Joint Training Facility in Marshes By: 1St Lt
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February 15, 2010 | Issue 3 U.S. and Iraqi security forces commission joint training facility in marshes By: 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr., Chino Hills, Calif. 4BCT-1AD The event, observed by Brig. Gen. Ricky Gibbs, deputy commanding general JSS UMM SA’AH — U.S. and Iraqi lead- for manuevers, 1st Infantry Division, is a ers joined in the marshlands of southern significant milestone for leaders dedicated Maysan Province Feb. 4 to celebrate the to improving the capacity of Iraqi Security official grand opening of the Common Forces as they concentrate on developing Training Center on Joint Security Station advanced tactical capabilities for inter- Umm Sa’ah. dicting threats in the marshes of southern “Today is a truly historic day as we Maysan. come here to commission a facility which Members of the Navy Special Warfare Photo by 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr. Following the opening ceremony of the Com- brings together representatives of all of group and Iraqi Department of Border En- mon Training Center on Joint Security Sta- the Iraqi Security Forces to achieve a forcement demonstrated newly acquired tion Umm Sa’ah, Iraq, Feb. 4, 2010, guests common purpose: secure the borders of capabilities and a static display of river socialized over a traditional Iraqi meal. the sovereign nation of Iraq,” said Lt. patrol equipment to guests. These person- River tributaries. Col. William Walski, commander of 2nd nel focus on counter-smuggling opera- “The security established through Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, from tions in the Huwayzah Marshes and Tigris the cooperation at this facility is critical to establishing the secure environment necessary in southern Maysan, as well as throughout all of Iraq, to strengthen a governmental system which continues to work to improve the conditions for all people living in Iraq,” said Walski. Readings from the Quran and the pre- sentation of the Iraqi National Anthem set the tone for what was a patriotic day for both nations. The commander of the DBE’s 11th Brigade, Brig Gen. Razzak, offered his Photo by 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr. Ceremony attendees salute the Iraqi flag during the playing of the Iraqi National Anthem at See FORCES, page 11 the opening of the Common Training Center on Joint Security Station Umm Sa’ah, Iraq, Feb. 4, 2010. Arba’een success , p. 4 Giving investors perspective, p. 7 Walking for awareness, p. 8 COMMAND Danger Forward Feb. 15, Issue 3 Danger Six sends The Port of Umm Qasr – Iraq’s Gateway to Prosperity Iraq is a country with tremendous economic potential. Right now, Iraq’s eco- nomic status is recovering from decades of war and bankrupt policies of a former regime. In United States Division–South, one of our jobs is to support the Iraqi government by assisting in the development of potential economic opportunities, and my top priority is focused right here in Basra. Oil is by far the most practical short term solution to stimulating Iraq’s economy. Just recently numerous international oil companies signed tentative agreements with Iraq to lease southern oilfields. On the surface, that’s great news, but below the surface the Iraqi government has many serious issues to address. Some of those issues include secu- rity at the port, workforce training, infrastructure improvements, as well as the remaining violent extremist networks still operating throughout Iraq. Big oil companies assume risk in bringing expensive enterprise to a fledgling democracy where infrastructure has been ne- glected and port security is inadequate. These are friction areas where we can help influence positive outcomes through partnership with our Iraqi friends in a relatively short amount of time. Oil is not the only resource in abundance within Iraq’s borders. Arable land, rivers, industrious people all give Iraq a tremendous potential that we can help them fulfill. For the last several years Iraq has looked inward to solve problems at home. Fortunately, southern Iraq is now in a position to look outwardly at the potential of becoming a contributor to the global economy. The key to southern Iraq’s future is the sea port of Umm Qasr – another terrific resource with immense potential – where a large portion of Iraq’s export capability lies. Our focus in the coming months is to increase civil capacity in Umm Qasr. There’s much to be done, and we cannot afford to look past the vital importance of securing the national elections and helping our Iraqi partners facilitate safety at the polls. Once successful elections are completed, we’ll work to connect with all the key Iraqi play- ers who can influence positive change in Umm Qasr, southern Iraq’s gateway to prosperity. Thanks for the great work you are doing for our Nation and for Iraq. You are changing the world, and I’m honored to serve with you as you do so. DUTY FIRST! Vincent K. Brooks Major General, U.S. Army Commanding Command Sergeant Major Major General Command Sergeant Major ANGER ORWARD Vincent K. Brooks Jim Champagne D F PAO Danger Forward Contributing Units 17th FiB 1st Inf. Div. PAO: Lt. Col. Matthew Hackathorn Print NCOIC: Staff Sgt. Chris Carney Editor: Sgt. Benjamin R. Kibbey 4th BCT, 1st Armd. Div. Command Info OIC: 1st Lt. Shamika Hill Layout: Spc. Samantha Johnson Command Info NCOIC: 1st Sgt. David Bennett 12th CAB Staff Writers: Sgt. Francis Horton, Sgt. Cody 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. Email: [email protected] Harding, Sgt. Nathan Smith, Spc. Sam Soza, Phone: (Iraqna) (0790)-194-2865 Spc. Jason Kemp 367th MPAD (770)-263-9379. Page 2 Command Feb. 15, Issue 3 USD-S re-enlistments, Feb. 5 - 11 17th FiB 2nd Bn, 159th ARB Indiscipline lowers combat effectiveness - B Btry, 1st Bn, 377th FAR SGT Laura Hodiwala PFC Christopher M. Smith By Marc Greene - C Btry, 1st Bn, 377th FAR 3rd Bn, 158th AVN USD-S Safety & Occupational Health Manager PFC Corey D. Newton SPC Jonathan M Haut SGT Michael E St. John Jr. - A Co, 308th BSB SGT Anthony James J SPC Aliku K. Akui Lawhorne Each day we prepare for some of the most difficult missions of our careers. We SPC Antwan D. Young SGT Christohper L. McCall use every resource to ensure these missions go off without a hitch. We drill the 3rd Bn, 58th AOB SSG Duanes C Cookson smallest details of the missions so that everyone comes back safe and sound. 3HBCT, 3rd Inf Div When you are on a tactical mission, your senses are on high alert. You think of - 1st Bn, 10th FAR SPC Joey S. Payton 2nd Bn, 29th FAR any and every thing that could go wrong, and you plan for those contingencies. SPC Erickson P. Salazar - A Btry SGT Aaron M. Arthur SGT Nathaniel C Matthews- What seems to catch us with our guard down are missions we perceive to be SGT Correan R. Brown smit “easy.” These would be the missions that take place inside the wire. We become - BSTB SPC David E Dimurorodri- complacent and don’t think about tasks we may consider everyday or mundane. guez 1st Bn, 77th AR SSG April A Hulsizer - C Co When I completed the roll-up for this past year’s accidents, one of the items we SPC Clifford R Phillips SGT Jim Cardenas looked at was Personal Injuries. Under that heading was the subcategory for when - 203rd BSB - HHC PFC Christopher T Counsil PFC Casey A Carl a service member is struck by an object. PFC Logan R Bernhard Of these accidents, 20 percent came from lack of discipline and 44 percent were PFC Jarryd R Dawson SPC Geraldine G Ximenez 121st BSB from inattention. So, 64 percent of these accidents were caused by service mem- - A Co - 2nd Bn, 69th AR SSG Michael A Iriarte bers not thinking about what they were doing or disregarded the standards. SSG Allen J Kirkland SPC Makoto L Kelly This caused well over 300 days of restricted duty. That leads to the degradation SGT Len D Ward - F Co. SPC Michael W Nixon PFC Zachary S Beckette of the missions we can perform at 100 percent. SGT Carl S Albanes SPC Corbett W Simpson PFC Romonte D Knox We would never leave a fallen comrade on the battlefield, so don’t let your team SPC Anthony M Dickerson - HHC SSG Sheila D White go on a mission without you because you wanted to take a shortcut and are now - 1st Bn, 15th Inf. Regt. SSG Kenneth M Bernhard - Rear Det. laid-up in bed. Don’t leave your buddies outside the wire without you there to PFC James B Cox SGT Justin W Conrad PFC Kevin M Wisecup cover their backs. When it comes to safety, indiscipline has no rank, age or gender. SGT Joshua C Rennels We must maintain safety discipline in everything we do. 4th Bn, 6th Inf Regt - E Co Remember, Duty First and Safety Always. 412th BSB SPC Chester L White SGT Curt Lee Johnson SPC Jeremy Thomas Sowell This, and many other helpful links can be found on the 1st SSG James R. Gramling Jr. - HHC Infantry Division SharePoint under the Shared Documents link. SGT Zaida C Jimenez SGT Colin D Knight This week in Army history This week in Big Red One history Feb. 15, 1943: Gen. Terry Allen established an infantry replacement training camp at Guelma, Algeria. By Feb. 10, 1943, the divi- sion’s infantry battalions needed a significant number of replacements. Having found that many of the men were poorly trained in critical field skills, Allen established the camp to acclimate the new men and teach them the basic soldiering skills needed in the harsh North African environment.