Volume 1, Issue 17 December 11, 2009 TF Trailbazer donates supplies to Iraqi schools 65th Eng. Bn. The plan was to work through the Special to the North Star Iraqis to make sure the goods were de- livered to the selected donation sites. U.S. Forces and Iraqi Security The day of the donation drop, 1st Forces recently partnered to benefit Platoon, 95th Eng. Co. started the day children in Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 24. early at 4 a.m. to move to nearby Con- Months ago, 65th Engineer Bat- tingency Operating Location Spider to talion, 130th Engineer Brigade Task link up with their Iraqi partners with Force Trailblazer began planning a whom they had regularly trained. humanitarian-aid donation to local Once there, the American and Iraqi schools in Tikrit with the 4th Iraqi Soldiers moved together in a combined Army Field Engineer Regiment. The convoy into the city of Tikrit. Iraqis were very happy to be a part of “Led by our Iraqi partners, we drove this mission. into city streets that would go other- “These are the kind of missions that wise unused by [our] convoys. It was we like to do” said Lt. Col. Hameed, refreshing to see the daily life of Iraqis Photo by Capt. Miguel Lima, 65th Eng. Bn. commander, 4th FER. on the city streets but there was a quiz- Captain Keith Ferrell hands out candy to chil- Iraqi officers suggested several zical look on their faces as they looked dren at the Tikrit Orphanage, Nov. 24. Captain schools as possible locations to con- onto our convoy,” said Capt. Miguel Ferrell, a Liberty, Texas, native, is a Chaplain duct the donation drop, but the deci- Lima, the 65th Eng. Bn. non-lethal with the 65th Eng. Bn. sion rested with Lt. Col. Hameed who affects officer. were all very well behaved and sat in chose one school and one orphanage. When the Soldiers arrived, the their respective rooms and waited for Friends of Soldiers from Task Force orphanage was ready to greet them. the Soldiers to come to them. Trailblazer also mailed a stockpile Expecting to see a flood of kids coming The children, shy at first, soon of personal toiletries, kids’ toys and from everywhere as they had when the warmed up as the Iraqi Army volun- clothes. On Contingency Operating engineers dropped off the furniture teers handed out the goods. The hall- Base Speicher, Soldiers acquired lo- for the school earlier in the year, they ways were filled with Iraqis bustling cally donated backpacks and T-shirts. were surprised. Instead, the children See Supplies, Page 3 Combined Federal Campaign - Overseas draws to a close By. Sgt. Johnathon Jobson outside the U. S., the CFC-O is by far In 2008 alone, the CFC raised more TF Marne PAO the largest. CFC-O spans the entire than $275 million. So far this cam- globe and covers five of the six U. S. paign, Division Special Troops Battal- This year’s Combined Federal combatant command operational ion, 3rd Infantry Division has received Campaign - Overseas is drawing to a areas. Through CFC-O, Soldiers can more than $30,000 for more than 200 close. For personnel stationed in the donate to their choice of more than contributors. United States Central Command area 2,000 different charities. Donations to CFC-O charities can of operations, the deadline to make Since its inception under President be made via pay allotment, cash or donations this year is Dec. 13. John F. Kennedy, the CFC has become check. For more information or to do- As the only CFC campaign for the most successful fundraising model nate to the CFC-O, contact your unit’s Soldiers who are stationed or deployed to date. CFC coordinator before Dec. 13. The North Star Page 2 • December 11, 2009 24th Finance brings cash to outlying posts By Spc. Justin Naylor 2BCT, 1st Cav Div. PAO For Soldiers at small outposts in Iraq buying movies, hygiene products and luxury items isn’t as easy as just going to a store and swiping a credit card. Fortunately for these Soldiers, the finance troops from Charlie Detach- ment, 24th Finance Company, are al- ways ready to bring much needed cash to small outposts throughout Kirkuk province. “You can’t get anything out here without cash,” said Spc. Jacob San- chez, a Norwalk, Calif., native and Photo by Spc. Justin Naylor, 2BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO Specialist Blaine Berquist, a Puyallup, Wash., native and a cashier with Det. C, 24th Finance a human resources specialist for 1st Company, gives cash to a Soldier during a trip to JSS McHenry in Kirkuk province, Dec. 4. Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Specialist Berquist is part of a team of Soldiers responsible for providing cash to Soldiers at Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry outposts that lack a more traditional Finance Office. Division, at Joint Security Station rity Station McHenry and Patrol Base Although traveling to remote bases McHenry in Kirkuk province. Doria — for several days each month. throughout the province once a month “There are no ATMs, and you can’t “We support about 1,200 Soldiers at can be quite a challenge — rides aren’t use credit or debit cards at the stores.” these bases,” said Sgt. Smith. always easy to find here — the rewards So once a month, the finance troops For the Soldiers at these out-of- of helping Soldiers have the money restock the Soldiers, at this and other the-way locations, there is an added and resources they need outweigh the bases in the province, with cash. benefit to having the finance Soldiers trouble involved with the long hours of “We give financial support to the come by. travel. Soldiers that don’t have the option of “If anyone has any questions or “I just like helping the Soldiers,” coming in to the main Finance Office,” concerns about their pay, we can said Sgt. Smith. “My job is to support said Sgt. Philip Smith, a Camarillo, answer their questions, or we can take the Soldiers with what they are doing Calif., native and a financial manage- their paperwork back to fix their pay,” here, and that is the biggest reward for ment support team noncommissioned explained Sgt. Smith. me.” officer in-charge with Charlie Detach- This point was stressed again. “I am always very happy to see them ment. “If a Soldier has messed up pay, come out here,” said Spc. Sanchez. Sergeant Smith and other Soldiers it hurts them and their Families, so And he isn’t the only one. The from his detachment at Forward we try to fix that for them,” said Spc. lines outside of the finance tent often Operating Base Warrior in Kirkuk visit Blaine Berquist, a Puyallup, Wash., na- stretch out hundreds of feet. three different outposts — Forward tive and a cashier with Charlie Detach- “They hate our lines, but they love Operating Base Zaytun, Joint Secu- ment. the end product,” joked Spc. Berquist. TF Marne Soldiers begin Hanukkah celebration By Spc. Michael Adams the Jewish Distinctive Faith Group Traditionally, it is lit by olive oil to TF Marne PAO leader for Task Force Marne. This remind believers of the original re- This evening is the first night of means he is able to lead people of his dedication. This year, Hanukkah will the eight-day Hanukkah holiday, also faith and conduct a service. He first be from Dec. 11-19. Task Force Marne known as the Festival of Lights.. became a lay leader in 1987 at Fort will be celebrating Hanukkah on Dec. It commemorates the re-dedication Campbell, Ky. 11 at the Main Morale, Welfare and of the holy Temple in Jerusalem at the “I am proud of my country. I’m also Recreation Center at 8 p.m. and Sun- time of the Maccabean revolt. proud of my faith and to be a Jewish day at the Main Dining Facility at 6:30 When the Temple of Jerusalem was Soldier,” he said. p.m. Twenty Jewish Soldiers will be re-dedicated, there was enough oil for The Hanukiah has nine candles. flying in from all over Multi-National the lamp to burn for one day. Miracu- Eight candles are to celebrate the Division - North to attend the Sunday lously, the lamp burned for eight days. eight-day miracle. The middle candle, celebration. Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Med- also called the shamas, is to light the People of the Jewish faith are in- nick, the chief of Air Operations and others. The center candle is the first. vited to attend both events. The North Star Page 3 • December 11, 2009 Georgetown, Mass., gives gifts to Soldiers early By Spc. Michael Adams forts of home, turned into a mission by ble more than 180 packages. TF Marne PAO the residents of this small New Eng- More than 150 Georgetown resi- In this season of giving, Americans land town to help out the Soldiers who dents participated in the drive, which often give to their friends and family. are so far away. included packaging the goods, wrap- But residents of Georgetown, Mass., When Mike Mullen got wind of ping the goods and people writing decided to give to several groups of letters to the troops thanking them for people they didn’t even know. their service.. Colonel Malcolm Burr, the red team The packages were distribut- leader for Task Force Marne, had ed to troops all over Iraq includ- people in his hometown of George- ing Uganda security personnel town, Mass., asking him what they who guard the D-Main head- could send him to make his deploy- quarters. ment better. He told themhe had it The recipients flooded Muller pretty good on Contingency Operating and the volunteers with thank Base Speicher. But a lot of Soldiers, you cards for giving them a little in outlying areas of northern Iraq, did piece of home. not have some of the comforts of home Muller loved that he was sup- Courtesy Photo porting the troops any way he he did and they could probably use the Soldiers with 4IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., thank Mike and care package morethan he could. Trishia Muller for sending them, and many other could. He felt it was so success- “Those are the guys that don’t get groups around northern Iraq, care packages. ful he is planning on making it a a chance to come to Contingency Op- yearly event. erating Base Speicher Speicher,” said what Col. Burr wanted for the Sol- While he received a lot of Col. Burr. “They don’t have a gymna- diers, he decided to get the community praise for what he did, from Soldiers sium, a post exchange, a dining facility involved. He decided to rent Veterans and his hometown alike, he felt the like I do.” Colonel Burr gathered of Foreign Wars Post 7608, in George- praise should be for the Soldiers serv- lists of what kind of goods the troops town, for a Sunday to have people ing. wanted and told the people he was bring in goods and some donations. “We feel like the work we have done in contact with back home what they He said he would have been happy if to show support pales in comparison requested. they were able to send 30 packages to to the sacrifices made by our Soldiers,” His idea to help some of the Sol- the combat zone. Muller said, wishing all Soldiers in TF diers out, who do not have the com- The town rallied together to assem- Marne happy holidays. Continued from Supplies, Page 1 about handing out the goods to the ap- The donated items didn’t just ben- preciative children. In private concert, efit the children. some of the girls even sang some songs The adults working at both the Direct select to OCS they had learned. orphanage and the school were given Twenty applicants will be se- Lieutenant Colonel Hameed said bundles of sewing supplies provided lected by Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, the orphanage is the only one in Tikrit through a charity known as “Iraqi commander of Task Force Marne, to and needs support to continue to take Bundles of Love”. The charity col- go to Officer Candidate School. For care of homeless and injured children. lected fabric and sewing material the next selection board, all packets Several days after the donation drop, bundles to give to communities in Iraq must be submitted to G-1 by Feb.12. the Governor of Salah ad-Din prov- to outfit those who sew for necessity In order to be selected, a Soldier ince, Mr. Hussein Mutashar, visited and hobby. must meet all qualifications without the same orphanage. At the end of the day the engineers a waiver. Applicants must have a “The needs and the difficulties of said they had a great feeling of accom- 4-year degree from an accredited the orphanage are on top of our prior- plishment. institution, be an American citizen, ity list,” he said. Captain Lima said the donation possess a secret security clearance, After visiting with the children at drop was also a chance to improve the be recommended by a lieutenant the orphanage, the Soldiers moved image of the Iraqi Army as a whole. colonel or above in their chain of on to the next stop. Class was still in “We believe in selfless service and command, pass a physical training session at the school when the Iraqi honor to duty for our country. The test, be 38 years old or younger. and American Soldiers arrived. The Iraqi Security Forces, while new to this For a full list of requirements go children were seated and well behaved concept, are quickly gaining the much to http://www.army.mil/usapa/ as the 4th FER Soldiers handed out needed respect they deserve for the job toys and school supplies. they do,” said Capt. Lima. epubs/pdf/r350_51.pdf. The North Star Page 4 • December 11 2009

Task Force Marne Heroes of the North Specialist Ale Tanveer, of Edison, N.J., with Company C, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, spearheaded the download of milvans in preparation for turn-in during recent retrograde operations. He also led the inventory of four additional tri-wall containers for turn-in to the Brigade Support Medical Office. He serves as the clinic shift leader and manages sick- call operations in the absence of a noncommissioned officer. He initiated the H1N1 inoculations and administered them to more than 200 Soldiers in one day. Specialist Tanveer’s contant initiative led to the consolidation of all Class VIII items to the trauma room to include the critical restocking of all critical item shortages for three trauma beds. His Arabic language skills allow him to interact with the local national patients in the Troop Medical Clinic, making him a true force multiplier. Specialist Tanveer’s performance and potential is that of an NCO and he can be counted on to accomplish all missions to professional standards. It is for these reasons that he’s today’s Task Force Marne Hero of the North.

Sergeant Johanna Gutierrez, of Hialeah, Fla., is a human resources sergeant, with Headquarters and Headquarters Command, 779th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade. She has proven to be an invaluable asset to her battalion. She recently assumed the role of senior human resources sergeant, a sergeant 1st class position, when her supervisor assumed the role of battalion S-1. She took the additional responsibility with confidence and enthusiasm, excelling in all areas. Sergeant Gutierrez flawlessly maintains the rest and relaxation leave and pass program while simultaneously supervising her staff. While her latest focus has been administrative preparations for the 591st Engineer Company’s re-deployment, her section continues to excel under her direction. Sergeant Gutierrez’ dedication to excellence and outstanding performance reflects great credit upon herself, her unit and the Army and makes her a clear choice for today’s Task Force Marne Hero of the North

Moviefone.com presents: Basketball Trivia Quiz 10 worst movies of the decade 1) What basketball league, which disbanded in 1976, 10.- The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)- Eddie invented the 3-point shot? Murphy, once one of the top box office stars in the world, 2) Who is credited with inventing basketball? had a major flop with this sci-fi comedy. 3) Who is the National Basketball Association’s all- 9.- Cat in the Hat (2003)- After this movie’s release, Dr. time leading scorer? Seuss’ widow banned anymore movie adaptations of her 4) What team has won the most NBA titles and how husband’s work. many have they won? 8.- Little Nicky (2000)- This dud had Adam Sandler 5) What basketball player, originally nicknamed ‘the playing the son of satan and Rodney Dangerfield was his doctor,’ is credited with popularizing the dunk? grandfather. 6) Comedian/actor Bill Cosby pays $1.05 to be an 7.- Basic Instinct 2 (2006)- While Sharon Stone held honorary member of what team? up well in this sequel to the 1992 hit, the script and plot 7) Who was the first African-American basketball did not. player in the NBA? 6.- Catwoman (2004)- Halle Berry received a Golden 8)Who is the only player in NBA history to average a Raspberry for worst actress, playing the title role. triple-double over the course of a season (at least 10 5.- Swept Away (2002)- Madonna starred in this disas- points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) trous remake of an Italian love story. 9) Basketball legends Cedric Maxwell, James 4.- From Justin to Kelly (2003)- Silly movie musical Worthy, Jerry Stackhouse, Sam Jones and David had two leads who were finalists on American Idol. Thompson were all born in what state? 3.- Glitter (2001)- Mariah Carey, who starred in the 10) Where is the basketball hall of fame located? movie, discouraged people from seeing it. 11)What college team won back-to-back NCAA titles 2.- Gigli (2003)- Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starred in 1991-1992? in this panned mob movie/love story. Answers will be in the next edition of 1.- Battlefield Earth (2000)- John Travolta starred in “The North Star.” what is considered to be one of the worst Sci-fi flicks ever. The North Star Page 5 • December 11, 2009

Re g i o n a l He a d l i n e s Scantily-clad ‘David’ decked any town ordinances, and the copy of that dates back to the 1870’s is finally out as St. Nick one of the world’s most well-known back in Dodge City. Associated Press statues did not involve any obscenity “They saw this as iconic, and if BIG SPRING, Texas – A Texas issues, said Linda Sjogren, city there was only one thing that Boot homeowner who adorned his front attorney in Big Spring, about 290 Hill Museum and Ford County and lawn with Michelangelo’s “David” as a miles west of Dallas. But Sjogren, the Dodge City Historical Society and scantily clad Santa got more than just concerned that complaints would all of us can share the information jolly laughs from his neighbors. continue, decided to consult with from, this would be it -- I mean this Barry McBee said he was aiming others on a possible remedy. would be that one thing,” said George to make people chuckle by adding She posted a query on the Texas Laughead, president of the Ford a Santa hat and white beard to the Municipal League’s secure Web site, County Historical Society. 5-foot-tall replica of the Renaissance which someone with access to then “You know it was the time, the Old statue with six-pack abs — an image reposted on Facebook. West and everybody carried a gun, at odds with usual depictions of a fat, Sjogren left McBee a voice mail last and they wanted their guns, and a jolly St. Nick. week, requesting that he put more lot of fighting, a lot of yelling at each Then, parents started calling Big clothes on David. other,” said Karen Pankratz, Boot Hill Spring city officials saying their McBee relented after his friends Museum curator. children were asking why Santa was teased him as well, putting a pair of For current Sheriff Dean Bush, the naked. black and white faux-velvet shorts, book’s return is the highlight of his “I just like to shock people to with a Christmas bow, on the statue. career. He’s keeping a close eye on it so make them laugh, kind of break the “I think if it offends any children, I Dodge City doesn’t lose the important monotony around here,” said McBee. didn’t want to do that,” McBee said. piece of history again. Last week, code enforcement “I would hate for it to disappear officials received an informal Stolen Wyatt Earp docket again, there’s been an awful lot of complaint and an officer went to returned to Dodge City work and effort into getting it back,” Bush said. photograph where McBee had placed KSNW-TV The docket was found after a year- the statue, which is normally in the DODGE CITY, Kansas - A little long investigation that included the back yard. The sculpture on the bit of Wild West history is back in FBI. Officials found it after someone corner lot along a main road into Kansas. After being stolen nearly 60 tried to sell it on the Internet. McBee’s subdivision did not violate years ago, an old police docket book OPSEC Reminder: Check you badge awareness! Display your badge appropriately when in secure locations. Make sure you are aware of those around you and don’t be afraid to challenge them if you see they are not wear- ing the right badge. Finally, when exiting the area, make sure you put away your badge (and make sure your buddies at the chow hall do the same thing)!

THE TASK FORCE MARNE Commanding General - Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo North Star Command Sergeant Major - Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse L. Andrews Jr. The North Star is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of The North Star are Task Force Marne Public Affairs Staff not necessarily official views of, or TF Marne PAO – Maj. Jeff Allen endorsed by, the U.S. Government, TF Marne PA NCOIC – Master Sgt. Marcia Triggs Department of Defense, Department TF Marne Writer- Sgt. Johnathon Jobson of the Army or the 3rd Infantry Division. All editorial content of Editorial Staff The North Star is prepared, edited, Managing Editor – Master Sgt. Marcia Triggs provided and approved by the Task Editor- Spc. Michael Adams Force Marne Public Affairs Office.

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division 1st Cavalry Division 25th Infantry Division 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 130th Engineer Brigade 3rd Infantry Division 2nd Infantry Division