Saturday, January 26, 2008

Combat Camera: Grenade Toss in Djibouti

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Dummy hand grenades are used by the Marines from the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, for practice before throwing the M-67 Fragment Grenades at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) A Marine assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, prepares to throw dummy hand grenades as practice before throwing the M-67 Fragment Grenades at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Cpl. Steven Pepper attached to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, gives a familiarization brief on the M-67 Fragment Grenades to Marines using a dummy grenade. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Sgt. Paul Clark assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, instructs Lance Cpl. Elbert O'Neal before he throws a M-67 Fragment Grenade at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) A Marine assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, throws a M-67 Fragment Grenade at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Marines assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, duck for cover after throwing a M-67 Fragment Grenade at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Marines assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, throw M-67 Fragment Grenades at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Cpl. Steven Pepper, left, and Lance Cpl. David Hernandez both assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, eat a meals, ready-to-eat (MRE) and read a book in between two seven-ton trucks during some down time before moving to the next firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Lance Cpl. Michael Murray assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif. unloads from a seven-ton truck after arriving at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Taylor Simpkins, identified by his dog tags provides medical support if needed to the marines assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Lance Cpl. Robert Johnson assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, loads a High Explosive round into a M203 Grenade Launcher before firing it at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) A Marine assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, pulls range guard while his fellow Marines fire High Explosive rounds from a M203 Grenade Launcher at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (Jan. 23, 2008) Lance Cpl. Adam Dewitt assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, fires an AT-4 at the firing range. The Marines will be firing the M203 Grenade Launcher, AT-4 and throwing M-67 Fragment Grenades for practice while deployed with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock (Released)

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NOTE: Image refresh June 8, 2008; photos deleted by ImageShack.

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Friday, January 25, 2008

Combat Camera: Tactical Psychological Operation Detachment 1400 Patrols Mosul, Iraq

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U.S. Army Sgt. Sam Talley, attached to Tactical Psychological Operation Detachment 1400, hands out flyers to local Iraqis during a patrol in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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U.S. Army Sgt. Sam Talley, attached to Tactical Psychological Operation Detachment 1400, talks with local Iraqis during a patrol in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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A U.S. Armys soldier, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, stands by a shop entrance while providing security during a patrol in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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U.S. Army Sgt. Sam Talley, attached to Tactical Psychological Operation Detachment 1400, talks with local Iraqis during a patrol in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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A U.S. Army soldier, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, provides security during a patrol in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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U.S. Army soldiers, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, talks with a local citizen about neighborhood concerns in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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U.S. Army soldiers, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, talk with some local power station workers in a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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A U.S. Army soldier, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, patrols through a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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A U.S. Army soldier, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, peers through the entrance of a cemetery in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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A U.S. Army soldier, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, observes some local power station workers in a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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U.S. Army soldiers, attached to Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, take cover behind their vehicle as they hear small arms fire open up in the distance in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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Security Gains Influencing Political Action in Iraq

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U.S. Army Col. Todd McCaffrey, Commander, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, addresses an audience of key council leaders and sheiks during a conference held in Taji Qada, Iraq, on Jan. 10, 2008. Photographer: Spc. Charles Gill, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Bloggers' Roundtable:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2008 (AFPS) -- As Iraqis continue to organize at the local level to help with security, they are creating pressure on Iraq’s national leaders to build on momentum, a top military official said yesterday.

Army Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commander for support for Multinational Division Center and Task Force Marne, told online journalists and “bloggers” in a conference call that Iraqis seem to be more and more organized at the local level, with concerned local citizens working alongside Iraqi and coalition forces to make and keep their neighborhoods safe.

“I think that organization is starting to put a lot of pressure from the bottom up on the national government,” he said.

Coalition and Iraqi security forces, along with local citizens, have made significant security improvements in the southern belts of Baghdad, Cardon said.

“I think the difference now is (that) before, we were reacting to al Qaeda, now they react to us,” he said.

Cardon, who is in the 10th month of his 15-month tour, said that rather than frightening local citizens into inaction, attacks by al Qaeda insurgents are now having the opposite effect.

“When this happens, the resolve of the citizens actually goes up, and then we have more of an effort by these locals to join and purge their area of al Qaeda,” he said.

With the local and national security forces making strides, the general said, coalition forces can take a step back and monitor them.

In recent attacks, the Iraqi army and police have been able to handle security situations on their own, he said, as coalition forces maintained liaison with them and watched very carefully.

“I think that the Iraqi government’s finally starting to step up and provide some help,” Cardon said. “They’re much more deliberate in the way they search people, in the way they profile, and in the way they handle the traffic.”

Now, the coalition can concentrate on integrating the concerned local citizens into the either the Iraqi security forces or other programs, the general said. Of the 40,500 concerned citizens now in that security program, 20 percent will end up in the Iraqi security forces, and the hope is for the rest to join educational, vocational and other programs they are creating on their own using micro-grants, Cardon told the journalists.

“I think that’s very, very encouraging,” he said.

(Story by Navy Seaman William Selby, New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)

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Combat Camera: USS Nimitz Departs San Diego on Deployment

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SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2008) C More than 5,000 Sailors depart with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group on a surge deployment supporting U.S. military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathleen Gorby (Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2008) Sailors man the rails aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the ship gets under way. More than 5,000 Sailors from the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group departed San Diego on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathleen Gorby (Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2008) Sailors man the rails aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the ship gets underway. More than 5,000 Sailors from the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group departed San Diego on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher D. Blachly (Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2008) Sailors man the rails on the flight deck aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is deploying under the Navy's fleet response plan and will operate in the western Pacific Ocean in support of U.S. commitments in the region. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Omar A. Dominquez (Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2008) Sailors man the rails aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the ship gets under way. More than 5,000 Sailors from the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group departed San Diego on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathleen Gorby (Released)

Related:
Updated: Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Deploys
Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Gets Underway for Deployment

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USS Essex Gets Underway for Spring Patrol

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PACIFIC OCEAN USS - Essex (LHD 2) passes Mt. Bulusan, a volcano located on the southern end of the Island of Luzon, as it transits through the San Bernardino Straits. U.S. Navy file photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael D. Kennedy.

Focus On Defense:

SASEBO, Japan, Jan. 25, 2008 (NNS) -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) departed Sasebo, Japan for Spring Patrol, Jan 24.

With a crew of more than 1,100 Sailors, Essex will join with the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and amphibious transport dock USS Juneau (LPD 10).

Essex will embark more than 1,300 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), including the 31st MEU Air Combat Element (ACE) and Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2nd Battalion 4th Marines.

The combined Navy – Marine Corps team of the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group (ESX ESG) is deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations (AOR) and will perform various joint and combined exercises during the spring patrol.

Essex departs Sasebo after a successful winter availability period where the ship received various upgrades and improvements. Crews replaced various radar antennae and worked on the ship's ballasting system, distilling units and the steam system.

During the winter availability, Essex Sailors completed more than 5,700 man hours towards material readiness and ship up-keep. More than 2.4 million dollars in depot level maintenance was completed to prepare Essex for spring patrol.

Additionally, Sailors were able to complete professional team training in combat warfare areas and training for new computer systems installed during the previous availability.

The security department completed training for sentries and reaction force members, improving Essex's security team knowledge and proficiency.

Also during the holiday period, Essex Sailors were invited to their sister ship, JS Kurama, to participate in a mochi-pounding ceremony, helping enhance host nation relations and strengthen bonds between partnership navy Sailors. Kurama also presented Essex with Japanese traditional Kadomatsu to display on the quarterdeck during the holiday season. Essex hosted ship tours for 100 Kurama sailors, 40 Japanese Ground Self Defense Force members, 10 Ship Repair Facility employees and 60 Department of Defense high school and elementary school students.

After more than a month in port some Essex Sailors were ready to get back to sea.

"I'm excited to get underway," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (SW) Francine Garcia. "I'm a boatswain's mate, getting underway is what we do."

Essex normally does two patrols each year in the 7th Fleet AOR, working closely with strategic partner countries to strengthen ties and maintain proficiency performing combined operations with regional partner navies.

Essex is the only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship and serves Task Force 76 the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.

(From USS Essex Public Affairs.)

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Troops Capture 12 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2008 (AFPS) -- Coalition troops in Iraq captured seven suspected terrorists during operations today in Baghdad and Beiji, military officials said.

In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted individual allegedly involved in the facilitation of weapons, improvised-explosive-device materials, vehicles, and suicide bombers for use in al Qaeda in Iraq attacks. Reports indicate the suspect also is linked to foreign terrorist-facilitation networks, including several terrorists currently operating outside of Iraq.

In Beiji, coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and four additional suspects. One of the wanted individuals reportedly is a leader of an al Qaeda-affiliated media and propaganda network. The other wanted individual was captured at a follow-on location and is believed to be an al Qaeda sniper-cell leader. Both wanted individuals are linked to numerous terrorist leaders in the region, including the senior leader of the Beiji network.

During another anti-insurgent operation in the Beiji area, two suspected terrorists were detained while coalition forces targeted an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq member associated with terrorist media and propaganda operations.

Also today, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists during an operation in Mosul.

Yesterday, northeast of Samarra near the Hamrin Mountains, coalition forces targeted a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq associate who allegedly serves as an interrogator at a terrorist prison and training camp in the region. Reports indicate the individual facilitates weapons purchases and fighter movements in the area.

Intelligence reports led coalition forces to a location where the targeted individual was believed to be operating and they engaged, killing one armed terrorist and destroying a vehicle.

Also yesterday, coalition forces captured five suspected insurgents near Baghdad. One detainee is believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq cell leader. Reports indicate the suspected terrorist was responsible for an Oct. 30 car-bomb attack that targeted a coalition forces patrol. The detainee also is linked to trafficking weapons throughout the southern Baghdad region and reportedly was planning an attack in the capital city area. Four other suspected terrorists also were captured during the operation. Coalition forces also captured two wanted individuals yesterday in Mosul.
"We will continue to pursue al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists wherever they take sanctuary," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Their indiscriminate attacks and oppressive practices will not be tolerated, and we stand committed with Iraqi security forces to end their campaign of terror."
In Jan. 21 Iraq operations:
  • Coalition troops and concerned local citizens discovered and destroyed 30 improvised explosive devices and some weapons caches during operations conducted south and southeast of Baghdad. Among the IEDs found, 16 were pressure-plate activated, seven were command-wire activated, one was an explosively formed projectile, or EFP, and one consisted of various explosives. Eleven weapons caches were found. One cache contained 20 IEDs, plus 83 57 mm rounds and 70 60 mm rounds. Additional caches contained various munitions ranging from 57 mm rounds to 125 mm artillery rounds as well as IED-making materials.

  • An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team from Haditha captured four suspected terrorists in Barwanah during the unit's first solo operation. The Iraqi SWAT team had participated in four other operations accompanied by U.S. special operations troops as advisors.

In other Iraq news, Iraqi and U.S. soldiers announced they'd cleared a key travel route between Baghdad and Baqouba of IEDs during operations this month as part of Operation Phantom Phoenix. The area of the road between Khan Bani Saad and Baqouba had been so heavily covered in IEDs that vehicles had to take other routes to travel between Baghdad and Baqouba, officials said.
"This was a hugely successful brigade-level operation planned and led by the Iraqi army," said Army Lt. Col. Marshall Dougherty, a U.S. commander who participated in the operation. "The (Iraqi) commander laid out his plan and asked us to provide assets to support his effort such as helicopters, close-air support and artillery."
Coalition and Iraqi forces also killed an estimated 41 al Qaeda in Iraq operatives. In addition, Iraqi and U.S. troops found and cleared 12 booby-trapped houses and 11 car bombs, found six weapons caches, and detained nine suspected al Qaeda operatives.

On Jan. 20, U.S. soldiers liberated two local Iraqis who had been kidnapped and tortured for 11 days. Ongoing operations in the area include clearing roadside bombs, repair of the highway and the standing up of concerned local citizens' groups.

"This is another example of the Iraqi army increasing their capacity and taking the lead in making their country safer," Dougherty said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Marines First to Use New Web-based Combat Support System

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Chris Lien, a consulting specialist with the Oracle Corporation, teaches Marines from 3rd Marine Logistics Group Jan. 17 at Camp Kinser's Surfside club about the new logistics system that will streamline the management of unit requests for supplies and services. The Global Combat Support System-Marine Corps will be a worldwide computer system that will allow units to order and track supplies and services with the click of a mouse. Photographer: Cpl. Eric Arndt, III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs.

Focus On Defense:

CAMP KINSER, Japan, Jan. 25, 2008 -- III Marine Expeditionary Force units in Okinawa are scheduled to be the first to implement a new Corps-wide logistics system within the next 12-18 months.

A team of logistics specialists from Marine Corps Systems Command and civilians with the Oracle Corporation recently spent two weeks visiting units and key personnel to discuss the Global Combat Support System-Marine Corps.

“III MEF has been identified as the best initial rollout facility because of their location,” said Lt. Col. Jim Stone, the senior Marine advisor for the new system. “They’re away from the United States, and they’re almost always in a deployed status. If there is anything that could go wrong with our system … this is where it’s going to occur.”

The system is designed to become a world-wide computer network system that will allow units to order and track supplies and services with the click of a mouse, much like online shopping at Web-sites, such as Yahoo.com or Amazon.com, according to Stone.

The system is intended to improve current logistic systems by speeding up the processing of supply requests and improving the ability to track the location of individual pieces of gear, according to Cpl. John Owen, a supply administration and operations clerk with Combat Logistics Regiment 35.

“Right now, we key punch things, typing them into our system one by one,” said Owen. “That’s not efficient at all. You can make a simple mistake and accidentally change one item into something else.”

Over the past 40 years, the Marine Corps has used several different systems to manage logistics, according to Stone. The systems currently used are not up to today’s industry standards.

The GCSS-MC has been in development for the past two years.

It is based off of a program created by the Oracle Corporation, which is modifying the program to meet the Marine Corps’ needs. The program is an industry standard worldwide application that’s used by many civilian companies, according to Stone.

“With those two years of work, we’ve come up with a lot of assumptions as to how this system should be fielded in the Marine Corps,” Stone said. “(The Marines of III MEF) are the experts in the operations here, and we need to have their valuable input to make sure our assumptions are correct and up to III MEF standards.”

Input and solutions from III MEF Marines who tackle the system’s initial challenges will be used to improve upon and ease implementation within I and II MEF.

(Story by Cpl. David Rogers.)

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Forces Disrupt Al-Qaeda in Iraq Networks

Dispatches from the Front

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 25, 2008 -- Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 19 suspects Thursday and today during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq.

Northeast of Samarra, near the Hamrin Mountains Thursday, Coalition forces targeted a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq associate who allegedly serves as an interrogator at a terrorist prison and training camp in the region. Reports indicate the individual facilitates weapons purchases and fighter movements in the area. Also, the targeted individual’s brother was killed during an operation Sep. 30 for his involvement in the foreign terrorist facilitation and kidnapping network in the Hamrin mountain region (see MNF-I press release A070930b, “Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda network; two killed, 21 detained,” dated Sept. 30, 2007).

Intelligence reports led Coalition forces to a location where the targeted individual was believed to be operating and they engaged, killing one armed terrorist and destroying a vehicle.

During another operation in the area this morning, two suspected terrorists were detained while Coalition forces targeted an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq member associated with terrorist media and propaganda operations.

Coalition forces captured a wanted individual near Baghdad Thursday believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader in Al Bawi. Reports indicate the suspected terrorist was responsible for a car bomb attack that targeted a Coalition forces patrol Oct. 30. The individual is also allegedly involved in trafficking weapons throughout the southern Baghdad region and was reportedly planning an attack in the capital city area. In addition to the wanted individual, the ground force detained four suspected terrorists during the operation.

In Baghdad today, Coalition forces captured another wanted individual allegedly involved in the facilitation of weapons, improvised explosive device materials, vehicles and suicide bombers for use in al-Qaeda in Iraq attacks. Reports indicate the suspect is also connected to foreign terrorist facilitation networks, to include several terrorists currently operating outside of Iraq. The wanted individual is also reportedly associated with another suspected terrorist detained Jan. 12 for his involvement in terrorist attacks (see MNF-I Press Release A080112a, “Coalition forces targets al-Qaeda networks in Baghdad, Mosul; 15 detained,” dated Jan. 12, 2008).

Coalition forces conducted a series of coordinated operations in Bayji today, capturing two wanted individuals and four additional suspects. One of the wanted individuals is reportedly an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader of the media and propaganda network in Bayji. The other wanted individual was captured at a follow-on location and is believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader of a sniper cell responsible for attacks against Coalition forces. Both individuals are allegedly tied to numerous terrorist leaders in the region to include the senior leader of the Bayji network.

During operations in Mosul Thursday and this morning, Coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and three suspected terrorists. The two wanted individuals detained Thursday are allegedly involved in the Ansar al Sunna group operating in the city. Reports indicate the suspected terrorists are senior leaders of the group and have ties to a network of other extremists operating in the region.

“We will continue to pursue al-Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists wherever they take sanctuary,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “Their indiscriminate attacks and oppressive practices will not be tolerated, and we stand committed with Iraqi Security Forces to end their campaign of terror.”

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Mother Replaces Son on Front Lines in Iraq

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Senior Airman Derrick Johnson teaches his mother, Staff Sgt. Tammi Johnson, base defense practices at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, on Jan. 22. Johnson is currently training his mother, who is soon scheduled to replace him. Both are reservists working for the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman SerMae Lampkin)

Dispatches from the Front:

KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq, Jan. 25, 2008 -- As many parents anxiously await the next phone call from their sons and daughters serving in Iraq, one mother journeyed across the Atlantic to not only see her child; but to replace him on the front line.

Atop a remote guard tower, mother and son stand post peering across the barbed wire into the desolate desert plains surrounding Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq. In this setting, the role of the caretaker is reversed as Senior Airman Derrick Johnson instructs his mother, Staff Sgt. Tammi Johnson, on perimeter defense practices.

Staff Sgt. Johnson, a reservist with the 507th Security Forces Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., arrived Jan. 20 and will receive a complete week of training from her son before he heads back to the U.S.

"This is all just a big coincidence," said Senior Airman Johnson, a reservist with the 610th Security Forces Squadron from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. "When I found out she was coming to replace me, my jaw dropped just wondering what the chances were of this occurring."

The coincidence of this pair choosing to serve in the same military branch and career field is only trumped by the fact that out of the thousands of Air Force security forces Airmen and numerous deployment locations - Staff Sgt. Johnson, 42, was randomly selected to relieve her son in the guard post which they currently sit.

This chain of events was put into play in March 2006 when Senior Airman Johnson, 20, visited a local Air Force recruiter. His mother, who was a civilian at the time, accompanied him on the trip.

"My son was graduating from high school and talked to me about the Air Force, and as his mother, I naturally wanted to go to the recruiter with him," said Staff Sgt. Johnson. "As a joke, the recruiter asked if I was interested in joining up. I laughed it off at first, but then he started asking questions about my age and how long I had previously served."

Staff Sgt. Johnson initially joined the Air Force in 1983 and worked in the personnel career field for several years before separating.

"I gave it some real thought for awhile and talked to the recruiter some more," she said. "When I previously served, I was always interested in the security forces career field; I'm an active person and don't enjoy doing paperwork.

"The recruiter said there were some openings in security forces, so I hemmed-and-hawed about it," she said. "My son was joining the same career field, but I knew we'd be stationed at different places, so I decided to just do it."

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Video: Mother Replaces Son on Frontlines
B-roll of Staff Sgt. Tammi Johnson replacing her son, Senior Airman Derrick Johnson, as his unit is preparing to leave Iraq while her unit is just arriving. Scenes include the mother and son posing for photographers, footage of the interior and exterior of the guard post they work out of and a view of the area they are patrolling. Also see "Staff Sgt. and Senior Airman Johnson" in the Interviews section.

Both joined the Air Force Reserve that spring; Staff Sgt. Johnson was able to keep her job for the local school district in their hometown of Moore, Okla., and Senior Airman Johnson could serve his country while attending college full time.

Her son offered a nod of support to his mother as she took an oath to return to duty for the Air Force.

"She always talked positively about her time in the military," he said. "I got the impression she really enjoyed life in the Air Force, and I thought that was the place she needed to be. The reserves were a great option because she could keep her job at home.

"I was all for it, but when she chose the security forces career field, it was a little strange because that's what I do," he added. "But she knows I would support her doing whatever made her happy."

Staff Sgt. Johnson found out she would replace her son in Iraq shortly before he left six months ago. As a mother would, Staff Sgt. Johnson initially felt nervous about her son's deployment.

"At the time, I wished I could've deployed first," she said. "We received the same training, so I was aware of the various threats security forces Airmen can face while deployed. But at the same time, I know he is well-trained and intelligent, so that helped put my mind at ease."

Senior Airman Johnson now spends most of his time preparing to leave Kirkuk and training his mother on the duties he performs from the guard post. This entails maintaining close surveillance of the base perimeter and beyond for suspicious activity. Security forces also conduct base patrols, anti-terrorism measures and identification checks.

"I've been asking Derrick tons of questions," she said. "A car rolled real slowly by the perimeter of the base today, and I started getting nervous. But Derrick was there to tell me it was the Iraqi police, and everything was alright. He knows right off-hand what to do, and I don't feel intimidated or stupid when I ask him the simplest questions."

They both feel the deployment has given them time to bond and a shared experience that only draws their mother and son relationship closer. Without this short week together in Kirkuk, they would not see each other for more than a year.

"This just adds another layer to our relationship. How many mothers and sons can say they were together in the same place in a war zone?" said Senior Airman Johnson. "This is something we can always talk about in the future and have a very good idea of what the other went through."

As a staff sergeant, Senior Airman Johnson's mother is just one rank above him; but she might as well be a four-star general. Senior Airman Johnson feels hard-pressed to think of a time when he wouldn't take orders from her, he said.

"You have to find the right balance because she is my mother and we are working side-by-side," he said. "She understands and listens to the experiences I've encountered, which will help her. But really, she outranks me on many different levels. You can never outrank your mother."

Together for now, Staff Sgt. Johnson and Senior Airman Johnson sit in a Kirkuk guard tower sharing a few laughs and the common bond of serving for their country. While a mother and son together in combat may sound unusual to some, this pair would not have it any other way.

"This is what I originally joined for in 1983," Staff Sgt. Johnson said. "I was young and an idealist, and felt serving was a responsibility for all citizens. Some of my friends back home think I'm crazy for leaving my job and doing this at the age I am. But I feel more complete as a person by serving for the Air Force and our country."

As for Senior Airman Johnson; he admits to taking some light-hearted jabs from the guys every so often. But like any good Airman, he vows to take on the wingman role and train his mother on the duties that helped keep Kirkuk safe for the past six months.

"I've heard some of the guys ask, 'Is your mommy here to replace you yet?'" he said. "My friends back home who serve in the military think it's strange to picture their mothers in Iraq with a helmet, weapon and flak vest. None of that bothers me though; it brings us closer together, which is what matters most."

(Story by Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel, 506 Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs.)

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Combat Camera: Strike Troops in Kadhimiyah, Iraq

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Rapid City, S.D., native, Sgt. 1st Class Terry Geraldsen, Military Transition Team non-comissioned officer in charge, 5th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, pulls security at a tactical checkpoints during Ashuura, Jan. 17, in Kadamiyah. The MiTT troops visited various TCPs in Kadamiyah, where the Iraqi army has taken the lead in securing the region as many Iraqis march to the Kadamiyah shrine. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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Kempton, Pa., native, 1st Lt. Michael Henriques, platoon leader with 3rd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, sips on chai tea with an Iraqi man in a Kadamiyah market, Jan. 18. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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Belle Union, Ind., native, Sgt. Jay Gilliam, a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, talks with Iraqi men in the early morning hours of Jan. 18 in Kadamiyah. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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Belle Union, Ind., native Sgt. Jay Gilliam, a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, pulls security Jan. 18 in Kadamiyah. U.S. troops inspected various tactical checkpoints, acting as an over watch force during Ashuura. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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Belle Union, Ind., native Sgt. Jay Gilliam, a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, searches an Iraqi mans vehicle Jan. 18 in Kadamiyah. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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Andover Township, N.J., native Capt. Brad Henry, commander, Company D, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, pulls security Jan. 19 while patrolling through Kadamiyah, inspecting tactical checkpoints. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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Rapid City, S.D., native Sgt. 1st Class Terry Geraldsen, non-commissioned officer in charge of the Military Transition Team, 5th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, pulls security Jan. 19 while patrolling through Kadamiyah, inspecting tactical checkpoints. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

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