Airmen and Marines Team for Djibouti CA Engagement

25 October 2007
By 1st Lt. David Herndon
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs.

NAGAD, Djibouti — A culmination of smiles and laughter filled the air as Airmen and Marines provided live entertainment, toys and water to the residents of Nagad village, Oct. 23 [2007].

Nagad was the site of a Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa [CJTF-HOA] civil affairs engagement, teaming Airmen of the United States Central Air Forces’ Expeditionary Band and Marines of the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion. The event marked the second time in October the two services joined together to provide humanitarian assistance to Djiboutian villages.

"I think it's great that we can bring some of our culture to our friends here in Djibouti and share goodwill with our neighbors," said Marine Capt. Christopher Crim, 3rd LAAD Batter B commanding officer. "Regardless of service, we are all on the same team, the American team, and we look to once again spread our goodwill to our friends who are so kind and gracious to host our efforts."

The CENTAF Band’s mobile expeditionary performance group ‘Live Round,’ currently based out of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, performed a blend of current and classic rock ‘n’ roll musical selections to entertain the crowd of nearly 200 villagers, primarily consisting of school-aged children.

“We all speak different languages, but music seems to be something that unifies us all,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Joseph Grasso, CENTAF Band superintendent. “It is important that we reach kids at this age so we can let them know what America is all about and what we hope to accomplish in the region, which is to deter extremism.”

For the Marines, who are deployed to CJTF-HOA from Camp Pendleton, Calif., this type of engagement is an additional mission to their primary duty of providing security to Camp Lemonier.

“Tactically, civil affairs engagements are important to us because they accomplish the important goal of ensuring the local population views our presence as a benefit to them,” said Lt. Col. A.F. Potter, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion commanding officer. “Civil affairs engagements are not only about economics and security; they are also about friendship-building, mutual trust, and genuine commitment. Targeting these things will create security and foster stability.”

The band spent nearly two hours performing for villagers before 3rd LAAD Marines began passing gifts and water to village elders and children, an experience enjoyed by all.

“Everyone knows that the Americans are very open here in Djibouti,” said Idriss Akmed Khayre, Nagad Village chief. “[CJTF-HOA] military members do so much good for us and we appreciate it. I look forward to working with [CJTF-HOA] again in the future.”

According to Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Paul Eschliman, Live Round’s chief vocalist, the event served as a creative way for Airmen and Marines to work together to prevent conflict and extremism by fostering positive relationships in the local area. “This type of event will pay long-term dividends that most wouldn’t believe,” said Eschliman. “Making friends now will help our relationships grow exponentially in the distant future.”

Civil Affairs engagements, similar to the Nagad concert, serve as opportunities for CJTF-HOA personnel to reduce the specter of conflict, war and extremism in the Horn of Africa. “We know that simply throwing money at a problem will not yield the desired results,” said Potter. “We must be truly genuine in our efforts to make friends and civil affairs is our ounce of prevention.”

CJTF-HOA is a unit of United States Central Command. The organization conducts operations and training to assist partner nations to combat terrorism in order to establish a secure environment and enable regional stability. More than 1,500 people from each branch of the U.S. military, civilian employees, coalition forces and partner nations make up the CJTF-HOA organization. The area of responsibility for CJTF-HOA includes the countries of Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen.

Photo - Air Force Tech Sgt. Michael Mason, a vocalist with the U.S. Central command Air Force's expeditionary band, Live Round, sings 'Sweet Home Alabama' for villagers in Nagad, Djibouti, Oct. 23. The band is touring Djibouti to perform a series of morale and community outreach concerts. Photo by 1st Lt. David Herndon.

Great job, guys. I'm very proud of you. Digg!

Project Valour IT-GO NAVY!

This is such a great program, please help us to show these wounded Sailors how grateful we are for their unselfish sacrifices. What this program entails is creating for them a life that is closer to the one they used to know before their injuries.

I will be trying to raise more money than the Army, Marines and everyone else! for our Sailors to receive a laptop computer that is voice activated. This way, they can communicate with loved ones through e-mail, blog, keep a diary of their progress, etc.

Soldiers' Angels started this program a few years back. Won't you consider saying, "Thank you" by donating today?

The white rectangle says, "Make a Donation." All monies go directly to the program. I receive nothing, and I would not accept anything. This is about them. So come on. Dig deep! We've got to beat the other branches, and we are behind. No matter. We always beat them in football, now we need some foot-soldiers to help put us over the top. ;)

Thank you so much for any amount you spare. It all adds up, ya know. ;)

Hat tip: Laughing_Wolf over at Blackfive, and Blackfive.

Update: Stix Blog has a very touching, angering, sweet, hard and emotional post that we all must read. For most of us, some of these are photos we've seen before. He has tastefully arranged them with commentary included. Please, if you read no other blog today, read this one. Write about it, pass it on, understand it to the best of your ability. This is what these brave men and women do to keep us safe. The least we can do is to honor them.

Update II: There are other sites for the other branches of our military, and I think it is only right that I provide them for you.

Holly Aho: will be sponsoring Jarhead (Marines)
Mudville Gazette's Greyhawk will be sponsoring Zoomies (Air Force)
Chaotic Synaptic Activity will be sponsoring Squids (Navy) (GO NAVY!)
Matt and Jim from Blackfive will be sponsoring Doggies (Army)

I do have a request from any of you techie guys. I cannot seem to get the code to work here. Would you please help me? Thank you. ;)

Seriously though, all the money goes into the same program. It's just fun having a little competition. GO NAVY!

Now to let you know that this is an open trackback. You must come to this site to read this post, but I shall post my URL and trackback over at a site I no longer use. lol. Please, someone, anyone (except porn sites), please trackback here! lol. We are working on the little bug that gives you my URL for this site and the trackback for a site I'm not using anymore. Thank you. ;)

Posts I have trackbacked to: Perri Nelson's Website, Nuke's, Perri Nelson's Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, third world county, Right Truth, The Populist, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate's Cove, Big Dog's Weblog, The Amboy Times, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and Stop the ACLU, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Private citizen(s) I've trackbacked to: The Anti-Idiotarian Rotweiller Instant Bark: LCBrendan: To the Lionhearts of the 3rd Cavalry, Dagney's Rant: G. I. Joe.

Kind people who took the time to follow directions to trackback to this post here:
1. The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award.
2. The Florida Masochist: Where's the dramamine? Chapter Twenty Four.
3. Planck's Constant: The name that cannot be uttered: Muslim. Digg!

Thank you, US Marine Corps

I don't know of too many persons who have not heard of the horrific fires in the state of California. The firemen and police officers did a wonderful job, as is supposed to be the case. But this time, there were at least 12 different fires occurring in 12 different areas. This was a catastrophe.

Thanks to Blackfive's videos, we have one of our brave Marines coming to the rescue: US Marine Corps Helicopter Drops Water on San Diego County.

Awesome!

Update: The first link above will lead you to a wonderful article written by Blackfive. Please stop over and read it.

Update II: It has been brought to my attention by xformated that it was the Navy Pilots, and not the Marines (although the Navy does try to help them when they need it, lol. Go Navy!), who were flying the Navy's Combat Support Squadron's HCS 85's that flew that mission. So I am told. If you have a disagreement with this, the beginning of the clip states what I've already noted. Go find out from Blackfive and/or xformed. Gee, I hope I'm not starting anything in the middle of the NAVY trying to whip the Paratroopers' of Love butt...lol.

Digg!

Vets for Freedom reaching out to spread good news

The Vets for Freedom are reaching out to many of us bloggers and members of their site so that we might spread the good news and good works which is happening in Iraq. I am now challenging you to join with us so that the Marxists do not have a chance to defeat America.

To give you a teaser of their new item, Progress in Iraq. You will find it on the right sidebar in a rectangular button.

Despite an aggressive counter-insurgency posture, U.S. troop deaths have dropped, because they have slowly gained the trust of the population groups they are protecting (alongside Iraqi forces).

Fact: Since June, Coalition Forces casualties by IED have dropped by 78.3% (74 in June, 16 in October).

Source: www.icasualties.org.

This is a worthy cause and one we've been searching to join. Well, here's your opportunity. Just think about it. All you have to do is write about the truth about what is happening in Iraq! You want to be a foot soldier? Join here. Thank you so much. :)

Fark. Technorati. Del.icio.us. Digg!

I just have to spread this news. For those of you who are having trouble finding me, I will be placing my URL on top of each post I use for open trackback at Linkfest. I hope to see you soon.

Posts I've trackbacked to: The Amboy Times, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, Perri Nelson's Website, third world county, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, DragonLady's World, Pirate's Cove, Chuck Adkins, The Bullwinkle Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Kind people who've trackbacked to this post:
1. The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award.
2. The Florida Masochist: Proper learning enviorment.
3. The Florida Masochist: A NHL Double Standard?
4. Right Truth: The Hawks and The Doves.

Michael Yon's YouTube

Below you will visit some videos. Remember, these are pieces of history. Even if the dinosaur media chooses not to allow you the right to view them, doesn't mean the news isn't out there. Maybe it's because they do not have such work?

Shadows of Baquba, Part 1


Shadows of Baquba Part 2. (I guess they don't watch COPS. lol)


Shadows of Baquba, Part 3

Digg!

A mixture of news potpourri

I stated this earlier but in case you missed it, I am going to clean out my emails now. Most of it is news, opinion, or politics. I hope you enjoy it.

Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up?
by Gregg Jackson.

...Romney Care also significantly expanded government bureaucracy establishing at least a dozen new boards, commissions, and miscellaneous institutions. One of the commissions is charged with the responsibility of eliminating "racial and ethnic health disparities." [Continue reading.]

History of the ACLU Part V.

Stop the ACLU.

Part I, Part II and III, Part IV and now for Part V.

Here are some more interesting articles from Stop the ACLU:
ACLU and National Abortion Federation Criticize Decision by U.S. Supreme Court Upholding Federal Abortion Ban.
Justice Ginsburg: Watchdog Plan 'Scary'.
Ginsburg And Foreign Law In Interpreting Our Constitution.
The Problem with the Culture of Drive-Thru Abortions.
ACLU Loses Court Battle to DoD and Boy Scouts.

Final video: History of the ACLU.
by Stop the ACLU.

China Hardens Tibet Policy Along Ethnic Lines.
by Radio Free Asia.

WASHINGTON — China is intensifying its crackdown on supporters of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan independence out of fear that Tibetan cadres will turn against the Communist Party amid a growing wave of protests and civil disobedience.

“There still exists a small number of dissident elements within our Party whose commitment to its ideals, beliefs, and political standpoint is a wavering one,” an internal memo of the Chinese Communist Party’s Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), leaked to RFA’s Tibetan service, said. [Continue reading.]

Where Would Western Civilization Be Without the Bible?.
by Human Events and the Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible.

In the beginning, the Bible was regarded as the "Good Book," but today it is under relentless attack from left-wing audiences, novelists, and screenwriters to justify their own political agendas. But fear not, award-winning religious journalist Robert J. Hutchinson refutes the mockers, skeptics, and deniers in his new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Bible. [$13.95.)

And there is one more piece by Stop the ACLU. This one has to do with one of the victims of the DC sniper murderous shootings. Please check this out.

10 Questions for all the "Islam is a Religion of Peace" Multi-Culti Crowd.
by Gregg Jackson.

1. "Islam and Christianity are equally violent and intolerant religions." The purportedly "moderate" Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has claimed that gay men and lesbians should be killed in the most extreme fashion possible — a belief that is mainstream in the Koran and practiced by Muslims around the world. Can you name any renowned Christian leaders or organizations that are either advocating the killing of gays and any that are actually using the Bible to justify doing so? [Continue reading.]

What goes around - Comes around. MUST READ.
by Richard S. Lowry (on OPFOR's site).

Is it no wonder that we feel differently about the people of Iraq, when the American media only reports sensational news? If it doesn’t bleed or explode, you just aren’t going to see it on the evening news. I received a press release from Baghdad today, which I know the mainstream media will not pass on to you all. Here is an example of Iraqi charity and gratitude which touched my soul. Imagine how incredibly generous these soldiers are. They have little to support their own families. It’s not enough that they are fighting daily to bring peace to their country. They are actually reaching out to help unfortunate Americans. [Continue reading.]

No Nightmare - Why the Surge is Working.
by By PETE HEGSETH.

October 23, 2007 -- THE former top com mander in Iraq - Army Lt.-Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (ret.) - recently called the situation in Iraq "a nightmare with no end in sight." Citing insufficient prewar planning and a strained military, he painted a dismal picture of American prospects there.

War critics painted a similar picture when violence in Iraq peaked in '05 and '06 - using terms like "civil war" and "sectarian violence" - as they pushed for a rapid draw-down or immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces. An Iraq "at war with itself" shouldn't be America's problem, they argued. In fact, the existence of a "religious civil war" remains the chief antiwar talking point to this day. [Continue reading.]

Islamism on Trial.
Author: M. Zuhdi Jasser.
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: October 26, 2007.

The verdict in the federal prosecution against the Holy Land Foundation and many in its leadership was finally read by Judge Joe Fish this week after 19 days of jury deliberation by the Dallas jury. To listen to the press conferences and read the press releases of American Islamist organizations, one would think that the defendants were unanimously exonerated “with prejudice.” The Dallas Morning News reported that Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation Executive Director Mahdi Bray stated that “the government failure to get any convictions was evidence of the power of religious freedom.” He went on to say, “Feeding people is not a crime, and we aren’t going to let the American government make it a crime.” Mr. Bray must be counting on the fact that most citizens, like the jury in the trial, will be so dazed by the sheer volume of evidence that they will lazily swallow the propaganda of the Islamist spin machine. [Continue reading.]

Michael Yon.
Greetings:

Iraq is on the mend, al Qaeda is on the run, and the civil war has abated to a point where the term "civil war" no longer applies.

Accurate war coverage is increasingly important. Even prominent seemingly well-informed persons can get it wrong, such as retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez who previously commanded the war in Iraq. His recent public statements –selectively excerpted and then widely dispersed by the hot winds of media – made it clear that this former senior commander is far out of touch with the current situation.

But there are commanders with a finger on the pulse.

When earlier this year I wrote about the 1-4 CAV transforming an abandoned seminary in a Baghdad neighborhood that had been decimated by civil war, the "surge" had not even begun; but already pundits, politicians and editors had declared it a failure. Though I'd spent only a few days with LTC Crider and his 1-4 CAV soldiers at the new COP Amanche, I ended the dispatch on a note of hope based on observation. I recently received an email from LTC Crider with an update on that Baghdad neighborhood. Please read "Achievements of the Human Heart" and see for yourself.

I was in al Basra province when I saw news reports claiming that Basra city had descended into chaos in the wake of an announcement about the draw down of British Soldiers. I emailed the facts about Basra to several bloggers who hold the media accountable, and the resulting effort got the attention of Tom Foreman who anchors CNN's "This Week at War." We were able to make a CNN interview, and the result is a segment that accurately reflects a complex and changing situation. Bravo to CNN for setting the record straight, and to the tireless bloggers who are making a substantial difference in the way news about the war is delivered.

There are major developments to share with readers in upcoming dispatches. If things go at-least-mostly according to plan (which is all we can hope for in war), and if I can rely on the help of readers who share my frustration with the lack of accurate reporting, we can significantly widen the stream of news flowing from Iraq so more people can obtain a truer picture. This will require the will and generosity of readers. But more on that, soon.

Michael
Basra, Iraq

Resistance is futile: You will be (mis)informed.
by Michael Yon.

All describe the bizarro-world contrast between what most Americans seem to think is happening in Iraq versus what is really happening in Iraq. Knowing this disconnect exists and experiencing it directly are two separate matters. It’s like the difference between holding the remote control during the telecast of a volcanic eruption on some distant island (and then flipping the channel), versus running for survival from a wretch of molten lava that just engulfed your car. [Continue reading.]

Update: More news.

Freed Artists Describe Prison Conditions in Burma.
by Radio Free Asia. (To join this newsletter, EngNews-Join AT RFA News.

HONG KONG — Police in China’s southern Guangdong province used electric prods to break up a crowd of several dozen villagers as they pressed a village leader over suspected graft, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports. Witnesses said three elderly residents were injured and four people were detained.

“Yesterday afternoon, more than 70 police vehicles pulled up,” one resident of Huangchong village in Shunde’s Beijiao township told RFA’s Mandarin service of the Oct. 25 clash.

“There were up to 1,000 policemen. Some were anti-riot police. But at the time there were only 30-some villagers there. Three elderly villagers were injured after being beaten by police with electric prods,” the villager said, speaking on condition of anonymity. [Continue reading.]

Project Valour It.
by Stop the ACLU. (There is a competition in each branch, of course. lol. Stop the ACLU is supporting the Air Force this year. Please give as much as you can, to whichever branch or all branches if you can.)

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled and adaptive laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the ‘Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field. The experience of MAJ Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops can be to a wounded service member’s recovery. [Continue reading.]

Now I am going to introduce you to two articles that peaked my curiousity. They turned out to be quite good, with few exeptions. These two articles are from Opinion Journal.

Modern Heroes.
Our soldiers like what they do. They want our respect, not pity.

BY ROBERT D. KAPLAN

I'm weary of seeing news stories about wounded soldiers and assertions of "support" for the troops mixed with suggestions of the futility of our military efforts in Iraq. Why aren't there more accounts of what the troops actually do? How about narrations of individual battles and skirmishes, of their ever-evolving interactions with Iraqi troops and locals in Baghdad and Anbar province, and of increasingly resourceful "patterning" of terrorist networks that goes on daily in tactical operations centers?

The sad and often unspoken truth of the matter is this: Americans have been conditioned less to understand Iraq's complex military reality than to feel sorry for those who are part of it. [Continue reading.]

The Realignment of Iraq.
We're winning because the Iraqis want us to--Moqtada al-Sadr included.
BY BARTLE BULL

The war in Iraq was always going to be won by the Iraqis, and so it has proven. But the Iraqis who have won it are on our side.

It was in the spring of 2004--a month or so before I first arrived in Baghdad in a taxi to stay in a small hotel--that the Sunnis launched their disastrous insurgency. Its defeat is becoming ever more clear this autumn as new reports reach us of the patriotic stand of the Anbar tribes, the pacification and nascent prosperity of Fallujah and Ramadi, the isolation of al Qaeda, and the peace overtures of defeated Baathists. [Continue reading.]

This is Open Trackback Sunday. Please stop by with some of your posts. Please remember to use this Permalink and trackback. Not the ones from my other site. Oops. :)

Posts I have trackbacked to: Stop the ACLU, Lost Paradise, Perri Nelson's Website, A Blog For All, AZAMATTEROFACT, 123beta, Stix Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, The Amboy Times, Jo's Cafe, Conservative Thoughts, Nuke's, The Uncooperative Radio Show!, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Republican National Convention Blog, and Church and State, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Kind people who've trackbacked to this post:
1. Me, by accident. *blush*
2. The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award.
3. Right Voices: Who Would’ve Thunk The NFL Would Outsource Games. Digg!

The Conservative Voice News

There is a marvelous group known as The Conservative Voice, and they e-mail me news each day. You may sign up for their e-mails as well. I highly recommend it. Tonight I am going to show you why.

Here are some of the articles they produce:

The Latest Opinion Columns:
• Supreme Court Case Proves "LOST" Must Sink, by Phyllis Schlafly.
  A case now before the Supreme Court proves why the Senate must defeat the United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty (known as LOST). The oral arguments heard this month by the justices didn't mention the treaty, but the parallels are powerful.
  
  The case concerns Jose Medellin, a Mexican rapist-murderer who is now on death row in Texas. Medellin was convicted and sentenced to death after he confessed in 1993 to the savage rape and murder of two teenage girls in Houston. [Continue reading.]
• Chinese Woman Nabbed in Conspiracy to Export Military Equipment to China, by Jim Kouri, CPP.
  A Chinese national who lives in Connecticut has been indicted by a San Diego federal grand jury for conspiring to purchase and export military-grade accelerometers used in "smart bombs" and missiles from the United States to the People's Republic of China.
  
  Qing Li, 36, of Stamford, Conn., is charged with attempting to buy and export piezoresistive accelerometers for what her co-conspirator described as a "special" scientific agency in China. The charges are the result of a seven-month undercover investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). ICE and DCIS agents arrested Li at New York's JFK International Airport Oct. 14 as she was checking in to board a flight to China. [Continue reading.]
• Prosecuting Our Friends, by Mona Charen.
  Imagine that you are a human rights lawyer who would like to establish the legal principle of "universal jurisdiction" -- the notion that former leaders should be vulnerable to suit anywhere on earth. You gaze around the globe and notice Buddhist monks being mowed down in Myanmar; women stoned to death for supposed adultery in Iran; rape victims murdered by their families in Pakistan for the sake of "honor"; torture, rape and killing of hundreds of thousands in Darfur. Any of those get your juices flowing?
  
  Not if you are a standard issue, liberal human rights type at the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School or the Center for Constitutional Rights in Manhattan. No, they've teamed up to sue 77-year-old Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, former president of Bolivia, who now lives in the United States. Lozada, a free market reformer and staunch ally of the U.S., is accused of complicity in the death of 67 people in La Paz in 2003. [Continue reading.]

These are a few of the opinions and commentary. There are a few more.

There are six topics under Headlines, and they each have three articles. I shall choose only one article per section.

Top U.S. News Headlines.
Jury: Execution in stolen-baby case.
With a confession and DNA evidence linking her to the killing of a pregnant woman and the theft of her unborn child, Lisa Montgomery's trial focused not on whether she committed the crime but her sanity. [Continue reading.]

Top International Headlines.
Kurdish rebels: Prisoners could be freed.
Kurdish rebels said Saturday they are considering a lawmaker's request for the release of eight Turkish soldiers captured just under a week ago – an incident that increased already heightened tensions in the area bordering Iraq. [Continue reading.]

Top Political Headlines.
Edwards camp asked to pull student story.
A University of North Carolina professor said Friday that John Edwards' campaign demanded that he pull a student reporter's television story that focused on the upscale location of the campaign's headquarters.

C.A. "Charlie" Tuggle, an associate professor at the school, said the Edwards campaign contacted the reporter, second-year master's degree student Carla Babb, asking for a video of her report to be removed from the Internet. When that failed, the campaign demanded in three calls to Tuggle that the TV story be killed, he said. [Continue reading.]

Top Strange Headlines.
Toying with doll lands man in hoosegow.
A man was arrested after a government agent allegedly found him in an office building restroom lying next to an inflatable, anatomically correct doll with his pants down. Craig S. McCullough, 47, was charged Wednesday with indecent exposure, a misdemeanor. [Continue reading.]

Top Business Headlines.
Senators want probe on content blocking.
Two Senators on Friday called for a congressional hearing to investigate reports that phone and cable companies are unfairly stifling communications over the Internet and on cell phones.

Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said the incidents involving several companies, including Comcast Corp., Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., have raised serious concerns over the companies' "power to discriminate against content." [Continue reading.]

Top Health Headlines.
House leaders hope to rescue health bill.
...Until now, House Democrats have largely avoided direct talks with these Republicans, who oppose the Democratic-drafted bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program but suggest they might be open to compromise. Instead, Democrats dealt this week with the few dozen Republicans who broke with President Bush from the start, counting on them to convert at least a dozen GOP colleagues. [Continue reading.]

I know this is a lot to read, but maybe there is one or two topics or articles that might grab your interest. You may also join TCV. This way, you can make your own decisions rather than having me make them for you. That is quite kinky, isn't it? lol. Have a great day.

PS. I meant the part about me making the decisions. I then thought that if you want me to make the decisions of what power that would give me. Then I started thinking...well...nevermind what I thought! LOL.

Digg!

First, I would like to thank all of you who found me. I'm having slight problem with Linkfest at this time since I've decided to return to my original site. It is NOT their fault. It's just how the ball bounces. Please remember to use the permalink and trackback which I provide until the problem is resolved.

Now that we've resolved that problem, let's have a great time. Bring your articles over here. I love to read them. So do my other readers. See, I never left here. I was writing here as well as over there. It did not resolve my problem! Back to the issue...please remember that I do not accept porn. Now, for you guys (and gals?), that does NOT mean you cannot post something tasteful. It just means I don't like the hard-core stuff on my site. After all, I am a Christian. Now for the links.

Posts I've trackbacked to: Stop the ACLU, Perri Nelson's Website, A Blog For All, AZAMATTEROFACT, 123beta, Stix Blog, Cao's Blog, The Amboy Times, Big Dog's Weblog, Jo's Cafe, Conservative Thoughts, Nuke's, The Uncooperative Radio Show!, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Republican National Convention Blog, and Church and State, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Kind people who've trackbacked to this post:
1. Stix Blog: A new villian for the Nutroots.

TGIF OTB

Today is Friday, and I haven't a thing to say. Well, that's not exactly true. I have too much to say, so I will be writting another potpourri of articles over the weekend (I hope). Until then, this is an open trackback. If you have an article you would like to share with others, please post it here. The only two things I request are no porn and you must leave a link for me.

I have been trackbacking to many people who never bother to trackback to me. (I must find out what is happening.) Do you think that is fair? Go ahead and have a vote on it! It's as if everyone disappeared except for the people who actually read what I wrote over at Rosemary's Thoughts.com. I'M NOT THERE ANYMORE. I am at Rosemary's Thoughts.blogspot.com. ;)

Fark. Technorati. Del.icio.us. Digg!

Posts I have trackbacked to: AZAMATTEROFACT, Stop the ACLU, Perri Nelson's Website, A Blog For All, 123beta, Stix Blog, The Populist, The Amboy Times, Big Dog's Weblog, Conservative Thoughts, Nuke's, OTA Weekend, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, CORSARI D'ITALIA, Right Voices, and Church and State, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Kind people who trackbacked to this post:
1. Stix's Blog: A new villian for the Nutroots.
2. Perri Nelson's Website: The penalty for voter fraud.
3. The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award.
4. The Florida Masochist: Stock Car.
5. The Florida Masochist: Homecoming.
6. The Florida Masochist: Vernon Downs.
7. AZAMATTEROFACT: Econ 101 for Isolationist Loonies.
8. The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award.
9. The Florida Masochist: Weekly Dolphins prediction.
10. The Florida Masochist: Annika, Julieta, and the ADT.

Funeral protesters sued by Father of Fallen Hero

There are many events that occur in our country where I am supposed to just shut up and take it because of other's First Amendment right, but I must not remain silent for this. As you are aware, there is a 'so-called church group called the Westboro baptist church' that protests our brave men and women when their families are at their most vulnerable. They throw the most hateful speech I've ever heard and being a First Baptist Church member, this is NOT a church that has any affiliation with us. I DENOUNCE YOU, whatever your name is.

It is one thing to disagree with a policy, it is quite another to destroy another human being. FOR ANY REASON. They don't care. They only want publicity, so they desecrated the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, son to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Snyder.

Think about this for one moment, please. Could you bear the loss of your child? This child was a man, and a brave one at that. He served our country well. So well that he gave the ultimate sacrifice...his life. His family desired only that they have a private funeral to say good-bye to their beloved son, but that was not to be.

Now? Finally, someone is taking them to task. They are being sued in a Maryland court for an unspecified amount of damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress. You may read more about this story at Stop the ACLU. I find this totally disgusting and reprehensible. I have to stop here before I say something very un-Christianly.

If this post is self-explanatory, this is an open trackback. If it is not, if you do get not it, GO AWAY. I'm sick and tired of your sort. Also, if I trackback to you, please return the favor. From now on I shall be watching. I received NO trackbacks for my last post. Hmm...

Posts I've trackbacked to: Outside the Beltway, Nuke's, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Right Truth, The Populist, The Amboy Times, Right Voices, The Yankee Sailor, Pirate's Cove, Perri Nelson's Website, High Desert Wanderer, Shadowscope, Leaning Straight Up, The World According to Carl, Pursuing Holiness, and last but certainly not least, Woman Honor Thyself, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Also, Stop the ACLU.

Kind and decent people who've trackbacked to this post:
1. The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award.
2. The Florida Masochist: Tranquil.

Paratroopers Sign Up for Another Tour

18 October 2007
By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne)
25th Infantry Division.

BAGHDAD, Oct. 18, 2007 — One hundred forty-one paratroopers decided to stay Army in a mass re-enlistment ceremony held on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, Oct. 14. The paratroopers from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, made the decision to continue their service in the Army after being deployed for over a year.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of Multi-National Division–Center, made a special trip to FOB Kalsu to lead the oath of enlistment for these paratroopers.

“To re-enlist this many paratroopers after being deployed for a year is truly amazing,” said Master Sgt. Douglas Goodwin, senior career counselor for the 4th BCT (Abn.), 25th Inf. Div. “It says a lot about the leadership and the patriotism of these paratroopers.”

After the ceremony, Lynch thanked each paratrooper and posed for pictures. To this date, the Spartan Brigade has re-enlisted nearly 1,300 soldiers; approximately 70 percent of them have decided to stay with the brigade for another tour.

“Soldiers are special people and to see these paratroopers making a commitment to continue serving their country when the operational tempo is so high proves they trust in their leadership,” Goodwin said. “It also shows how much they believe in what they are doing and stand proud as United States paratroopers ready to defend our country against the ever-growing threat of terrorism."

Photo - One hundred forty-one paratroopers from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, re-enlisted Oct. 14 on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, in a ceremony conducted by Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of Multi-National Division–Center. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Marcus Butler.

Source: DefendAmerica.mil Digg!

C-17 Crews Make Record Airdrop

Two C-17 air crews completed a record airdrop, simultaneously dropping supply loads in Afghanistan.

17 October 2007
By Staff Sgt. Trevor Tiernan
U.S. Central Command Air Force Combat Correspondent Team.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Oct. 17, 2007 — Two U.S. Air Force C-17 crews recently completed a mission for the history books with one of the largest single airdrops in Afghanistan since Operation Enduring Freedom began.

“What sets this mission apart from previous ones is this is the first time we’ve used two aircraft to drop simultaneously on the same drop zone in the AOR (area of responsibility),” said Tech. Sgt. Marvin Mosley, a loadmaster on the Oct. 11, 2007, mission.

It also was the first time in combat that cargo has been air-dropped in a formation scenario. The two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron dropped more than 60 bundles of cargo, weighing more than 85,000 pounds, over the Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Robinson, Air Mobility Division chief, Combined Air and Space Operations Center, said the drop contained supplies needed to operate through the winter, said. Poor road conditions leading to the forward operating base and force protection concerns drove the decision to make an airdrop, Robinson said. “Airdrop[s] could deliver all the supplies in two to three minutes using the C-17s and minimize [coalition forces’] exposure on the ground and in the air,” said Robinson.

The crews flew from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, to pick up the cargo at Bagram Airfield before heading to the drop zone. Air Force Capt. Ryan Orfe, one of the pilots on the mission, said the airdrop not only got the needed supplies to the troops well ahead of harsh winter weather, but also helped keep convoy drivers out of harm’s way.

“Hopefully we’re doing good and taking convoys off the road,” said Orfe. “That seems to be where a lot of the attacks on our troops come from. The more we can keep [the convoys] off the road, while at the same time keeping ourselves safe flying at higher altitudes … it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Photo- A second Air Force C-17 Globemaster drops Combat Delivery System bundles just a few hundred feet above another set floating down to coalition soldiers waiting below, Oct. 11, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare.

Source: DefendAmerica.mil. Digg.

Mitt Clinton, Hillary Romney or Mitt Romney?

Listen to this clip on the abortion issue recorded in the year 2002, and YOU decide...

For a true education on Mitt Romney's record, you will find information here. (Mass Resistence! lol)

Hat tip: Gregg from Pundit Review and author of Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies.

Update: I've decided to save you the trouble, and I've posted the video here.

Digg!

Bush Presents Medal of Honor to Parents of Navy SEAL

This is an article about a Hero who gave his life for his three other friends. There is a book written by the Lone Survivor about this very incident. ($14.99) God bless them all.

Update: Below please find other links from Milbloggers.

Source: US CentCom News feed.

22 October 2007
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- President Bush today posthumously presented the Medal of Honor earned by Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life in an attempt to save fellow SEALs during a fierce battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

The Medal of Honor, accepted by Murphy’s parents, Maureen and Dan Murphy, during a White House ceremony, is the highest military decoration. Murphy’s is the first Medal of Honor awarded for service in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

“Today we add Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s name to the list of recipients who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Bush said. “By presenting Michael Murphy’s family with the Medal of Honor that he earned, a grateful nation remembers the courage of this proud Navy SEAL.”

On June 28, 2005, as Murphy led a four-man SEAL team in search of key terrorist commander, the unit came under attack by some 50 Taliban fighters. The lieutenant is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates, according to a summary of action published by the Navy.

Despite intense combat around him, Murphy -- already wounded in the firefight -- moved into the open where he could gain a better transmission signal and request backup from headquarters. At one point, Murphy was shot in the back, causing him to drop the transmitter. The lieutenant picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy as they closed in.

By the time the two-hour gunfight had concluded, Murphy and two others SEALs had been killed. An estimated 35 Taliban died in the fighting.

As a somber postscript to Murphy’s bravery, the helicopter that he requested crashed after being struck by a rocket- propelled grenade, killing everyone on board. In total, 19 Americans died in what Bush referred to as “the deadliest for Navy Special Warfare forces since World War II.”

The president characterized Murphy as a born Navy SEAL.

“SEALs get their name from operating by sea, air and land, and even as a toddler, Michael could find his way through any obstacle,” Bush said. “When he was just 18 months old, he darted across a neighbor's yard and dove into the swimming pool. By the time his frantic parents reached him, Michael had swum to the other side with a big smile on his face.”

In addition to his physical strength, Bush said Murphy’s strong moral character also was apparent at an early age.

“One day in school, he got into a scuffle sticking up for a student with a disability. It's the only time his parents ever got a phone call from the principal, and they couldn't have been prouder,” Bush said. “Michael's passion for helping others led him to become a caring brother, a tutor, a life guard and eventually a member of the United States armed forces.”

The president welcomed Murphy’s parents and brother, John, who hail from Patchogue, N.Y., to the White House’s East Room, noting that Murphy’s decision to join the U.S. military was not easily accepted by his family. “As a Purple Heart recipient during Vietnam, Michael's father understood the sacrifices that accompany a life of service. He also understood that his son was prepared to make these sacrifices,” Bush added.

Murphy is remembered by fellow SEALs as a wisecracking friend who went by "Mikey" or "Murph," a patriot who wore a New York City firehouse patch on his uniform in honor of the heroes of 9/11, Bush said.

“And they remember an officer who respected their opinions and led them with an understated yet unmistakable sense of command. Together Michael and his fellow SEALs deployed multiple times around the world in the war against the extremists and radicals,” Bush said. “And while their missions were often carried out in secrecy, their love of country and devotion to each other was always clear.”

Murphy is one of three servicemembers to receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for gallantry in action during the war on terror. The president has presented medals to the families of Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith and Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, who died in Iraq.

Photo - President George W. Bush presents the Medal of Honor to Daniel and Maureen Murphy, the parents of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, during a ceremony at the White House. Lt. Murphy was killed during a reconnaissance mission near Asadabad, Afghanistan, while exposing himself to enemy fire in order to call in support after his four-man team came under attack by enemy forces June 28, 2005. Murphy is the first service member to receive the honor for actions during Operation Enduring Freedom and the first Navy recipient of the medal since Vietnam. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brien Aho.

Froggy Ruminations - SEAL Memorial at the Punchbowl. MUST READ
Froggy Ruminations - The One
Pundit Review - Blackfive podcast about the battle.
Blackfive (Froggy) - Axelson and Dietz to Receive Navy Crosses.
Blackfive (Froggy) - Mike Murphy Beach.
Blackfive - "HERO" - SEAL Lieutenant Mike Murphy Considered for MOH.
Blackfive - Danny Dietz - Navy SEAL Hero's Memorial Opposed.
Blackfive - Marcus Luttrell is "The One" - Sole Surviving Navy SEAL.
Blackfive - US Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial.
Blackfive - Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy to receive the MOH.
Blackfive (DeeBow) - Someone that everyone, even the NYT should know...

American Islamic Forum for Democracy News

Today I am going to use the potpourri of news so that I may both share this news with you while at the same time cleaning out my email. (lol)

I am going to start today with M. Zuhdi Jasser's, MD, Chairman, Board of Directors, contributions:

• Part II, Part III and today's Part IV of Which Islam? Whose Islam? All Muslims Own Interpretation of the Koran. This was written at The Family Security Foundation, Inc. by M. Zuhdi Jasser. (9/14/07)
• The Muslim World Needs Advocates for Freedom, Not Democracy, by M. Zuhdi Jasser at The Family Security Foundation, Inc. (10/1/2007)
• Muslim group touts local political clout, by Audrey Hudson, Washington Times. (10/1/2007) Dr. Esam S. Omeish's appointment to Gov. Tim Kaine's immigration commission was quickly retracted amid Islamist suspicions.
• What Ramadan is Really About: Atonement and Renewal, by M. Zuhdi Jasser, Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc. (10/12/07)

I understand the reluctance some may have to reading any of these articles, but this is the voice you have all been denied to hear. The voice you've been seeking. You ask, "Where are the Muslims speakint out against this?" He has been speaking out since September 11, 2007. Now it is up to you to read what the struggle between the Islamist and this man (and those whom are still afraid to speak out except through him) to keep abreast of the news you will never see anywhere else...

This is my Tuesday open trackback. Please be so kind that if you trackback to me, leave a link back here. My trackbacks seem to have slipped very much, except for a few faithful friends. :)

People I have trackbacked to: Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Dumb Ox Daily News, Adam's Blog, Pursuing Holiness, The Populist, The Yankee Sailor, Outside the Beltway, Right Voices, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate's Cove, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, Conservative Cat, Perri Nelson's Website, The Amboy Times, Conservative Thoughts, The Yankee Sailor, and Shadowscope, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Marine gets clearer view of future during MEDCAP

3 Oct 07
by MC2 Regina L. Brown
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, Public Affairs.

TADJOURA, Djibouti -- After spending eight years in the United States Marine Corps as an adjutant and logistics officer, Capt. Erin Nalepa, a Dearborn, Mich. native, decided she wanted to do something different with her life, so she joined the reserves and started on a nursing degree. She never imagined that an opportunity to get hands-on experience in the medical field would be available to her while on deployment at Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti.

Army Lt. Col. Alana Conley offered her the opportunity to help the 350th Civil Affairs Command functional specialty team with a Medical Civic Action Program that was conducted in the villages of Dalay-Af, Alaili Dadda and Obock, located in Djibouti from Sept.15-27, and Nalepa immediately jumped at the chance.

Nalepa already had experience helping others through the time she spent volunteering with the American Red Cross. Some of her volunteer experiences include visiting patients at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., teaching classes to students at the United States Marine Corps School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, N.C. on the process of Red Cross Emergency Messages and teaching first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation at Orange County ARC in Anaheim, Calif.

Being a staff secretary to CJTF-HOA Chief of Staff, Navy Capt. William Sizemore, Nalepa doesn’t get out of the office much, but Nalepa was able to break from her job and dedicate four days to help with the MEDCAP.

“I hear about all the things that go on here at CJTF-HOA, but I haven’t been able to see anything until now,” said Nalepa. “This is just amazing to see all the logistics and all the planning that happens when we come together out here. Seeing what we’re actually doing for these people is pretty great.”

Nalepa was given the job of fitting patients for adaptive eyewear during the MEDCAP. The strength of the glasses is changed using syringes which adjust the amount of liquid in each lens. The syringes used to make the changes can then be removed. Even though the job required no medical expertise, Nalepa was still able to gain experience helping others.

Throughout her life, Nalepa has admired the bedside manner of not only her family doctors, but her mother as well. Nalepa’s mother, Janet, is an X-ray and mammography technician at the Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center in Dearborn.

“I think of the way the doctors made me feel better and comforted me when I was sick and I want to be able to do that for others,” said Nalepa.

The MEDCAP gave her the perfect opportunity to get hands on experience with helping people and to do her part to support the mission of CJTF-HOA, which is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in east Africa and Yemen through humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, and civic action programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical clinic construction, and water development projects.

“This MEDCAP has really given me a much better perspective of what we do at CJTF-HOA, as well as giving me a chance to do work in the medical field,” said Nalepa. “After participating, I feel even stronger about becoming a nurse.”

Nalepa is currently completing pre-requisites and will apply to a nursing program as soon as she returns from deployment in mid-October.

Photo - Marine Corps Capt. Erin Nalepa fits a patient for a pair of adaptive eyewear prescription glasses during a Medical Civic Action Program held in the village of Alaili Dadda in Djibouti. Service members deployed to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa offered medical care to remote villages throughout Djibouti from Sep. 15-27 during the MEDCAP. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Regina L. Brown.

Workers Rebuild Communications Center

Source: Asymmetric Military.

3 Oct 07
By Sgt. Jerry Saslav
65th PAOC.

BAGHDAD — Communication in Baghdad can be an exercise in frustration, a hit-or-miss proposition due to both geography and technology issues. That will change as reconstruction of a major communication facility continues.

The war resulted in the destruction of Al Mamoon telecommunications. The Al Mamoon was the technology hub where telephone and cell phone calls, as well as other forms of telecommunications, were routed. The new facility will restore that function as Iraqis and the Coalition continue to work reconstruction projects, which are vital for the normalization of the country.

The Al Mamoon is being rebuilt by Alfa Consult for the Ministry of Communications. The new complex will include a glass-faced 41-meter-high building, housing new telecommunications switching equipment. This will enable residents to place phone calls in and around Baghdad and throughout Iraq, allow for faster Internet access, as well as house new satellite and cell phone equipment.

The construction plans also include a 200-seat auditorium, conference rooms and a cafeteria able to serve 150 people. There will be a new Post Office that provides access to FedEx and DHL, as well as a four-story parking garage. The grounds will be landscaped and rows of trees will line the walkways.

“This building is considered the heart of Iraq,” said Mohammad Abdula, the project manager.

The old Al Mamoon, according to Abdula, was a landmark. “It was a very famous building to Baghdad people in time of Saddam. Ask any person in Iraq ‘Do you know Al Mamoon building?’ and they will say 'yes',” said Abdula.

The rebuilding has not been easy. While the project employs 175 workers, it took 10 months to clear the site of debris. Curfews delayed the project for several months. Some building materials have to be trucked in from Dubai. The contractors wanted to run two shifts to speed up the complex’s construction, but security concerns did not allow it. The Ministry of Communications has made this a high priority project and crews have been working hard, still the project is one to two months behind schedule.

Still, Abdula remains excited about the project and the centers potential. “It will connect Iraq with the world,” he said.

Photo - Construction continues on the new Al Mamoon telecommunications center in Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jerry Saslav. Digg!

Marines make difference in local Djiboutian community

Source: Victory Caucus.

24 Sept 07
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jennifer Redente
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs.

NAGAD, Djibouti – Marines assigned to 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion and Heavy Marine Helicopter 464 out of Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, participated in a community relations project by painting a schoolhouse in Nagad Sept. 20. Reaching out to villages is a supplemental mission for the 3rd LAAD, the security force of Camp Lemonier.

“Our purpose here is to build relationships in the area as well as maintain and enhance security of the base,” said Marine Capt. Christopher F. Crim, 3rd LAAD Battery B commanding officer. “Marines have a long history of working with locals to accomplish the mission. We will help the local villages help themselves, provide security for the base and assist the Djiboutian police and military to maintain stability in the local area.”

Daoud Zeid Hassan, Arta School Region supervisor, stopped by the schoolhouse while the Marines were there. Hassan supervises seven primary schools and one secondary school.

“There is a strong friendship with the Marines,” said Hassan. “They help us a great deal with the schools. We feel they help where we can’t finish.”

The Marines visit the schools frequently to see what assistance they can provide, whether it’s painting walls or building additions.

“It’s great to be able to conduct goodwill missions, like painting the Nagad School, and to build friendships with the villagers and leaders in the local area,” Crim said.

The Marines of 3rd LAAD replaced the 6th Provisional Security Company Sept. 16 and are working to see what assistance the villages require.

“We are currently in the process of identifying the needs of the villages near Camp Lemonier,” said Crim. “Then we will make an assessment in coordination with other agencies on the camp to develop a plan of action.”

The efforts of the Marines are also appreciated by those who benefit most directly.

“Americans are very good,” said Daoud Omar Gousieh, a Nagad native. “They have been here for seven years, and they always give.”

The mission of more than 250 Marines assigned to 3rd LAAD is to provide perimeter and external security for Camp Lemonier in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa mission to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interest in order to prevail against extremism.

Photo - Marine Gunnery Sgt. Rongalett D. Green and Marine Cpl. Vincent C. Girardi help a Nagad child paint the schoolhouse for 150 children. Green is the administrative chief and coordinator for the Horn of Africa Marine Corps Coordination Element. Green is deployed from Quantico, Va., and her father lives in Sacramento, Calif. Girardi is a guard for the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Redente.

Afghan Security Forces Earn Public’s Trust

Source: Defend America News.

24 Sept 07
By Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan — With the help of American and coalition forces, the Afghan national security forces are gradually earning the respect and acceptance of the Afghan people.

Embedded tactical trainers spend their days training and coaching Afghan national army and police how to conduct themselves during and outside operations.

"Our biggest job is showing ANSF what 'right' looks like," said Army National Guard Maj. Chris P. Guziec, ANP ETT district commander. "We take what they think is right and mold it into something that is workable. This helps them better understand the steps to take and the reason for the changes."

Guziec said this type of training requires flexibility for both groups, along with consideration for Afghanistan's cultural and religious foundation.

"We are the ANP's mentors; making sure they are being professional at their jobs and not exploiting their power," explained Army National Guard Cpt. Jason E. Knueven, ANP ETT district team chief. With the mentoring, Knueven said he notices positive changes in the Afghan security forces in each of the missions he oversees.

The most recent mission involved the ANA and ANP securing several villages and searching houses based on intelligence gathered by coalition forces and ANSF.

“They were being professional at their job,” Knueven said. “They weren’t going in and stirring up the houses. The people took it really well because the ANSF was doing it the right way.”

American soldiers working with ANSF in operations and exercises also see improvement in their Afghan colleagues’ performance. “The local populace needs to be able to build that trust with its own military and police,” said Army 1st Lt. Brian M. Kitching, 2nd Platoon Leader, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. “ANA and ANP working to catch the bad guys will do that. It’s a slow process and a gradual process, but I definitely see an improvement in the way they plan and execute missions and control their forces.”

But Kitching said the ANSF has to do more than catch bad guys to earn the trust and respect of the Afghan people. Afghan civilians need to know they can rely on their military and police to protect them, he said.

“The good people want the bad people out, too, but they have to trust the people searching their homes,” Kitching said.

Photo- An Afghan national army soldier checks an area of recently disturbed soil searching for possible hidden weapons or explosives during Operation Jam Morad, Sept. 12, in Ghazni Province. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison. Digg!