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In Afghanistan Norwegians Repair Vital Afghan Well Courtesy Article by ISAF KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb

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In Afghanistan Norwegians Repair Vital Afghan Well Courtesy Article by ISAF KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb NATO force modernization sets sights on future MARCH 2009 ANSF cooperation pg 5 Cover photo by Sgt. Michael Armstrong Contents Freedom Watch Staff March 2009 Commander, 40th Public Affairs Det. Army Maj. Mark Lastoria 40th PAD NCOIC Prison guards Army Sgt. Michael Armstrong learn tactics from Editor/Print NCO 6 servicemembers Army Cpl. John Zumer Layout Editor Army Pfc. Derek Kuhn Associate Layout Editor Army Spc. Borris Shiloff Staff Writer Army Pfc. Kimberley Cole 14 Staff Writer Army Pv2. Cody Thompson Afghan infant saved Associate Staff Writer Army Pfc. Rachelle Cornwell The Freedom Watch magazine is a monthly publication of the 40th PAD and Combined Joint Task Force 101. Commander, CJTF-101 18 Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser Public Affairs Director, CJTF-101 Road opens in Konar Army Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green Freedom Watch, a U.S. Department of Defense publication, is published the first Monday of every month by the 40th PAD located in Bldg. 815 F, Camp Dragon Village at Bagram Army Air Field, Afghani- stan. Printed circulation is 10,000 copies per month. In accordance with DoD Instruction 5120.4, this DoD magazine is an authorized publication for members of 21 the U.S. military overseas. Contents of the Freedom Watch are not necessarily the official view of, or en- dorsed by, the U.S. government or the Department of Chosin on the ground, Defense. Soldiers ready for action All submissions are subject to editing by the 40th PAD, which can be reached at DSN 318-481-6367 or via email at [email protected]. 23 Afghan National Army soldiers receive new weap- ons and training as part of NATO force modernization Cover photo photo by Sgt.by Sgt.Michael Michael Armstrong Armstrong A Polish helicopter departs FOB Thunder as Sol- diers and Afghan Border Police return from an Afghan 1 National Security Forces mission. NEWS in Afghanistan Norwegians repair vital Afghan well Courtesy Article by ISAF KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb. 07) - well’s surrounding Clean water is one of the main foun- villages to drink out dations of every civilization. People of a small local river, need water for drinking, cooking and which is unsanitary. cleaning; something that many west- An 18-year-old ern countries take for granted. Afghan man, who International Security Assistance spoke English, said Force (ISAF) soldiers along with the that he and all of the Norwegian Support Element and the villagers are thankful Norwegian Operational Mentor and for ISAF and appre- Liaison Team repaired a broken well ciate the Norwegians in Mazar-e-Sharif, Feb. 4. for repairing their “We came here to do repairs on the well and giving them valves and weld the pipes,” said 1st clean drinking water. Courtesy Photo by ISAF Lt. Kenny Hansen, Transport Officer. “The well is very International Security Assistance Force soldiers with the Norwe- “The way it is now, I hope everybody important to us be- gian Support Element and the Norwegian Operational Mentor and can go to the well, fill their buckets cause the water that Liason Team repair a broken well in Mazar-e-Sharif, Feb. 4. and go to their house to boil and drink we use is not mineral is very important to us, we appreci- their water,” he added. water and it is very bad for us and the ate it.” The well broke approximately children,” he said. “We are very glad to Lieutenant Hansen said he is glad three weeks ago, forcing over 800 lo- have ISAF here and they are truly trying the Afghans in the village will have cal Afghan families from two of the to help my people, and this water supply clean water for everyday use. German forces provide jobs to local Afghans Courtesy Article by ISAF One of the Afghan construction work- KABUL, Afghanistan ers said he and all of his colleagues are (Feb. 06) - The German grateful for their jobs on base. armed forces employ ap- “We are all very happy working here, proximately 400 local Af- the money is good,” said the worker. ghan nationals everyday “There are a lot of workers in Mazar- on Forward Support Base e-Sharif who need jobs. I would like to (FSB) Camp Marmal, thank ISAF for giving the poor people helping to keep the base jobs. I hope our country and economy going and boost the local will get better. economy. “We have economy problems from The Afghan work- three decades of war and we have lost ers provide construction everything,” he added. “We just want a work, interpretation, ve- Courtesy Photo by ISAF Camp Marmal, Afghanistan - A Local Afghan does con- job, so we can have money and provide hicle repair, furniture mov- struction work, Feb. 3. The German Armed Forces employ food to our children.” ing, cleaning and other odd approximately 400 local Afghan nationals on Forward Sup- The Germans are helping the Inter- jobs. port Base (FSB) Camp Marmal, helping to keep the base going and boost the local economy. national Security Assistance Force by “We need them, other- assisting the Afghan government in ex- wise we would need more “They do a good job and are great work- tending and exercising its authority and soldiers,” said Capt. Lars Hogenkamp, ers. They are on time and are very reli- influence across the country, creating the German Field Administration Office able. They want to know everything and conditions for stabilization and recon- manager and native of Jever, Germany. they learn fast.” struction. 2 Recycling program starts at Laghman outpost Story by Spc. Brandon Sandefur JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghani- side of the dining facility and made re- als are separated all over the FOB. stan (Feb. 09) — A recycling program ceptacles for plastic, cans and trash.” There is a noticeable difference in aimed to improve air quality and reduce Many things had to happen for the re- the air quality and the cleanliness of trash began recently at Forward Operat- cycling program to begin, though. Sepa- the FOB. The trash at the trash pit has ing Base Mehtar Lam, in Laghman prov- ration of trash and constructing labelled greatly reduced and you see a good ince, Afghanistan. bins for where things went was one of number of Soldiers, Marines and Air- Army Capt. Ryan Burrus, Headquar- the first steps to get the program started. men running on the track. ters and Headquarters Company com- Afghans on the FOB also took part in the Burrus explained how the FOB has mander for 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry program. The field sanitation team along improved to 30 percent of recycling of the Illinois National Guard, got the with the interpreters made stencils for material versus the zero percent they idea to start a recycling program the mo- plastic, cans, paper and trash in English were at before. ment he stepped onto FOB Mehtar Lam and Pashto to paint onto the trash bins. "We’re headed in the right direction and noticed the amount of trash, general In addition, the battalion surgeon and and we can’t go 100 percent in a day,” waste and increased level of pollution. Burrus experimented with what it actu- Burrus said. “I hope that everyone gets “I then began to brainstorm to see ally took to burn up all the trash in the with the message on the importance of how we could limit the trash on the FOB trash pit. The incinerator on the FOB recycling,” said Burrus. and burn only trash and not things that was not being actively used so to reduce The recycling efforts are paying off could be recycled,” said Burrus, St. Lou- smoke from the burn pit they began us- on the FOB with hopes for continued is, Mo. native. ing the incinerator to burn trash. success. Upon his initial assessment, Burrus “The air quality is much better on the “One of my duties here is the FOB began to formulate a plan on how to in- FOB now verses when we first arrived Mayor, so making the FOB better is corporate recycling into the daily rou- here,” Burrus said. “There is almost no an important part of that,” said Bur- tine. visible smoke in the air now and people rus. Things like building Hesco barri- “I got with the FOB carpenter, who can actually run around the track here.” ers, running constantia wire and con- is a National Guard Soldier and a union Along with Burrus, Sgt. 1st Class structing guard towers are important, carpenter on the civilian side, the Field Donald Holland, Kellogg Brown Root but finding ways to limit the amount of Sanitation Team and the battalion sur- and the FOB Carpenter are building trash on a FOB improves the FOB qual- geon to brainstorm ideas,” Burrus said. trash points that will eventually be put ity and keeps it operational for a longer “The carpenter rebuilt the trash bins out- up to ensure trash and recyclable materi- period of time.” 3 NEWS in Afghanistan Afghan prison guards receive training in Panjshir Tech Sgt. Charles Lambe of the PRT Panjshir security forces and Master Sgt. Blue Rowe of the PRT Panjshir civil affairs team instruct Dashtak Prison confinement guards in riot control. Story and Photo By Maj. Kimberly Garbett they lack is equipment necessary to do the job,” said Lam- Task Force Warrior Public Affairs be. PANJSHIR VALLEY, Afghanistan -- Approximately 25 of Pan- “They also do not have a prison for women, nor a juve- jshir Valley Ministry of Justice’s confinement guards and district nile detention facility, which is something the PMJ hopes training officers from four of Panjshir’s seven districts crowded in to work on developing; plans,” said Rowe.
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