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DOD Face of Defense: Airman drives 120 convoys in Afghanistan Senior Airman Vanessa Velez prepares her Humvee just be- Story and photos by Air Force Master Sgt. Demetrius A. Lester fore her next mission. Velez, a vehicle maintenance control- Special to American Forces Press Service ler with the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., is a convoy driver with the Bagram Provin- BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Regardless of what job Air cial Reconstruction Team. Force members have, being an Airman comes fi rst. In today’s Air Force, being an Airman sometimes means doing a job normally “That’s when reality set in,” she said. “At fi rst, I was shocked performed by Soldiers. Senior Airman Vanessa Velez, a convoy and couldn’t believe that a girl from the Bronx, N.Y., was about to driver with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team in Af- be a driver in a hostile situation.” ghanistan, knows this all too well. When she arrived in Afghanistan, Velez was assigned to the Before she went to Fort Bragg, N.C., for predeployment train- Bagram PRT, whose mission is to secure and develop a post- ing, Velez thought her year-long deployment to Afghanistan would Taliban Afghanistan by extending the authority of the govern- be spent maintaining vehicles as she does at her home unit, the 6th ment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, improving security Logistics Readiness Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. and promoting reconstruction. The PRTs have been so successful “I was told, ‘You won’t be working vehicle maintenance; you that they became the template for helping to rebuild Iraq. will be a driver,’” she said. “At Fort Bragg, I found out I wouldn’t “My fi rst convoy, I was so nervous that I kept stomping the be driving shuttles, distinguished visitors or commanders around brakes until the brake line broke,” said Velez. “The heat and fl uid in a car or bus like I was mistakenly told at my duty station. I from the brake line started a fi re.” would be driving a fully-loaded Humvee outside the wire in enemy More than 120 missions later, Velez hasn’t experienced anymore territory at least fi ve times a week.” brake problems or fi res. She continues to shuttle truck and mission The Airman said Army Lt. Col. Bobby Robinson, Bagram PRT commanders outside the wire on a daily basis, and said she believes commander, told Velez’s team they would be living in tents and she has made a difference for both America and the Afghan people riding outside the wire. during this war. “I have learned so much about a lot of things, especially my job and the Afghan people,” she said. “I had the mentality they were all al-Qaeda and Taliban until I talked to them. After spending time with the Afghans, I learned they don’t like the Taliban either. Everything has gotten better since my arrival in March of last year. Even the roads have improved.” When she’s outside the wire, Velez is somewhat of a celebrity with the Afghan children. “They get excited because they see a fe- male Airman. They want to touch my hair and earrings,” she said. “The Afghans want to learn and have a lot of questions. They want to work and take care of their families like most people (in the U.S.) do.” This is Velez’s third deployment in three years, but she said she has no regrets. “I am an Airman fi rst, just like all the services have been preaching,” she added. “This shows, in this day and age, you could be tasked to do anything to support the War on Terror.” Senior Airman Vanessa Velez, a convoy driver with the Bagram “My job satisfaction comes from constantly thinking about all Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, poses for a the people’s lives I have in my hands,” she continued. “My vehicle photo in front of her Humvee before a mission. Velez, a ve- is my job. I drive so much that my Humvee is my offi ce. I don’t hicle maintenance controller with 6th Logistics Readiness have a computer, e-mail or an offi ce. I have a Humvee.” Squadron, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., has driven more (Air Force Master Sgt. Demetrius A. Lester serves with 455th Air than 120 convoys during her deployment. Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.) 2 Freedom Watch Magazine Freedom Watch Staff Commander Air Force Lt. Col. Freedom Watch Thomas Davis Superintendent Air Force Master Sgt. Collen McGee Print NCOIC Mar. 3, 2008 Air Force Staff Sgt. Ian Carrier Editor Air Force Staff Sgt. Marc Nickens Staff Writer The ultimate warrior Senior Airman Stephen Ocenosak 4 TF Out Front brings Kiowa Warrior into fi ght Visit the CJTF-82 Web site at www.cjtf82.com Off-duty doesn’t always mean off-duty 5 Off-duty ANP detain fi ve IED emplacers Freedom Watch is a weekly publication of Combined Joint Task Force-82. CJTF-82 Commander Army Maj. Gen. First responders David M. Rodriguez Arizona National Guard rescues U.S. Senators RC East Public Affairs Offi cer Army Lt. 6 Col. David A. Accetta Freedom Watch, a Department of Defense publication, is published each Monday by Airmen as educators the American Forces Network – Afghani- Airmen mentor Afghan National Army stan Print Section, Bldg. 415, Room 205 at 8 Bagram Airfi eld, Afghanistan. Printed circu- lation is 5,000 copies per week. In accordance with DoD Instruction Time for a change 5120.4, this DoD newspaper is an authorized Airmen spearhead ANA women’s seminar publication for members of the U.S. military 10 overseas. Contents of the Freedom Watch are not necessarily the offi cial view of, or endorsed Ouch! by, the U.S. government or the Department ANP recieves shot in arm...literally of Defense. 11 Deadline for submissions is noon local each Friday. All submissions are subject to editing by the AFN-A Print Section. We can Harlem Globetrotter? be reached at DSN 318-431-3338. 12 Not quite... COVER: An OH-58 D Kiowa Warrior prepares to depart Jalalabad Airfi eld to conduct a surveillance mission. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. George Welcome) BACK COVER: An Afghan girl conceals her mouth for a photograph during a humanitarian aid handout in Parun Valley, Nuristan Province, Af- ghanistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Steven C. Jones) 5 8 11 Freedom Watch Magazine 3 Kiowa Warrior, Task Force Out Front in fi ght against insurgents Story and photo by Spc. George Welcome “D Troop’s mission is aviation maintenance in support of 101st CAB Public Affairs combat operations,” said Army Capt. Andrew Herzberg, D Troop commander. FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, Afghanistan - In wars “We maintain and repair all four MDS’ (Mission Design Se- past, the role of the cavalry unit in combat was to serve as the ries); attack helicopters, cargo helicopters, utility helicopters eyes and ears of the division, providing awareness of the terrain and observation helicopters,” said Herzberg. “The biggest chal- and the enemy’s capabilities. lenge we have is that everyone who was in the troop back in Ft. While today’s cavalry traded horses for tracks, wheels and ro- Campbell was an OH-58 D maintainer. We got over here and tors, their impact on the battlefi eld remains as pivotal now as it picked up all the other MDS’ and there is a very steep learning was then. Task Force Out Front, from the 101st Combat Avia- curve involved in learning how other aircraft are maintained. It’s tion Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, is providing aviation sup- completely different than how Kiowas are maintained.” port for the 173rd Airborne Brigade. New to their area of opera- Fuel and ammunition are also important in keeping the heli- tions is the OH-58 D Kiowa Warrior, a reconnaissance and light copters of TF Out Front in the fi ght. attack helicopter. “The forward support troop provides organizational and di- “Our mission is to provide aviation support to Task Force rect support in reference to refueling and supplying ammunition Bayonet in the Nuristan, Nangahar, Kunar and Laghman prov- and ground maintenance,” said Army Capt. Brian Falcasantos, inces,” said Army Lt. Col. John Lynch, TF Out Front command- E Troop commander. “We are responsible for all the maintenance er. “We provide everything from attack helicopters to conduct- for non-aviation assets like refueling, resupplying ammunition ing air assaults. Our Kiowas will provide reconnaissance and and fi xing trucks.” we’ll also provide maintenance and FARP (Forward Arming and With a long mission in front of them, TF Out Front hopes Refueling Point) support as well.” that they can not only cause major disruption in enemy activity, Initially, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, was slated to but leave their base and area of operations better for the unit deploy to Iraq instead of Afghanistan. It was thought that the replacing them. single engine Kiowa Warrior would have diffi culty operating in “We want to have the footprint established for the next team,” Afghanistan’s higher elevation. said Lynch. When they hit the ground they can go right into “The idea behind bringing the Kiowa Warrior here was the conducting whatever operations they want to conduct.” desire to put an aviation task force headquarters with a squad- ron commander here in Jalalabad,” said Lynch. “There are cer- tainly challenges with the Kiowa. We had to look at areas on the map where we could use it successfully, and that’s usually in the lower elevations.” Despite some of the limitations of the Kiowa Warrior, the TF is committed to fi nding ways to use it for the benefi t of Coalition forces and the people of Afghanistan.