News Call Gates Requests McKiernan Resignation, Recommends LTG McChrystal As Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan With some 20,000 U.S. troops headed to Afghanistan this summer, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates requested in May the resignation of GEN David D. McKiernan, commander, Interna- tional Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan. Secretary Gates recom- mended that LTG Stanley A. McChrys- tal be nominated for the position of top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Mike Mullen, Army Secretary Gates announced at a Penta- gon news conference that the mission in Afghanistan “required new thinking and new approaches by our military leaders … We have a new strategy, a new mission and a new ambassador. I DoD/SSG Adam Mancini/U.S. DoD/SSG believe that new military leadership is (Right to left) U.S. Army SSG Lech Szczawinski and SPCs Berchell Fran- also needed.” cis and Timothy Donovan clean a 120 mm mortar system at Forward Op- LTG McChrystal, director of the Joint erating Base Lagman, Afghanistan, in April. The soldiers are assigned to Staff since August 2008, command- Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe. ed Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008. Secretary Gates said Senate confirms a replacement. Afghanistan to pressure Taliban mili- that GEN McKiernan would remain in Most of the additional incoming tants and help with governance and his present command position until the U.S. forces will be posted to southern humanitarian operations. In a Pentagon videoconference briefing, MG Mich- Troops Remissioned to Afghanistan. ael Tucker, deputy chief of staff for The 154th Transportation Com- begun shipping troops and equip- operations, ISAF, Afghanistan, said, pany from Fort Hood, Texas, was ment to southern Afghanistan, “We’re at a stalemate. We just simply moved from Iraq to Afghanistan where it will finish its 12-month de- do not have enough forces to address in mid-April, the second 3rd Sus- ployment. the needs of the people down there to tainment Command (Expedition- “We are probably going to be the set the conditions for governance to ary) unit to make the direct move beginning of the influx you are go- take hold.” recently. Stationed at Camp Lib- ing to see to Afghanistan,” said The 5th Stryker Brigade Combat erty, Baghdad, since January, the LTC Kevin Landers, commander of Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort unit was repositioned to southern the unit of nearly 500 combat engi- Lewis, Wash., will deploy in Kandahar Afghanistan, where it will continue neers. It was the largest transfer of Province, in the eastern and northern to transport supplies to Coalition personnel and equipment from regions. MG Tucker noted that U.S. forces. Iraq thus far. commanders will be able to conduct The 4th Engineer Battalion, based The shifting of the units directly better interdiction operations in south- at Fort Carson, Colo., arrived in Iraq from Iraq to Afghanistan reflects ern Kandahar and southern Helmand in late February, its mission to clear President Obama’s orders to deploy Provinces. He also pointed out that the roads in Baghdad of bombs and de- additional troops to combat the United States has stepped up its coun- bris. By mid-April the battalion had growing insurgency there. ternarcotics activities in an attempt to put pressure on the Taliban. 8 ARMY I June 2009 and one in Mosul on May 1 killed at Army Casualties in Iraq Army Casualties least six. The following U.S. Army sol- in Afghanistan In April, a suicide bomber wearing diers were reported killed in Op- The following U.S. Army soldiers an Iraqi army uniform attacked a U.S. eration Iraqi Freedom from April were reported killed in Operation military delegation in Baqouba, the cap- 1 to April 30, 2009. All names Enduring Freedom from April 1 ital of Diyala Province, wounding eight have been released through the to April 30, 2009. All names have of the soldiers and killing three Iraqis. Department of Defense; families been released through the De- In May, an Iraqi soldier opened fire have been notified. partment of Defense; families on a U.S. military team, killing two have been notified. soldiers and wounding three others SPC Michael J. Anaya, 23 south of Mosul. U.S. military comman- CPL Francisco X. Aguila, 35 SGT Daniel J. Beard, 24 ders characterize Mosul as the last ur- PFC Richard A. Dewater, 21 CPL Brad A. Davis, 21 ban stronghold of al Qaeda in Iraq. SGT Edward W. Forrest Jr., 25 SPC Adam M. Kuligowski, 21 PVT Bryce E. Gautier, 22 Lighter Gear. In May, members of the SSG Bryan E. Hall, 32 derail security gains made over the 4th Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 4th In- SPC Israel Candelaria Mejias, 28 last year. fantry Division, training at Fort Carson, SGT Raul Moncada, 29 Twice as many U.S. soldiers died in Colo., began receiving new, lighter CSM Benjamin Moore Jr., 43 April as were killed in March. modular body armor vests (MBAVs). CPL Jason G. Pautsch, 20 Five soldiers from the 2nd Brigade New bulletproof plates for the vests are SGT Devin C. Poche, 25 Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, smaller and weigh less than the ceramic SGT Leroy O. Webster, 28 were killed by a suicide truck bomber inserts currently used by most troops. SSG Gary L. Woods Jr., 24 in the northern city of Mosul in April; The MBAV is nearly 4 pounds lighter it was the deadliest attack against than the improved outer tactical vest, Upsurge in Violence in Iraq. A series U.S. forces in Iraq in more than a year. and new boots will lighten the load by of April bombings in Iraq has raised Bombings have contributed to mount- a little more than 2 pounds. Both pieces concerns that insurgents are trying to ing civilian deaths. Suicide bombings of equipment are part of a larger effort incite sectarian violence that would in April killed more than 200 people, to reduce the weight soldiers must carry on missions. A Professional Development Forum The 4th BCT will deploy to Afghan- istan in early summer with the lighter- weight gear as well as the heavier, Coming to AUSA’s 2009 Annual standard equipment. Commanders will determine which to use based on Meeting and Exposition? conditions. Vice Chief of Staff GEN Peter W. Save Time and Register Online Chiarelli, testifying on the readiness of the U.S. Army before the Senate Starting June 1, Online Registration Opens Armed Services Committee in April, said, “When you’re at 8,000 to 11,000 feet … I don’t think that any of us down here near sea level can under- stand what it means … in a soldier’s ability in the 10th month of a rotation to have almost 4 pounds less weight and agility to be able to fire his indi- vidual or crew-served weapon.” The new lightweight gear will relieve a heavy machine gunner of more than See you there! 23 pounds and a rifleman of more than 14 pounds, GEN Chiarelli said. Depending on how 4th BCT com- Association of the United States Army manders think the vests and other im- provements perform, the new equip- ment could be distributed to all sol- diers deploying to Afghanistan in the future. 10 ARMY I June 2009 GENERAL OFFICER CHANGES* MG D.B. Allyn MG S.F. Cam- MG J.M. Custer MG J.K. Gilman from CoS, XVIII bria from Cmdr., III from from CG, Abn. Corps, Fort SOCPAC, PA- CG/Comdt., US- BAMC/GPRMC, *Assignments to general officer slots an- Bragg, N.C., to COM, Camp AIC and Fort Fort Sam Hous- nounced by the General Officer Management Dep. CG, XVIII H.M. Smith, Huachuca, Fort ton, Texas, to Office, Department of the Army. Some officers Abn. Corps and Hawaii, to Dep. Huachuca, Ariz., CG, USAMRMC are listed at the grade to which they are nomi- Fort Bragg. Dir., Ctr. for Spe- to CG, INSCOM, and Fort Detrick, nated, promotable or eligible to be frocked. The cial Ops., US- Fort Belvoir, Va. Fort Detrick, Md. reporting dates for some officers may not yet be SOC, MacDill determined. AFB, Fla. MG M.A. MG D.D. Halver- MG J.A. Mac- MG T.C. MG R.J. Rowe MG P.M. Vangjel Graham from son f.,rom Dir donald from CG, Nicholas from Jr. from CG, from CG, USA CG, First Army Force Develop- FMWRC/Dep. Dir. for Ops., USA Fires CoE and Div. West and ment, ODCS, G- CG, IMCOM, Ar- DJIOC, DIA, MDW/Cmdr., Fort Sill to Dep. Fort Carson, Fort 8, USA, Wash- lington, Va., to Washington, JFHQ-NCR, CG, Third Army/ Carson, Colo., ington, D.C., to Dep. CG, USF-A, D.C., to Dep. Washington, USARCENT. to Dep. CoS, CG, USA Fires OEF. CoS for Intel., D.C., to Dep. G-3/5/7, FORS- CoE and Fort Sill, MNF-I, OIF. CG, Dept. of In- COM, Fort Fort Sill, Okla. terior Affairs, McPherson, Ga. MNSTC-I, OIF. Brigadier Generals: T.K. Adams from Asst. SG for Force Projection/Chief, Army Veterinary Corps, OSG, USA, Washington, D.C., to CG, USACHPPM/Chief, U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, APG, Md.; R.O. Baker from Dep. Dir. for Politico-Mil. Affairs (Middle East), J-5, Jt. Staff, Washington, D.C., to Asst. Div. Cmdr., 1st Armored Div., USAREUR and Seventh Army; A.W. Batschelet from Dep. CG (Spt.), 4th Infantry Div. (M), Fort Hood, Texas, to Dep. CoS, G-3, US- AREUR and Seventh Army; R.M. Bouchard, Dir., J-6, PACOM, Camp H.M.