HowlingHowling atat thethe moonmoon withwith thethe DesertDesert WWolves,olves, pagepage 88 Vol. 3, No. 46 Baghdad, Iraq Dec. 9, 2005 U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway Army Staff Sgt. Justin Clark of 3rd Platoon, Company A , 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, fires his weapon at a firing range after a joint foot patrol with Iraqi Army Soldiers to show presence in Hechel. Iraqi flag raised in a secure Husaybah Story by Spc. Rick Rzepka ing forces, and Marine Col. Stephen W. Davis watched as the resolve of the respective ministries was apparent. Scimitar Assistant Editor Iraqi flag was raised by Iraqi Soldiers in the dusty town, “Today signifies the ability of MOI and MOD to work which was cleared of insurgents as part on an effort to stop together,” said Marine Col. Mike Pannell, 2nd Marine HUSAYBAH — Freedom is never easy. the flow of terrorists across Iraq’s borders, Operation Steel Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. “They should be This was the overarching theme in Husaybah as distin- Curtain. able to operate independently by June 2006.” guished guests from the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of “This is a historic day for Iraq,” said al-Dulaimi on the The progress in securing Iraq’s borders is a significant step Defense and Coalition Forces converged on Husaybah in the success of the border operations. “I will not forget this day. toward victory in Iraq, said Davis. Euphrates River valley. The event symbolized the securing The insurgents are no longer controlling the border. Our “Presence equals security,” said Davis, the Regimental of the port-of-entry from Syria to Iraq. friends have helped us. We are now a country of freedom, of Combat Team 2 commanding officer. “This will bring stabili- Gen. George Casey, Multi-National Force - Iraq command- human rights and of peace.” ty to the region. Operation Steel Curtain has neutralized the ing general, along with Saadoun al-Dulaimi, Iraq MOD, Brig. As a platoon of MOD Iraqi Soldiers and a platoon of MOI Gen. Ahmed Ali Muhsin Al-Khafaggi, deputy MOI support- ‘Desert Wolves’ stood under one flag, the cooperation and See RAISED, Page 2 Page 2 Scimitar Dec. 9, 2005 Iraqi girl's school receives needed supplies MOSUL — The Ninewa Middle School for girls in the Al-Faisaliya neighborhood of Mosul accepted school necessities from Operation Iraqi Children. “The kids were very excited to get the sup- plies and the mission was a great success,” said Spc. Joselyn Bowen, a civil affairs educa- tion team leader. Teachers from the Ninewa Middle School received supplies from the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion to give to their students. The Department of Education and Mohammed S. HajRamathan, provincial coun- cil chairman for education, arranged for five classrooms with about 150 children to receive the school supplies. Iraqi Security Forces along with 401st Civil Affairs Battalion Soldiers provided security for the delivery of the supplies. Each child in the classroom received a kit containing pencils, an eraser, folders, rulers, and other items to help them with their stud- ies. Operation Iraqi Children gave supplies to Courtesy photo more than 2,000 children last year. An Iraqi teacher from Ninewa Middle School carries a box of school supplies for the children of the school. RAISED Big Water from Page 1 insurgent’s presence and activities in the region, while Iraqi forces have established a permanent presence throughout the Euphrates River valley. I am encouraged by the progress to date. Together we are marching forward to provide greater security, as Iraq rejoins the world of nations.” Since border operations began, Iraqi and Coalition forces have cleared and secured former enemy controlled areas. In a speech on the same day, President Bush pointed to the need for enhanced security along Iraq’s borders. “Many (of the terrorists) are foreigners who are coming to fight freedom’s progress in Iraq,” said the President. “This group includes terrorists from Saudi Arabia and Syria and Iran and Egypt and Sudan and Yemen and Libya and other countries.” To learn more about Iraqi and Coalition successes, log on to: www.mnf-iraq.com and click on the logo to download this week’s issue. Courtesty Photo Along the Great Zab River, the new Erbil-Ifraz water project is under construction. It is the largest water Prevention is project in Iraq, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Erbil-Ifraz water project will provide 6,000 cubic meters per hour of treated water to more than 450,000 residents of Erbil, and has the capa- bility of being expanded in the future by 40 percent to 10,000 cubic meters. It sits beside an aging treat- YOUR job. ment plant that has only 20 percent of the new facility's capacity. The project, scheduled to be finished in the spring, will be in continuous operation 24-hours-a-day for at least 40 years and will employ 78 workers plus security. Dec. 9, 2005 Scimitar Page 3 PERSPECTIVES ScimitScimitarar PulsePulse Quit complaining, you chairborne pogues threes and fours, talking Marine talk and all wearing a coat of Who do you prefer, Ginger or Mary Ann? Spc. Rick Rzepka dust on their mugs which made them look ghostly. I felt out Scimitar Assistant Editor of place and thought about rolling around in the dirt to blend in. “Mary Ann, because she’s a down- s I was just about to help myself I approached them and asked where the latrine was. They home girl.” to one of the 15 desert selections laughed and pointed behind the building. There I found PVC Aoffered in the International Zone tubes sticking out of the ground. Army Staff Sgt. Wayne Parker dining facility the other night, I overheard Those fellas had their work cut out for them up there. They Company E,111th Aviation two young officers exchanging in some were battle hardened 18 year olds with a better grasp of reali- Baghdad rather interesting conversation. Spc. Rick Rzepka ty than most middle aged men back home. Honestly, it wasn’t as interesting as it On the helicopter ride back, I found my self wondering, was absurd to me. “Have I really become that soft? Am I the chairborne pogue The first one was explaining to the other how he thinks “It so many grunts despise? sucks here,” because he only gets 30 channels and there’s That night while those Marines slept in the sand, I slum- never anything good on. The second one was quick to chime bered in a bed with a bellyful of hot chow and the air condi- in with, “Yeah and what’s with the PX. They never have any- tioning on. “Mary Ann, because she’s more thing.” Later that week, I accompanied a squad of National Guard wholesome.” I skipped desert. Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 126th Armor Recently, I visited the town of Husaybah, a mostly Sunni Brigade from Michigan on an IED hunt through the streets of Army Col. Bill Ivey, town that is now home to a few thousand Marines from Baghdad. As we patrolled the highways, the pucker factor for Task Force 134 Regimental Combat Team 2 and Iraqi Army Soldiers from the me was a full 10. While I envisioned fiery explosions coming Baghdad 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army division, who from every bit of street-side trash, my are battling insurgents and at the same hosts were calm and collected; as if they time conducting humanitarian missions “I found my self wonder- had done this a hundred times – which in an effort to stabilize the border. ing, ‘Have I really they had. I was there to cover a ceremony sym- “Being out here, doing what we do and bolizing the pacification of the area and become that soft? Am I interacting with the local nationals – I’ll the chairborne pogue so in attendance were high level officials never complain about what I’ve got again. “Both, because their interesting from both Coalition and Iraqi forces. A many grunts despise?’” It really makes you appreciate things, you characters.” nice spread was laid out for the media know,” said Staff Sgt. Tom Rozema. and dignitaries, which included local cui- “Yeah,” I said. “I know what you mean.” Spc. Rick Rzepka Garry Collins sine and plenty of soda; something I was Twice in one week I had what Britam Defense used to while living in the IZ. I was hun- Buddhists call ‘satori,’ what alcoholics Baghdad gry, so I waltzed on over and decided to refer to as a moment of clarity. help myself. A Marine sergeant approached and asked, “Is it I realized we truly are a fast-food nation that demands really fair for you to be drinking sodas and eatin’ this chow? results now. Those Marines outside haven’t eaten that good in weeks,” he I’ll have a cheeseburger, fries and a stable, democratic Iraq said. please … Oh and I’m in a hurry so snap to it. I placed the food back on the table and the ice cold soda in As warfighters, we can’t let ourselves be sucked into this the cooler. mentality. Sure it’s nice to have some of the creature comforts “Ginger was hot!” The Marine sergeant’s words definitely struck me – right in of home in the FOB or in the IZ, but when our expectations the gut. get out of control, so will our egos. John South After stepping off the helicopter I saw Marines in groups of And so will this war.