrepit mud-brick compound that the police used as an open-pit toilet. The meeting was tense. Some police were smoking pot. Others loaded their guns in a threatening manner near the Marines. The U.S. troops ousted the police two days later and installed a better trained force they had brought with them on their recently launched operation into southern Helmand. The original force was sent away for several weeks of training the U.S. is conducting across Afghanistan to professionalize the country's police. But the encounter, witnessed last week by The Associated Press, highlights one of the largest problems facing the international effort to stabilize Afghanistan in the face of an increasingly violent Taliban insurgency: the need for competent, trustworthy police. Afghans across the country complain bitterly about the country's police, whose junior ranks earn only about $150 a month. Police pad their salaries by demanding bribes at checkpoints or kickbacks to investigate complaints, and police in opium poppy-growing regions turn a blind eye to drug smuggling for a cut of the profits, many Afghans complain. The role of the local police is especially sensitive here in Helmand province, the center of the lucrative opium poppy industry and a Taliban stronghold. A main goal of the ongoing U.S. military operation is to restore Afghan government control — which requires a disciplined police force that commands public respect. Over the past year, the Interior Ministry has tried to overhaul the police, and dozens of corrupt officials have been fired. The U.S. has faced similar problems in Iraq, where years of effort have so far failed to produce a police force with the same level of skill and professionalism as the Iraqi army. Some 4,000 of the 21,000 additional troops President Barack Obama ordered to Afghanistan this year will train Afghan police and soldiers, a belated boost to a lingering problem. U.S. commanders have long complained of a shortage of trainers. As Capt. Drew Schoenmaker pulled his men out of Aynak's police compound after that first meeting, the company commander told his Marines to "watch my 6 o'clock" — his back — in case the police again opened fire. "I don't trust a single one of them," Schoenmaker muttered quietly. "We had some complaints about the police force and the ways they did business," Schoenmaker said later. "As I met the police force for the first time, there was an air of tension between us. We had received shots from their vicinity that day." The police commander told Schoenmaker his men had fired on the U.S.-Afghan force because he didn't know who they were. Two days later, the Marines made a second visit to the police headquarters. Schoenmaker's commander told him to kick the police out and install the new backup force. U.S. fighter aircraft patrolled overhead in case a fight broke out. A Marine radio operator sat outside the compound as the police packed up. He got a report from a nearby unit that villagers complained that the police had just stolen jewelry and money from them. The ragtag force tore out of the compound, speeding their green, U.S.-bought Ford Rangers toward Helmand's provincial capital, just 10 miles to the north. Police corruption has long been a problem in Afghanistan. A 2007 International Crisis Group report entitled "Reforming Afghanistan's Police" found that Afghans often view the police "more as a source of fear than of security." It said ending corruption was critical if police were to provide a "professional, consistent service to citizens." The Marines landed in southern Helmand earlier this month as part of the largest Marine operation in Afghanistan since 2001. Within hours of their arrival bands of villagers told the Americans that the local police force was a bigger problem than the Taliban. Sgt. Bill Cahir, who heard some of the complaints, saw the candor as a good sign.
"It was encouraging that a big group was willing to sit down and talk with us," Cahir said. "And they were pretty candid talking about the corrupt local police." One villager in Aynak, Ghulam Mohammad, who appeared to be in his mid-20s, said that villagers were happy with the Afghan army, but not the police. "We can't complain to the police because they take money and abuse people," he said. Helmand's provincial police chief, Gen. Asadullah Sherzad, said that Aynak was under threat from militants every day, and that "police who are in calm situations are different from police in constant gunbattles." "For sure there were complaints from the local people about the police, because that was the front line," Sherzad said. "The people suffered from both sides, the enemy side and the police side. Sometimes there were ambushes, and battles were carried out in people's fields." Sherzad said the old police force had been replaced by a new, well-trained force "who have uniforms and know how to use their equipment. They know how to behave."
The old force will now receive U.S.-sponsored training called "focused district development," a program that gives police eight weeks of intense U.S. training and continued oversight thereafter. Thousands of the nation's 83,000-strong police force have already undergone the training. But about half the force has not. "They had training but not enough, and that's why the people had problems with them," said Col. Ghulam, who leads the interim police force that replaced the Aynak police. He gave only one name, a common practice in Afghanistan. "I am sure that when they go back to get focus district development training they will be more professional," he said. Associated Press Television News video journalist Raul Gallego Abellan contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
By JASON STRAZIUSO and DAVID GUTTENFELDER
AYNAK, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan villagers had complained to the U.S. Marines for days: The police are the problem, not the Taliban. They steal from villagers and beat them. Days later, the Marines learned firsthand what the villagers meant. As about 150 Marines and Afghan soldiers approached the police headquarters in the Helmand River town of Aynak, the police fired four gunshots at the combined force. No larger fight broke out, but once inside the headquarters the Marines found a raggedy force in a decrepit mud-brick compound that the police used as an open-pit toilet. The meeting was tense. Some police were smoking pot. Others loaded their guns in a threatening manner near the Marines. The U.S. troops ousted the police two days later and installed a better trained force they had brought with them on their recently launched operation into southern Helmand. The original force was sent away for several weeks of training the U.S. is conducting across Afghanistan to professionalize the country's police. But the encounter, witnessed last week by The Associated Press, highlights one of the largest problems facing the international effort to stabilize Afghanistan in the face of an increasingly violent Taliban insurgency: the need for competent, trustworthy police. Afghans across the country complain bitterly about the country's police, whose junior ranks earn only about $150 a month. Police pad their salaries by demanding bribes at checkpoints or kickbacks to investigate complaints, and police in opium poppy-growing regions turn a blind eye to drug smuggling for a cut of the profits, many Afghans complain. The role of the local police is especially sensitive here in Helmand province, the center of the lucrative opium poppy industry and a Taliban stronghold. A main goal of the ongoing U.S. military operation is to restore Afghan government control — which requires a disciplined police force that commands public respect. Over the past year, the Interior Ministry has tried to overhaul the police, and dozens of corrupt officials have been fired. The U.S. has faced similar problems in Iraq, where years of effort have so far failed to produce a police force with the same level of skill and professionalism as the Iraqi army. Some 4,000 of the 21,000 additional troops President Barack Obama ordered to Afghanistan this year will train Afghan police and soldiers, a belated boost to a lingering problem. U.S. commanders have long complained of a shortage of trainers. As Capt. Drew Schoenmaker pulled his men out of Aynak's police compound after that first meeting, the company commander told his Marines to "watch my 6 o'clock" — his back — in case the police again opened fire. "I don't trust a single one of them," Schoenmaker muttered quietly. "We had some complaints about the police force and the ways they did business," Schoenmaker said later. "As I met the police force for the first time, there was an air of tension between us. We had received shots from their vicinity that day." The police commander told Schoenmaker his men had fired on the U.S.-Afghan force because he didn't know who they were. Two days later, the Marines made a second visit to the police headquarters. Schoenmaker's commander told him to kick the police out and install the new backup force. U.S. fighter aircraft patrolled overhead in case a fight broke out. A Marine radio operator sat outside the compound as the police packed up. He got a report from a nearby unit that villagers complained that the police had just stolen jewelry and money from them. The ragtag force tore out of the compound, speeding their green, U.S.-bought Ford Rangers toward Helmand's provincial capital, just 10 miles to the north. Police corruption has long been a problem in Afghanistan. A 2007 International Crisis Group report entitled "Reforming Afghanistan's Police" found that Afghans often view the police "more as a source of fear than of security." It said ending corruption was critical if police were to provide a "professional, consistent service to citizens." The Marines landed in southern Helmand earlier this month as part of the largest Marine operation in Afghanistan since 2001. Within hours of their arrival bands of villagers told the Americans that the local police force was a bigger problem than the Taliban. Sgt. Bill Cahir, who heard some of the complaints, saw the candor as a good sign.
"It was encouraging that a big group was willing to sit down and talk with us," Cahir said. "And they were pretty candid talking about the corrupt local police." One villager in Aynak, Ghulam Mohammad, who appeared to be in his mid-20s, said that villagers were happy with the Afghan army, but not the police. "We can't complain to the police because they take money and abuse people," he said. Helmand's provincial police chief, Gen. Asadullah Sherzad, said that Aynak was under threat from militants every day, and that "police who are in calm situations are different from police in constant gunbattles." "For sure there were complaints from the local people about the police, because that was the front line," Sherzad said. "The people suffered from both sides, the enemy side and the police side. Sometimes there were ambushes, and battles were carried out in people's fields." Sherzad said the old police force had been replaced by a new, well-trained force "who have uniforms and know how to use their equipment. They know how to behave."
The old force will now receive U.S.-sponsored training called "focused district development," a program that gives police eight weeks of intense U.S. training and continued oversight thereafter. Thousands of the nation's 83,000-strong police force have already undergone the training. But about half the force has not. "They had training but not enough, and that's why the people had problems with them," said Col. Ghulam, who leads the interim police force that replaced the Aynak police. He gave only one name, a common practice in Afghanistan. "I am sure that when they go back to get focus district development training they will be more professional," he said. Associated Press Television News video journalist Raul Gallego Abellan contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
No details yet on the 4 Marines KIA on Saturday
4 US Marines killed in Afghan bomb blasts
By JASON STRAZIUSO
KABUL (AP) — Bomb blasts killed four U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan, where thousands of American troops have deployed in recent weeks as part of an offensive in the country's dangerous drug-producing region, an official said Sunday. The four Marines died Saturday in Helmand province, where about 4,000 troops this month launched the largest Marine operation in Afghanistan since 2001. U.S. forces have met little resistance but face the danger of roadside bombs everywhere they travel. A fifth U.S. service member wounded in June died of wounds in the U.S. on Friday, said Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, who confirmed the deaths of the four Marines. The four killed Saturday were initially identified as Army soldiers. The five deaths bring to 106 the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan this year — a record pace. Last year 151 U.S. troops died in the country. The U.S. casualties come on the heels of eight British deaths in Helmand during a 24-hour period that ended Friday, deaths that have triggered a debate in Britain about its role in Afghanistan. Britain has now lost more troops in Afghanistan than it did in Iraq. President Barack Obama called Britain's contribution critically important in an interview with Sky News broadcast Sunday. "My heart goes out to the families of those British soldiers," he said. "Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition, understanding that we cannot allow either Afghanistan or Pakistan to be a safe haven for al-Qaida, those who with impunity blow up train stations in London or buildings in New York." Obama ordered 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan earlier this year to help quell an increasingly violent Taliban insurgency. Some 10,000 Marines and 4,000 soldiers from the Stryker Brigade — the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division based in Fort Lewis, Washington — are deploying in the south, the Taliban's spiritual birthplace and stronghold. The troops are expected to help provide security for the country's August presidential election and help train army and police units who U.S. officials hope can one day provide security for the country. In other violence around the country, international troops and Afghan police killed 12 Taliban insurgents in a gunbattle in southern Afghanistan, police said Sunday. The joint force attacked a compound north of the capital of Uruzgan province where the militants were hiding Saturday evening, sparking the fighting, police spokesman Mohammad Musa said. He said no Afghan police or international troops were killed. In eastern Kunar province, meanwhile, one civilian was killed and five wounded when shelling from a gunbattle between insurgents and Afghan and international forces hit a house. Provincial Police Chief Gen. Abdul Jalal Jalal said everyone in the house initially survived Saturday's blast, but one man died from his injuries after being rushed to a hospital. Jalal said it was unclear which side fired the shots that hit the house. Also Saturday, at least six police officers were killed by roadside bombs — two in southern Helmand province and at least four south of Kabul in Logar province, officials said. In Logar, the officers were driving in a private car in Charkh district when the explosion hit, said provincial police chief Gen. Mustafa Mosseini. NATO forces, who secured the site and treated one wounded officer, said in a statement that four police were killed. Mosseini said five officers died. The bombing in Helmand took place Saturday night in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, killing two police and wounding three, said Dawood Ahmadi, the governor's spokesman. Police officers are regular targets of Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan. Mosseini said the officers had been traveling in a civilian car in order to avoid drawing the attention of potential attackers. In another gunbattle in eastern Paktia province between insurgents and Afghan police, two militants and one police officer were killed, said Rahullah Samon, a spokesman for the governor. Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul and Noor Khan in Kandahar contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By JASON STRAZIUSO
KABUL (AP) — Bomb blasts killed four U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan, where thousands of American troops have deployed in recent weeks as part of an offensive in the country's dangerous drug-producing region, an official said Sunday. The four Marines died Saturday in Helmand province, where about 4,000 troops this month launched the largest Marine operation in Afghanistan since 2001. U.S. forces have met little resistance but face the danger of roadside bombs everywhere they travel. A fifth U.S. service member wounded in June died of wounds in the U.S. on Friday, said Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, who confirmed the deaths of the four Marines. The four killed Saturday were initially identified as Army soldiers. The five deaths bring to 106 the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan this year — a record pace. Last year 151 U.S. troops died in the country. The U.S. casualties come on the heels of eight British deaths in Helmand during a 24-hour period that ended Friday, deaths that have triggered a debate in Britain about its role in Afghanistan. Britain has now lost more troops in Afghanistan than it did in Iraq. President Barack Obama called Britain's contribution critically important in an interview with Sky News broadcast Sunday. "My heart goes out to the families of those British soldiers," he said. "Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition, understanding that we cannot allow either Afghanistan or Pakistan to be a safe haven for al-Qaida, those who with impunity blow up train stations in London or buildings in New York." Obama ordered 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan earlier this year to help quell an increasingly violent Taliban insurgency. Some 10,000 Marines and 4,000 soldiers from the Stryker Brigade — the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division based in Fort Lewis, Washington — are deploying in the south, the Taliban's spiritual birthplace and stronghold. The troops are expected to help provide security for the country's August presidential election and help train army and police units who U.S. officials hope can one day provide security for the country. In other violence around the country, international troops and Afghan police killed 12 Taliban insurgents in a gunbattle in southern Afghanistan, police said Sunday. The joint force attacked a compound north of the capital of Uruzgan province where the militants were hiding Saturday evening, sparking the fighting, police spokesman Mohammad Musa said. He said no Afghan police or international troops were killed. In eastern Kunar province, meanwhile, one civilian was killed and five wounded when shelling from a gunbattle between insurgents and Afghan and international forces hit a house. Provincial Police Chief Gen. Abdul Jalal Jalal said everyone in the house initially survived Saturday's blast, but one man died from his injuries after being rushed to a hospital. Jalal said it was unclear which side fired the shots that hit the house. Also Saturday, at least six police officers were killed by roadside bombs — two in southern Helmand province and at least four south of Kabul in Logar province, officials said. In Logar, the officers were driving in a private car in Charkh district when the explosion hit, said provincial police chief Gen. Mustafa Mosseini. NATO forces, who secured the site and treated one wounded officer, said in a statement that four police were killed. Mosseini said five officers died. The bombing in Helmand took place Saturday night in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, killing two police and wounding three, said Dawood Ahmadi, the governor's spokesman. Police officers are regular targets of Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan. Mosseini said the officers had been traveling in a civilian car in order to avoid drawing the attention of potential attackers. In another gunbattle in eastern Paktia province between insurgents and Afghan police, two militants and one police officer were killed, said Rahullah Samon, a spokesman for the governor. Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul and Noor Khan in Kandahar contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Sad Story - Corporal Matthew Lembke succumbs to his wounds
Cpl. Matthew Lembke was on his third tour of duty when he was wounded in Afghanistan. This photo was taken during an earlier tour of Iraq.Cpl. Matthew Lembke, a Tualatin man serving his third combat tour, died Friday at Bethesda Naval Hospital from complications from his blast injuries suffered in Afghanistan.The 22-year-old Marine sniper had been patrolling on foot on June 22 when an IED exploded. He lost both his legs and sustained internal injuries.
He was flown to the U.S. Army's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany where his parents, Claudia and Dale, and sister Carolyn, joined him. Last weekend, he was flown to Bethesda in Maryland where he underwent serveral surgeries.
Lembke, who was nicknamed "Lumpe" by a high school coach, was a popular Tualatin High Timberwolf student/athlete with a deep pool of friends. Within hours of his wounding, one friend launched a Facebook group that swelled to 318 members. Other family friends launched a web page and a trust fund for him at U.S. Bank. Marines recovering from wounds from Afghanistan flocked to the family at the hospital.
Lembke's story, which was featured in The Oregonian July 8, drew national response from members of the Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade headquartered at Camp Lejeune to Richard Davis, the president and CEO of U.S. Bank, where his mother, Claudia, works in the Machine Tool Finance Group.
Scott Jones, whose son Garrett, a Marine from Dundee, lost his leg in 2007 wrote saying, "Both my wife Phyllis and I SOO want to reach out to the Lembke family. We want them to know there is a Marine family living near them who has been through what they are going through." Garrett Jones eventually returned to duty and is planning to attend Western Oregon University.
But Lembke's wounds were catastrophic. Doctors began performing surgery every other day to combat infection, which observers say is a common complication because of the debris associated with such blast injuries. He was mostly sedated, but at some points, had blinked his eyes and squeezed the hands of his mother, father and sister.
On Wednesday, they reported that after a morning surgery, Lembke began to take a turn for the worse. "Pray for my brother," Carolyn posted. "... all of a sudden, things are not looking so good."
The family camped at the ICU waiting room Thursday night. They reported he did not appear to be in pain. Lembke died about 9:30 a.m. Friday PST, his mother said.
First Lt. Joseph Cull, his platoon commander, wrote the family from Afghanistan. He had met Lembke last year when Lembke was one of 50 Marines to try out for a specialized platoon. He was one of seven who passed all examinations, and events, and was selected. Cull wrote that he was 100 miles away, at another position with a different team; when he received the message that Lembke was wounded.
"We had been operating for about 4 days straight, and sleep was short at hand for myself, and other Marines in the platoon. I came back from the radio, with Staff Sergeant Bustamante and we just sat down, silent and very much awake, regardless of fatigue. Soon word spread, our actions where mimicked by others all around, not due to the degree of Matt's wounds, but because of the severity of his character, his bond with others and more importantly the profound respect all within our battalion have for your son's professionalism and solid character.
"You have 26 sons, who are praying for his recovery every day, regardless of what we do, what hostilities are encountered in our day he is with us, in our actions and thoughts."
Eighty-three Marines have died in Afghanistan between 2002 and July 7. Two more, Lance Cpl. Roger Hager, 20, of Gibsonville, N.C. and Master Sgt. John Hayes 36, of Middleburg Fla. died July 8 in the same area where Lembke was serving, Helmand Province.
Lembke is survived his parents, Claudia and Dale, of Tualatin; sister, Carolyn Lembke, of Sherwood; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Services are pending.
Julie Sullivan: 503-221-8068; juliesullivan@news.oregonian.com
A story that deserves to be on this blog....
(photo is of Corporal Johnson's grandfather - while on recruiting duty in Dallas, circa 1960)
S. Sgt. James H. Stephens passed on in 2003, having seen his son become a Marine in 1976. Sadly, he missed seeing his grandson, recently promoted Corporal Jett Johnson, graduate from MCRD San Diego on May 30th, 2007 - in a rare Wednesday ceremony.
As it turns out, May 30th just happened to be the old S. Sgt's birthday. His family likes to think it was his way of being there to give his "Ooh-RAH!" to the newest Marine.
Now, as Paul Harvey would say, "You know the rest of the story" ...
As Death Toll Rises, Marines Stay Focused in Afghanistan
Corporal Tyler Ledbetter packs dirt into Hesco barriers to secure the perimeter of Fiddler's Green, a fire base housing 3rd the Battalion, 11th Marines.
Fiddler's Green has taken consistent indirect fire. The simple but effective barrier protects against shrapnel - photo by Sgt. Christopher Rye, USMC
HELMAND PROVICE, Afghanistan — It's the middle of the night at the east corner guard post of Fiddler's Green, a Marine fire base in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, along the border with Pakistan. Corporal Ryan Joseph Bernal is on perimeter security duty. Armed with an M-4, night vision binoculars and an array of high-powered automatic weaponry, the 22-year-old U.S. Marine and several others keep watch for activity just outside the concertina wire, which conveys the powerful message “DO NOT ENTER” in a universal language Marines, civilians and the Taliban all understand. Behind the sentries are the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines, out of 29 Palms, California. They are relatively safe, and mostly sleeping. As the American military's summer offensive into Taliban territory gains strength, the number of U.S. soldiers who have been wounded or killed in action has increased. But just as disturbing for these Marines is a new concern: the recent security breach in the area that led to the kidnapping of an American soldier. "Being taken hostage is not an option," says Bernal. A tiny red flare warns potential intruders not to approach — but it's the figures you can't see who pose the greatest threat to Fiddler’s Green, located at what commanders call a “chokepoint to Taliban activity.” Yesterday, an IED was found on Route 605, a main supply route not far from the entrance to the base. But despite the recent spate of American deaths, the Taliban kidnapping of a soldier in the Northeast and the many local opportunities for danger, the 3/ll Marines remain calm. “I’m confident the Marines have my back,” says Sgt. Scott Whittington, a combat correspondent who routinely ventures outside the wire to capture images of Marines in different war zones. Like many of his fellow Marines, Whittington has combat experience in Iraq and a calm confidence that comes with having been in similar situations. But Afghanistan is no Iraq. Bernal is the first line of defense on a barebones base where many Marines are sleeping in hand-dug pits to avoid being wounded by indirect fire. He puts his trust in his unit, and in its mission, which is to secure and hold strategic ground. "I have total faith in our commander," he says. “One hundred percent accountability is key,” Captain Chad Altheiser, commanding officer of Battery “I,” told FOXNews.com. He has never been to Afghanistan, but he has completed two tours in Iraq. The experience shows. “We keep security tight here at the camp,” says Altheiser, whose focus on personal safety is only partly explained by the fact that he is expecting a newborn son within days. Throughout Afghanistan, troops have been killed in action, but that hasn’t been a major concern. News doesn't reach Fiddler's Green 24/7, and because of a lack of Internet and phones, most of the 3/11 Marines are using pen and paper to send letters to loved ones back home. “No media out here, not sure what’s really going on out there,” Corporal Tyler Ledbetter told FOXNews.com. Ledbetter, who is three months into a 7-month tour in Afghanistan, refused to comment on the possibility of abduction, but was quick to explain why the rising death toll did not faze him. “We’re the best trained fighting force in the world,” he said. Throughout the day, redundant checks are designed to account for Marines. “Accountability. Eyes on every Marine, pre-combat checks, pre-combat inspections,” said battalion commander Lt. Chris Lewis. “Physical and visual accountability, nothing less." The battle-hardened command is much more stoic than the younger grunts with guns at the gate. “Personally I have no fear of being kidnapped. Accountability is very strong for the Marines,” said Sgt. Christopher Rye, a 26-year old Marine combat camera photographer. In the Combat Operations Center, one of the few areas with electricity and some climate control, Battalion Adjutant 1st Lt. Adam McLaurin is brief and blunt. “I’m not focused on casualties,” says the Gainesville, Fla., native, who is on his first deployment. “We really are just focused on what lies ahead.”
Matt Sanchez is embedded with the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
An Image from Afghanistan - via the Los Angeles Times
U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. conduct an operation to clear a village of Taliban fighters on July 5, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of Operation Khanjari which was launched to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections.
(Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
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