MG Cucolo Posthumously Awards Pershmerga by Spc
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Volume 1, Issue 111 July 21, 2010 MG Cucolo posthumously awards Pershmerga By Spc. Cassandra Monroe 135th Mobile Public Affairs Det. Task Force Marne Com- a checkpoint where Ameri- manding General, Maj. cans join Iraqi, Peshmerga Gen. Tony Cucolo, posthu- and Kurdish Security Forces mously awarded two Iraqi to provide security in the Peshmerga the U.S. Army local area. The terrorist Commendation Medal with aggressively drove a ve- Valor Device, July 18, at hicle packed full of explo- Camp Zaytun, Erbil, Iraq. sives into the checkpoint, The awards were presented prompting warning shots to the families of the fallen from the two Pershmerga Kurdish Fighting Forces. on guard. They fired sub- On behalf of all Ameri- sequent shots to stop the can forces, it is a distinct driver, ensuring that the honor to be here today and vehicle could not enter the to thank the families for Life Support Area. the sacrifice of your loved After the driver was ones, said Maj. Gen. Cucolo. disabled, he crashed into a This sacrifice sends a mes- series of barriers, setting off sage to Iraqi and American the vehicle bomb and killing partners at combined check the two Peshmerga. points that they are in this During the ceremony, a together, he continued. To moment of silence held as the terrorists and enemies members of the ceremony of Iraq, it sends another and guests lit 14 candles to message: if the enemies remember the fallen. Maj. challenge [the combined se- Gen. Cucolo awarded the curity forces], the combined family members with the security forces will fight as U.S. Army Commendation one, he added. Medal with Valor Device The two Peshmerga, Sgt. and expressed deep grati- Qaes Ali Mohammed and tude for their loved ones’ Cpl. Faroq Rashed Ahmad, sacrifices. Photo by Spc. Cassandra Monroe, 135th Mobile Public Affairs Det. Task Force Marne Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, pres- both with 2nd Battalion, “It is within my power to ents the Army Comendation Medal with Valor Device to a family mem- 12th Brigade, Peshmerga present this medal, which ber of one of two fallen Pershmerga, who were from 2nd Battalion, Army, were honored be- has a special letter on it, 12th Brigade, Peshmerga Army, July 18, at Camp Zaytun, Erbil, Iraq. cause of their heroic ef- “V,” for valor,” he said, prior The Peshmerga, who were part of Kurdish fighting forces, were killed in action, May 10, after they fired shots at a vehicle-borne improvised forts and sacrifices May 10, to awarding the families. “It when a terrorist entered explosive device that entered their combined checkpoint, disabling See AWARDS, Page 2 the driver and setting off the vehicle bomb. Combined Check Point 4, The North Star Page 2 • July 21, 2010 Taino Warriors Photo by Sgt. Chad Nelson, 135th Mobile Public Affairs Det. (Left) Lieutenant Colonel Hector M. Moran, executive officer for 166th Regional Support Group, and the 166th RSG Command Sgt. Maj. Rene R. Rivera, case their unit colors during a ceremony on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq, July 20. Task Force Marne Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, thanked the troops of 166th RSG for providing their valued support on COB Speicher, most notably for the efforts in maintaining the base and beautifying the area. Throughout their deployment, the 166th RSG Soldiers completed several projects that improved the appearance and operation of the base, including the build-up of Taino Batey, a park on COB Speicher, and various projects that improved the safety of the bases’ civilians and servicemembers. The 166th RSG will be replaced by the Division Special Troops Bat- talion, 3rd Infantry Division, currently stationed on COB Speicher. Right - Soldiers from 166th RSG present their cased unit colors during a ceremony on Contin- gency Operating Base Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq, July 20. The 166th RSG is redeploying after a year- long deployment. Among their many duties and responsibilities over the year were offering 24-hour service for servicemem- bers on base, making it easy for them to request vehicles and billeting. Even as the 166th RSG prepared for their rede- ployment, they ensured servicemembers were taken care of, making sure they had everything they needed for their movements back home. Continued from AWARDS, Page 1 is military tradition to honor this med- Haitham Wahab Mohammed put and broadcast noncommissioned al for great courage and sacrifice. It is on a bomb suit and diffused the vest, officer, Sgt. Reinaldo Lopez, with also tradition to present this medal to removed the body, and safely disabled Headquarters and Headquarters the family during a loss of life.” the IED in the vehicle using a charge. Operations Support, 3rd Infantry For one of the fallen’s family Once the charge was set off, Qaed Division, out of Fort Stewart, Ga. members, this ceremony represented a Farhan Raheem, a bomb disposal sol- “As we go forward, it is the U.S. lifelong path of securing and working dier with 4th IA BDC, removed pieces Navy support that is taking us toward freedom. of the detonated IED, deemed the area forward with the information and “To me this is normal, because clear, making the exercise a success. training they provide us,” said 1st we have sacrificed our lives since “We have a huge region to take care Lt. Mohammed. 1961,” said Unice Mohammed Ali of, and so far with the training, we “Our whole goal here is to get Abdullah, an uncle of one of the fallen. have not faced any difficulty,” said 1st the Iraqi bomb disposal unit to a “[My Nephew] was murdered work- Lt. Mohammed. “We try to come [to point where we can withdraw and ing for his freedom, for his people’s the EOD training lane] at least twice a they can take over and continue the freedom.” week to do training along with demoli- mission,” said Senior Chief Petty After awarding the medals to the tion.” Officer Kevin A. Borkowski, a native family members, Maj. Gen. Cucolo In order to demonstrate the 4th IA of Baltimore, Md., the leading chief visited with the children of the fami- BDC’s capabilities to its leadership, petty officer with EOD Mobile Unit lies, giving them 3rd Infantry Division 1st Lt. Mohammed also recorded the 2. “And right now they are doing a Marne pendants. exercise with EOD Mobile Unit 2, great job defeating the devices.” The North Star Page 3 • July 21, 2010 IPs, dogs build working relationship By Spc. Jessica Zullig standing of their dogs than “Their dogs are up to the use. I think that it will be a 135th Mobile PA Det. they did a month ago.” standards with what we success.” An Iraqi Police team and However, IP team com- their explosive detection mander, Capt. Jasim, said dogs trained with the Spe- that they need more train- icher K-9 dog handlers at ing and experience. Contingency Operating Base “We want to protect the Speicher, Iraq, July 10. people, but we are new,” he Explosives of different said. amounts were hidden in ve- Training the IPs to work hicles and on the field. Dogs with explosive detection sniffed the air and ground, dogs is important to the and became excited when transition to stability opera- they approached the hidden tions continuing in the Iraq training aids. When explo- theater. The IP team trains sives were found, the dogs with Speicher K-9 once a sat near the source of scent week to ensure they can rec- until their handler rewarded ognize when their dogs have them with a toy, words of found explosives. praise and a pat on the back. “We want to pass on our The IPs have been train- knowledge to them,” said ing with the U.S. military Staff Sgt. Jodi Stone, a Stan- police assigned to Speicher wood, Wash., native and K-9 and civilian police advi- kennel master for Speicher sors with DynCorp for three K-9. “We want to help make months. them successful.” “When they first started, The IPs have a long road it was rough,” said Sgt. ahead, but the MPs with Holly Johnson, an MP Speicher K-9 are confident with Speicher K-9, and a they will succeed with con- Fort Lewis, Wash., native. tinued training. “They’ve gotten to where “They have the resources now to where they can get Photo by Spc. Jessica Zullig, 135th Mobile Public Affairs Det. they can give commands An Iraqi policeman praises his explosive detector dog after finding and the dogs will listen. the job done just as well as explosives on a vehicle during training at COB Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, They have a better under- we can,” said Sgt. Johnson. July 10. 2010 brings major transformation to Basic Combat Training This year, Basic Combat Training from their feet, not wrestle and grip 7. Expanded Values and Culture has gone through a transformation, ac- on the ground. Soldiers now attend 22 Training. cording to Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, hours of instruction. 8. We’re treating the Soldier as a “Tac- deputy commanding general for Initial 4. Most up-to-date medical training tical Athlete.” The Surgeon General Military Training. Here are some of in Tactical Combat Casualty Care and of the Army will begin supplement- the changes you’ll see in new Basic and Combat Lifesaver. ing initial training units with physi- One Station Unit Training courses. 5. Physical Training is standardized, cal therapists and athletic trainers to 1. Brigade Combat Teams has become with scientifically proven techniques prevent injuries. more challenging not “softer.” They that improve conditioning and help 9.