Putting Off Peace
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WAR ON TERRORISM MOVIES NFL Report: US will send Hollywood Buccaneers defense 150 troops to Syria bets big on preserves victory over for patrols with Turks original films punchless Panthers Page 5 Pages 15-19 Back page Democrats’ debate showcases party’s liberal-moderate divides » Page 7 Volume 78, No. 107A ©SS 2019 CONTINGENCY EDITION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas VICKY SPESARD/U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Daniel P. Keller, a member of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, earned the Air Force Cross for his actions on a battlefield in Afghanistan. Combat controller to be awarded Air Force Cross BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes WASHINGTON — Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel P. Keller had PUTTING OFF PEACE been fighting for 15 hours when a house rigged with improvised explosives just feet away from the combat controller blew up, forc- Taliban want deal with US, but some in bigger hurry than others ing him to the ground, injured and dazed. BY KATHY GANNON Mullah Abdul Ghani tains a political office under the banner of The Is- The sudden blast in the midst Associated Press Baradar, the Taliban lamic Emirate of Afghanistan. of the fight with Islamic State- group’s top political Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Doha of- aligned terrorists in a rocky ISLAMABAD leader, left, arrives with fice, told the Taliban Al-Emarah website Tuesday valley of eastern Afghanistan’s fghanistan’s Taliban leaders agreed other members of the that U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad had invited Tal- Nangarhar province left Keller they wanted a deal with the U.S., but Taliban delegation for iban negotiators to Camp David in late August. with a traumatic brain injury. But some were in more of a hurry than talks in Moscow on The Taliban accepted, only to delay, demand- he kept fighting, eventually brav- others. May 28. Even before ing the deal be announced first by Qatar. They ing enemy fire numerous times A Taliban negotiators were at odds with President Donald also wanted a signing ceremony witnessed by the and directing critical airstrikes their Council of Leaders, or shura, about whether Trump canceled a foreign ministers of several countries, including on ISIS enemies that ensured to travel to Camp David even before President mysterious Camp David Pakistan, Russia and China. The delay followed 130 members of the U.S.-Afghan Donald Trump abruptly canceled the high-stakes summit on Sept. 7, the shura’s rejection and admonishment of its commando force escaped alive the Taliban negotiators meeting planned for last weekend. negotiators. and directly led to the deaths of were at odds with the According to Taliban officials familiar with the This wasn’t the first disagreement between the 50 terrorists, according to the Air council of leaders, or discussions, the shura opposed the trip to Camp negotiators and the shura, according to Taliban Force. shura, that rules the For those actions on Aug. 16, David and chastised the negotiators who were sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity be- Islamic movement. 2017, Keller was to receive the eager to attend. cause of they were not authorized to discuss inter- Air Force Cross on Friday from The Taliban have been holding talks with the ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AP nal debates with reporters. U.S. for more than a year in the Qatari capital, Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff. Doha, where the militant Islamic movement main- SEE PEACE ON PAGE 5 SEE CROSS ON PAGE 2 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, September 14, 2019 MILITARY Cargo, passengers Cross: Airman humbled, honored by recognition FROM FRONT PAGE Meanwhile, he directed strikes hold operations.” The forces He’ll become only the 11th air- from American aircraft and coor- would seize ground from ISIS and man to receive the service’s sec- dinated a medical evacuation for remain in place until the local banned from KC-46s ond highest honor for battlefield 13 critically injured troops. villagers, who had fled when the valor in the post-9/11 wars. One Keller helped move those terrorists had taken over large BY COREY DICKSTEIN AMC issued a Category I defi- of those airmen, combat control- troops to the helicopter landing portions of Nangarhar, could re- Stars and Stripes ciency report after discovering ler Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, had zone “under a hail of enemy fire,” turn to their homes. the issue, Pickart said. Those are his Air Force Cross for actions in according to the citation. He then “The fighting was real — and WASHINGTON — The Air problems that could cause death, Afghanistan in 2002 upgraded took it upon himself to make cer- it’s still going on. People are still Force has banned cargo and pas- serious injury or major damage to last year to the Medal of Honor. tain those men could be removed getting hurt and getting killed in sengers aboard its KC-46A Pega- weapons systems. Keller, 34, who has been pro- from the battlefield. that fight today,” Keller said. “I sus tanker jets after floor cargo “When medical evacuation he- According to Defense News, moted to technical sergeant since think it’s amazing what a small restraints unlocked during re- licopters were unable to identify which first reported the Air Force returning from Afghanistan, group, like a special forces team cent test flights, according to Air the landing zone, he sprinted to decision to restrict passengers learned he would receive the Air and their partner forces, is capa- Mobility Command. the center of the field, exposing and cargo from KC-46 flights, the Force Cross on Wednesday. The ble of doing against these larger The issue could cause cargo issues occurred during overseas himself to enemy fire in order to airman, assigned to the Kentucky number [of ISIS fighters] who aboard the plane to become loose, testing of the aircraft and could marshal in both aircraft and aid Air National Guard’s 123rd Spe- are dug in after taking over these potentially endangering people potentially unbalance the air- in loading the casualties,” the ci- cial Tactics Squadron, will re- people’s homes and villages.” and damaging weapons system, craft, rendering the plane “diffi- tation reads. said Air Force Col. Damian Pick- ceive the award in a ceremony at cult, if not impossible” to control. The fighting continued. Keller Witnessing local Afghans re- art, a spokesman for AMC. It the Kentucky Guard’s Louisville Defense News cited an unnamed volunteered to walk the 2.5 kilo- turn to their lives after ISIS was marks another problem in a line headquarters. source familiar with the issue. meters to a nearby combat outpost defeated in their villages was re- of issues that have delayed the “It’s very humbling,” Keller In a statement, Boeing said it to escort wounded teammates warding, he added. KC-46 program, the Air Force’s said Thursday. “It’s also — you was aware of the problem and who could not be exfiltrated by “You can see that it’s effective choice to replace the more than think about all the other guys in would work to find a fix “as quick- helicopter. When ISIS launched as you see the crops returning 50-year-old KC-135 Stratotanker. these events, and the amazing ly as possible.” another attack from three direc- and seeing lights on at night in Pickart said the Air Force and stuff you see guys do in combat The latest problem with the tions, Keller again repressed these places behind you that you Boeing are working together to KC-46 marks at least the fourth that might not be recognized. It’s it with his M4 and coordinated just pushed through and cleared,” find a solution to the issue. He weird, man. I’m very honored and time that Air Force officials have with another combat controller Keller said. “To be part of that, said the problem appeared to be humbled that the Air Force thinks filed a Category I deficiency re- to direct strikes that enabled the to assist those people and our with the restraint system and not what I did that day deserves this port about the program. American and Afghan comman- [special forces] guys — it was an an error by crewmembers. recognition.” The other issues stem from the dos to escape the fighting, ac- honor.” “Prior to departing for each Keller’s memories of that of these missions, aircrew fully aircraft’s advanced cockpit vision cording to the citation. Keller remains on active-duty system that allows boom opera- day are painful. He lost a “good The deployment was Keller’s installed, locked and thoroughly friend,” Army Staff Sgt. Aaron as a full-time Kentucky Air Na- inspected each restraint, and per- tors to control refueling remotely second to Afghanistan as an Air Butler, a Green Beret, who died tional Guard member, where he formed routine inspections of the from the plane’s front via video Force combat controller, he said. has served since 2012. He pre- and other sensors, instead of man- from injuries suffered when the That firefight was just one of 51 restraints in flight,” Pickart said viously served in the Navy from ually from the rear of the plane as house exploded. Three Afghan that he found himself in against in a statement Friday. “Despite 2003 to 2009. they have done in legacy tankers. commandos also died on the mis- ISIS fighters during the deploy- these safety measures, the un- Keller is the second Air Force locking of cargo floor restraints The plane has also faced issues sion and 30 members of the force ment from April to October 2017, with the stiffness of its refueling suffered injuries.