US Airpower Summary; Dec. 13, 2008: Reapers Watch or Strike

An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft taxies after landing at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Reapers are remotely piloted and can linger over battlefields, providing persistent strike capabilities to ground force commanders. This Reaper is deployed to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron from Creech Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson.)

Dispatches from the Front:

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 13, 2008 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 12, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II and an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle performed shows of force to deter enemy activities against an Afghan National Army checkpoint that was under attack in the vicinity of Sheykhabad. The missions were confirmed a success by on-scene joint terminal attack controllers.

In the vicinity of Sangin, coalition aircraft conducted shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy that had struck an improvised explosive device and was evacuating casualties from the area. The JTAC declared the mission was successful.

An A-10 and a coalition aircraft performed shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy that was disabled near Lashkar Gah. The missions were reported a success by the JTACs.

In the vicinity of Soltani and near Morghab, A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities against a coalition convoy that was conducting operations in the area. The JTACs confirmed the missions were successful.

A coalition aircraft conducted a show of force to deter anti-Afghan activities observed in ambush sites along a well traveled route. The mission was reported a success by the JTAC.

In total, 59 close air-support-missions were flown in support of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Seventeen Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, two coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

In Iraq, Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons performed multi flight shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy conducting counter-IED operations in the vicinity of Baghdad. The JTACs confirmed the missions were successful.

In total, coalition aircraft flew 41 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions integrated and synchronized with coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt hostile activities.

Twenty-eight Air Force, Navy and coalition ISR aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Iraq. Additionally, three Air Force and coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intra-theater heavy airlift, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.

Approximately 140 airlift sorties were flown, more than 400 tons of cargo were delivered and nearly 3,500 passengers were transported. The airlift included approximately 36,000 pounds of troop re-supply that was air-dropped in Afghanistan.

Coalition C-130 crews flew as part of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq.

On Dec. 10, U.S. Air Force and coalition aerial refueling crews flew 43 sorties and off-loaded approximately 3.0 million pounds of fuel to 293 receiving aircraft.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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Top US Commander Says Troops to Leave Iraqi Cities by Summer

News in Balance:

BALAD, Iraq, Dec. 13, 2008 -- U.S. combat forces are on track to be out of Iraqi cities by June 30 in accordance with the recently signed status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq, the top U.S. general in Iraq said today.

Combat forces are already out of the major cities in more than half of Iraq, said Army Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq. Odierno spoke here to reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

Gates flew here this afternoon, after speaking at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, to meet with Odierno and get his assessment of the way ahead in Iraq under the new agreement.

Odierno said the new agreement does not change the U.S. mission here, only its operating environment. Some U.S. forces will remain inside the cities working out of the joint security stations and acting as transition teams or providing support to the Iraqi security forces, Odierno said.

“We’ll still maintain our very close partnership with the Iraqi security forces throughout Iraq, even after the summer,” he said.

Odierno said he is already removing troops from the cities, and will continue as security progress continues and Iraqi security forces can take over. Combat troops have already moved out of the cities in Anbar Province, most of the cities in southern Iraq and out of parts of Baghdad.

“In a large part the security agreement is really stating what we’re doing in many places in Iraq already,” he said.

Implementation committees made up of representatives of both two countries are being set up to work out the details of executing the agreement.

“I believe this agreement allows us to continue to move forward in making Iraq a sovereign nation,” he said.

Odierno also expressed confidence in the Iraqi security force’s growing capabilities and said he is confident that U.S. troops will be able to leave by the 2011 deadline set in the agreement.

“I expect us, frankly, right now, to be out with our military forces by 2011,” he said.

Odierno said he will make a recommendation for any reductions of troops after the elections in January, and continue to reassess and make recommendations through the year. Provincial elections are slated for next month, with district elections following this summer and national elections by the end of the year.

“The bottom line is what we want to prevent is trying to use intimidation and coercion in order to influence the elections,” he said. “I think many Iraqis feel that our presence here provides them stability for their elections. It provides them some confidence.”

Overall, though, troop levels will likely drop here next year, he said, despite what he called an important time of transition.

“As the Iraqis are able to go through this transition, it will move them to a more stable government and we think that’ll be a major milestone,” he said.

“It’s about stability. And what we want to do through 2009 is maintain stability inside of Iraq,” Odierno said.

Despite improving security conditions, Odierno conceded that there are still challenges and al-Qaida, though weakened, is still able to carry out high-profile attacks such as the one this week in Kirkuk. Fifty-five Iraqis died in a suicide bombing at a restaurant.

Still, Odierno said there were only six security incidents across Iraq yesterday.

“All it takes is one suicide bomber … who cares very little for the value of life, and they will do anything they can to garner attention,” he said. “It still shows that it’s still a fragile environment and there are still terrorists that operate inside of Iraq.”

(Report by Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service.)

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Attacked Air Force Recruiter in Stable Condition

News in Balance:

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Dec. 13, 2008 -- The Air Force recruiter who was stabbed outside her Harlem, N.Y., recruiting office Dec. 11 remains in stable condition.

Staff Sgt. Sarah Charles, a recruiter with the 313th Recruiting Squadron, was speaking with a potential applicant when she was attacked by a female assailant. The recruiter survived the attack thanks to the help of a civilian who came to the sergeant's aid. The attacker was apprehended by N.Y. City police soon after.

Sergeant Charles is a native New Yorker who has served in the Air Force for seven years and as a recruiter for two and one-half years.

The incident currently is under investigation by local authorities. Air Force officials have no reason to believe that this was a specific incident targeting military recruiters.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

Related Article: Air Force Recruiter Stabbed Outside New York Office

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Photo Essay: US Army Brigade Trains for Homeland Response Mission

Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team prepare to enter a smoke-filled facility to search for victims of an attack, Dec. 10, 2008. (DoD photo by Donna Miles.)

Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team demonstrate flexibility required to maneuver through a simulated collapsed structure during a training exercise at the Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility at Indian Head, Md., Dec. 10, 2008. (DoD photo by Donna Miles.)


Spc. Dale Soniger from the 3rd Infantry Division’s Alpha Co. 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, uses the “Jaws of Life” to extract mock casualties from a damaged vehicle at the Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility in Indian Head, Md., Dec. 10, 2008. The unit trained Dec. 9 through 11 for the Consequence Management Response Force mission it assumed Oct. 1, 2008. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jared S. Eastman.)

Army Col. Roger Cloutier, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, and Command Sgt. Maj. Edd Watson exit a confined area exercise at the Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility, at Indian Head, Md, Dec. 10, 2008. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jared S. Eastman.)

Army Staff Sgt. Michael Shorlidge from Echo Company, 3rd Battalion, 69 Armor Regiment, and Sgt. Kevin Mctague, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, exit a smoke-filled building as part of a buddy team exercise at the Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility at Indian Head, Md. Dec. 10, 2008. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jared S. Eastman.)

On the Home Front:

NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY INDIAN HEAD, Md., Dec. 12, 2008 -- The first active-duty unit dedicated to supporting U.S. civilian authorities in the event of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack is wrapping up three days of intensive training its members hope they never have to apply in real life.

Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team are here getting hands-on training in skills they would depend on to provide humanitarian support during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive incident, known here as a CBRNE.

The "Rock of the Marne" division, which returned to Fort Stewart, Ga., in early spring from its third deployment to Iraq, was designated on Oct. 1 as part of the CBRNE Consequence Management Force. The force includes various military assets assigned to U.S. Northern Command that could be called on to respond to a natural or manmade disaster.

The division will conduct the mission for a year, rotating its six divisions through escalating readiness levels, explained Army Col. Roger Cloutier, who commands the 1st Brigade "Raiders." After that, the mission will pass to other Army brigade combat teams.

If first responders found themselves short of manpower or equipment in a disaster, they could tap into the team through U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force Civil Support.

"I can't think of a more noble mission than saving American lives at home," Cloutier said, citing the "phenomenal responsibility" it entails. "Every single soldier and Marine here takes this very personally. You can see it on the faces of my soldiers."

About 200 of Cloutier's soldiers came here this week to learn the ropes in a realistic setting from the experts: the Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force. The Marines stood up the unit in 1996 in response to a subway sarin gas attack in Tokyo. Today, it remains the only active-duty element that trains daily in CBRNE consequence management.

The training realism began before the soldiers ever reached the Indian Head facility. They received a no-notice alert at 4:30 a.m. Dec. 8 and deployed just over 24 hours later from Hunter Army Airfield with four aircraft, about 15 vehicles and other equipment and gear.

Exercises at The Marines' Raymond M. Downey Sr. Responder Training Facility gave the soldiers insight into the conditions and challenges they likely would face if called to help rescue victims and provide temporary life support during a disaster.

"This is as realistic as I imagine it can get," said Army Lt. Col. Joel Hamilton as two of his soldiers burst from a smoke-filled building carrying the mannequin they had searched through the dark to locate. "My soldiers are being stressed with some very realistic scenarios."

Hamilton, who commands the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, looked on as the soldiers navigated under and through "collapsed" structures and walls and felt their way through dark, smoke-filled buildings and confined spaces to search for survivors.

Working in buddy teams, they inched through spaces as tight as two feet by two feet, wearing blacked-out gas masks that offered zero visibility. They yelled directions to the man behind them, their voices rising over rap music the Marines had cranked up to further confuse the situation.

As the soldiers moved, each maintained at least three points of contact on the floors and walls at all times to keep from getting disoriented. "This is all by feel and communication," Hamilton said.

At another station, the soldiers practiced the techniques to lift seemingly unmovable 17,000-pound concrete beams to reach people trapped beneath. Meanwhile, other soldiers tried their hand at using the "jaws of life" and other equipment to free passengers "trapped" in their vehicles.

The Marines focused on safety throughout the training, emphasizing how quickly first responders can become victims themselves. "We don't want to be the rescuers who need rescuing," said Staff Sgt. Ray Johnstone, an M109 Palladin crew chief.

"It's all about teamwork," he said. "Teamwork is what gets the job done safely and effectively. And it's what we're doing here."

Cloutier credited teamwork the brigade built during 15 months in Iraq's Anbar province with giving its soldiers a leg up on their new mission. Junior leaders developed critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and soldiers learned how to interact with other coalition forces as well as Iraqi military and local government leaders.

And just as they understood in Iraq that they were supporting Iraqi army and police forces, they understand that if called to respond to a CBRNE incident, they'll support state and local authorities, Cloutier said.

"We understand our role, and the fact that we are not in charge," he said. "We are here to help and to find out, 'What do you need?'

The biggest strength his unit would bring to the mission, Cloutier said, is "4,000 soldiers with a can-do attitude who are here to help."

That can-do attitude was evident yesterday as "hoo-ahs" rang through the training area and soldiers exhibited ear-to-ear smiles as they moved between training stations.

"I'm loving every minute of this!" exclaimed Army Spc. David Johnson as he prepared to enter the "smokehouse" facility. "This is something like the coolest training I've had in three years in the Army. And it's all teamwork."

Army Spc. David Draper called helping remove the doors and roof of a beat-up 1991 Cutlass to free a "trapped" passenger "a really good time." But after growing up in the Midwest, and seeing the devastation from floods, tornadoes and ice storms, he said the significance of the CBRNE mission goes deeper.

"I'm pretty excited that we have the utilities to go out and help save people," he said. "This is more of the stuff I joined the Army for."

With 10 years in the Army, and a long string of deployments under his belt -- to Kosovo, Afghanistan and three to Iraq – Johnstone called the CBRNE mission a welcome opportunity to serve his own countrymen.

"We're ecstatic about it," he said of the mission. "This is something new and different. It's about actively saving lives," he said. "Hopefully we never have to get the call to do it. But if we get that call, we are ready."

(Report by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service.)

Related Articles:
Pentagon Creates Rapid-Response Forces to Bolster Homeland Defense
Pentagon: No Domestic Law Enforcement for Military Homeland Emergency Units

More Military Imagery on THE TENSION

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Pentagon: No Domestic Law Enforcement for Military Homeland Emergency Units

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2008 -- The Pentagon’s three new rapid-response task forces will assist civil authorities during possible terrorist attacks or natural disasters, but they won’t perform law-enforcement missions, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday.

Some people have surfaced concerns that active-duty soldiers, who make up the core of the first 4,700-member joint task force established in early October, could be used to perform police functions, which would be in violation of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas’ security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.

The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty military members from conducting domestic law-enforcement operations.

“None of that is true,” McHale said of public assertions that active-duty troops assigned to the task force will perform police duties. Instead, he said, the rapid-response units are “task-organized to deal with the technical and very challenging requirements associated with a contaminated environment.”

The task force cited in public discussion, McHale said, was established Oct. 1 and is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.

Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, including air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.

Plans are to stand up two more new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, will comprise mostly reserve-component personnel, mainly National Guard troops.

The new task forces would be ordered into action by the president following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors, McHale said.

In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of emergencies, McHale said, active U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to assist civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.

“There are [active] military units that are prepared, under law, to ensure constitutional rights and the enforcement of federal law, under the Insurrection Act, to be deployed for a domestic security mission,” McHale said.

The last time Garden Plot was activated, McHale said, was to restore order during the 1992 Los Angeles riots that followed the trial and acquittal of some local police officers who had been charged with the beating of Rodney King. Federal troops also were employed during the 1950s and 1960s, he said, to ensure the civil rights of African-American citizens.

(Report by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

Related: U.S. Northern Command Web Site

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Pentagon Creates Rapid-Response Forces to Bolster Homeland Defense

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2008 -- Pentagon officials have established a new rapid-response joint task force and plan to create two more in coming years to bolster assistance to civil authorities following potential chemical, biological or nuclear attacks or natural disasters, a senior U.S. official said here yesterday.

The new units will team with other federal agencies in support of local responders following chemical, biological or nuclear terror attacks on the homeland or during natural disasters, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas’ security affairs, told American Forces Press Service and Pentagon Channel reporters.

The establishment of the new units “builds upon a decade of improving [Defense Department] capabilities to deal with a domestic terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction,” McHale said.

The first new 4,700-member task force was assigned to a component of U.S. Northern Command on Oct. 1, McHale said. The new unit, he said, is built around a core of active-duty soldiers from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Stewart, Ga. This task force, he said, falls under the control of Northcom’s Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North, in San Antonio.

Plans are to stand up the other two new joint task forces in 2010 and 2011, respectively, McHale said. These units, he said, mostly will comprise reserve component personnel from all the military services.

Each task force will be capable of performing tasks such as medical response, decontamination, technical rescue, patient evacuation, and communications and logistics support, to include air and land transportation assets for transport of supplies, people and equipment, according to U.S. Army North documents.

The task forces would be ordered into action by the president, McHale said, following requests for disaster-relief assistance from state governors.

The new units, he emphasized, do not conduct law-enforcement missions. In the event of civil disturbances and some other types of national emergencies, he said, other designated U.S. military units could be ordered by the president to help civil authorities establish order as part of the Garden Plot domestic security plan.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States prompted U.S. officials to consider whether existing National Guard-staffed civil support teams could provide enough resources to support civil authorities during multiple catastrophic events, McHale said.

McHale said 9/11 also “was the genesis for the creation of U.S. Northern Command.” Northcom, he said, is responsible for homeland defense of the continental U.S. and Alaska, while U.S. Pacific Command is responsible for Hawaii. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. commands Northcom as well as North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are co-located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.

National Guard-staffed civil support teams were developed through a Pentagon initiative dating to the mid-1990s. Today, there are 53 civil support teams distributed across the United States, McHale said. These 22-member units, he said, are trained to test for chemical, biological or nuclear contamination in the event of a weapons-of-mass-destruction-attack on the United States.

Additionally, Marine Corps-operated emergency-response units that specialize in relief operations are available during chemical, biological and nuclear attacks, he said.

(Report by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

Related: U.S. Northern Command Web Site

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Pentagon Urges Broad Approach to Piracy

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2008 -- The United States has submitted to the United Nations Security Council a draft resolution that reportedly seeks to allow forces to pursue Somalia-based pirates onto Somali turf.

But Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman today emphasized that addressing piracy in the region -- where more than 60 ships reportedly have been attacked this year -- requires more than a military response.

“I think there are many that are seeking a simple military solution, or solely a military solution, to address the piracy issue,” he said. “And I think we need a more comprehensive look at this.

“While there may be a military component, this is an issue that has to be addressed more broadly,” Whitman said, adding that representatives of diplomacy, industry and law also could play roles in a response.

Whitman said the military is assessing how it can contribute in dealing with piracy.

“As the United States military, we are looking at the full range of options that might be available to the commander in chief to address these kinds of things,” he said.

The resolution reportedly will be discussed next week during a meeting of the 15-nation U.N. Security Council.

(Report by John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service.)

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US Airpower Summary; Dec. 12, 2008: KC-10s Sustain Fighters

A KC-10 Extender supports air refueling missions over Afghanistan. Air Force and coalition tankers flew 43 sorties and off-loaded approximately 3.3 million pounds of fuel to 254 receiving aircraft. The KC-10 is assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon.)

Dispatches from the Front:

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 11, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped a guided bomb unit-38 and fired rockets and cannon rounds against anti-Afghan forces that were firing rocket- propelled grenades at a coalition ground forces convoy conducting operations in the vicinity of Nangalam. The mission was confirmed a success by an on-scene joint terminal attack controller.

In the vicinity of Musa Qaleh, a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fired cannon rounds against anti-coalition forces that were shooting at the aircraft. While under fire the aircraft conducted a weaving maneuver to avoid rounds and continued with the strafing run. A JTAC declared the mission successful.

Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets performed shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition ground forces convoy conducting search operations near Ghazni. The missions were reported a success by the JTACs.

In the vicinity of Soltani, an A-10 performed a show of force to deter enemy activities. A JTAC confirmed the mission successful.

An F-15E conducted a show of force to deter anti-Afghan activities and provide armed aerial overwatch for a coalition ground forces convoy conducting improvised explosive devise search operations in the vicinity of Khowst. The mission was reported a success by a JTAC.

In total, 69 close-air-support missions were flown in support of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Fifteen Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, four Navy and coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

In Iraq, Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons performed shows of force and provided armed aerial reconnaissance for a coalition ground forces patrol searching an area for an improvised explosive device emplacement team that was spotted digging on the side of the road in the vicinity of Baghdad. The JTACs confirmed the missions successful.

In total, coalition aircraft flew 43 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions integrated and synchronized with coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt hostile activities.

Twenty-seven Air Force and Navy ISR aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Iraq. Additionally, two Air Force and coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intra-theater heavy airlift, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.

Approximately 130 airlift sorties were flown, more than 350 tons of cargo were delivered and nearly 3,000 passengers were transported. This included approximately 44,000 pounds of troop resupply airdropped in Afghanistan.

Coalition C-130 crews flew as part of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq.

On Dec. 10, Air Force and coalition tanker crews flew 43 sorties and off-loaded approximately 3.3 million pounds of fuel to 254 receiving aircraft.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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OEF Summary; Dec. 12, 2008: Troops Disrupt Haqqani Network in Afghanistan

Dispatches from the Front:

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2008 -- Coalition forces detained nine suspected militants during an operation yesterday to disrupt the Haqqani terrorist network in Afghanistan’s Paktia province, military officials said.

The operation in the province’s Zadran district targeted a Haqqani militant believed to assist with the movement of members of the Uzbekistan-based Islamic Jihadist Union terrorist group and other foreign fighters into Paktia. Intelligence also suggests the militant is in direct contact with other senior Haqqani leaders who plan and coordinate roadside bomb and other attacks against innocent civilians, members and institutions of the Afghan government and coalition forces.

Coalition forces searched the targeted compound without incident, and detained nine suspected militants while protecting 11 women and 27 children, officials said.

(From a U.S. Forces Afghanistan news release.)

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OIF Summary; Dec. 12, 2008: Troops in Iraq Nab 11 Terrorism Suspects, Find Bomb, Weapons

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2008 -- Eleven suspected terrorists, including two wanted men, were removed from al-Qaida in Iraq networks yesterday and today as coalition forces targeted the terrorist organization in central Iraq, military officials reported.

In other recent operations, Iraqi soldiers foiled a bombing attack on an Iraqi judge, and coalition and Iraqi troops discovered enemy weapons stockpiles.

Early today in Hafriyah, southeast of Kirkuk in Iraq’s Diyala province, forces captured an alleged weapons smuggler who also is believed to be associated with bombing attacks in the area. Three suspected associates also were detained.

Two more suspects were netted today in an operation targeting a Diyala-area al-Qaida in Iraq courier in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad.

In operations yesterday:

• U.S. soldiers detained a suspected weapons smuggler and criminal recruiter in eastern Baghdad’s New Baghdad district.

• Forces in Baghdad captured an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader who officials believe is responsible for bombing attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and Iraqi police.

• Near Tuz Khurmatu, southeast of Kirkuk, forces detained three suspects during an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq leader associated with bombing activities in the area.

• Iraqi soldiers in the Kadhamiyah district of northwestern Baghdad reported finding a bomb attached underneath a judge’s vehicle at an Iraqi army checkpoint yesterday. An Iraqi army explosive ordnance disposal team was called in and removed the bomb, which was made from two blocks of C4 explosive.

Also yesterday, Iraqi and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found weapons caches in the greater Baghdad area:

• Iraq soldiers found an empty 105 mm shell and an empty illumination shell west of Baghdad in the Abu Ghraib area.

• U.S. and Iraqi soldiers found four 60 mm mortars and two 81 mm mortars south of Joint Security Station Taji, north of Baghdad. The munitions were destroyed in a controlled detonation.

• U.S. soldiers followed up on a tip from an Iraqi citizen and seized a white bag with an unknown substance and an armor-piercing bomb array encased in foam east of the Abu Ghraib area. The munitions were destroyed in a controlled detonation.

• U.S. soldiers found a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and 11 RPG rounds north of Abu Ghraib.

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

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Air Force Recruiter Stabbed Outside New York Office

News in Balance:

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Dec. 12, 2008 -- An Air Force recruiter was stabbed outside her Harlem recruiting office Dec. 11 at about 12:45 p.m. in New York City.

Staff Sgt. Sarah Charles, a recruiter with the 313th Recruiting Squadron, is currently in critical but stable condition.

Sergeant Charles was talking with a potential applicant at the time of the attack. A suspect has been apprehended.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Sarah and her family," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Maceachron, 360th Recruiting Group deputy commander. "Sarah is one of our superstar Airmen. She is a role-model and always displays a professional and friendly attitude. The Air Force is a family and her teammates and friends are rallying around her through this ordeal."

The incident is currently under investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the local authorities. Air Force officials have no reason to believe that this was a specific incident targeting military recruiters.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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National Guard Preps for 372nd Birthday

News in Balance:

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 12, 2008 -- The United States is a young country, but four of the oldest military organizations in the world are in the country’s National Guard.

The National Guard celebrates its 372nd birthday tomorrow. On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony divided its citizen-soldiers, or militia, into the North, South and East regiments.

The Massachusetts Bay colony was seven years old in 1636. About 5,000 men, women, and children had made the two-month voyage to the New World, leaving behind the relative comfort and safety of England. In Massachusetts, they confronted a wilderness of dense forests, wild animals and suspicious Indians.

The colonists needed a military force for protection, but they had no money to hire a mercenary army, which was common practice in Europe at the time. So they turned to the English tradition of the militia -- citizen-soldiers who gathered for military training and who could fight when needed.

In Massachusetts, all able-bodied men between ages 16 and 60, except ministers and judges, were required to join the militia. By 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony militia was large enough to be divided into three separate regiments.

Today, the military lineage of these regiments from 1636 is carried on by the 101st Engineer Battalion, the 101st Field Artillery, the 181st Infantry and the 182nd Cavalry, which are all still part of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. These four units, in one form or another, have been in continuous service since 1636, and are the oldest units in the U.S. Army.

Much has changed in this country since 1636, but one thing has not: citizen-soldiers still gather to train and deploy as they have for 372 years.

(Report by Renee Hylton, National Guard Bureau.)

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Gates Says 2 Additional Brigades May Deploy to Afghanistan

News in Balance:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 11, 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he wants to send two combat brigades to Afghanistan by summer in addition to the brigade combat team already scheduled to deploy there in January.

In an interview with reporters traveling with him, Gates discussed the way forward in Afghanistan before landing here with plans to visit troops and meet with senior leaders.

The secretary will meet today with Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and with commanders in the country’s southern region.

Commanders on the ground have estimated they will need as many as 20,000 more troops, along with more intelligence and reconnaissance assets and more helicopters. Commanders say they need the extra troops to reach out to remote villages and rural areas. About 80 percent of the country, which is slightly smaller than Texas, is rural.

But, Gates said, additional forces are not necessarily the single answer to the problems plaguing security efforts, and that he would like to see more emphasis on building the Afghan army and putting it in the forefront of operations in the country.

“It is very important for the Afghans to be up front in this struggle. This is their country, their fight, and their future,” Gates said. “We have to do a better job of working with the Afghans and listening to what they have to say, incorporating that into our planning, and ensuring that they are out front -- that this is their fight, and that we’re there to help them.”

The Afghan National Army is nearing 80,000 troops, and the Afghan National Police has almost 82,000 officers. The army is expected to grow to 134,000 by 2014, while the police force has reached its intended cap. Gates said a “course correction” is needed toward more of a partnership between the two countries.

“I think there’s a concern on the part of some of the Afghans that we sort of tell them what we’re going to do, instead of taking proposals to them and getting their input and then working out with them what we’re going to do, so it’s a real partnership,” Gates said. “So I think we need to be more sensitive about that.”

Thirteen ANA kandaks, or battalions, and three headquarters units are deemed fully capable of conducting independent operations at the battalion level. Those units gradually are taking over security responsibilities in their regions. Overall, the Afghan National Army leads more than half of the joint military operations, according to military reports.

In the interview, Gates referenced the Soviet Union’s inability to secure the region after its December 1979 invasion because the country rejected its communistic rule. Afghan fighters made it almost impossible for the Soviets to maintain a system of local government outside major urban centers.

“The history of foreign military forces in Afghanistan, when they have been regarded by the Afghan people as there for their own interests and as occupiers, has not been a happy one,” Gates said. “The Soviets couldn’t win in Afghanistan with 120,000 troops, and they clearly didn’t care about civilian casualties. So I think we just have to think about the longer term in this.

“I think we’re going to be in this struggle for quite a long time, and I think we have to make sure we’ve got some of the basics right,” Gates said.

Part of that is figuring how many non-Afghan military personnel should be on the ground in Afghanistan, he said. “I think that still is an unanswered question, and may well be for some period of time,” said he acknowledged.

A town-hall session today will be the secretary’s first with troops in Afghanistan. Regional Command South has the largest ISAF presence of the five regional commands here, with about 24,000 troops.

(Report by Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service.)

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Gates Tells Troops in Afghanistan 'Sense of Duty' His Reason to Stay as Secretary of Defense

News in Balance:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 11, 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told several hundred troops here today that a sense of duty caused him to agree to stay on in his current job through the administration change.

Gates opened the session at the headquarters for the southern regional command by joking about his recent re-appointment as defense secretary -- which at one time he was looking to avoid.

“I now have a better appreciation of what it’s like to be stop-lossed,” he joked, referring to a program that allows the Army to retain soldiers in critical specialties beyond expiration of their enlistment.

Gates said the crucial junctures of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and upcoming critical budget decisions at the Pentagon are among the reasons he chose to stay on the job. But, he said, the singular reason came down to a sense of duty.

If hundreds of thousands of young Americans are doing their duty without fail, Gates said, he had no choice but to do otherwise.

“Each of you could have done something easier, safer and probably better paid. But you chose to step forward to wear this country’s uniform,” Gates said. “You chose to volunteer -- in some cases re-volunteer -- knowing full well that a deployment to a combat theater was the most likely result.”

Standing on a stage with a large American flag draped across a backdrop made of olive-drab green parachutes, Gates said that in the past two years he has come to realize that the priorities of his office are to do everything possible to get the troops what they need to succeed and protect themselves on the battlefield.

From practically a standing start, in the past 18 months, the Defense Department has had built and sent 12,000 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to the combat theater, and Gates promised several thousand more. Also, the department is working to build and an all-terrain version of the MRAP designed specifically for Afghanistan. And, Gates said, he intends to expand the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in the country.

“I promise you we will do whatever else it takes to give you the tools it takes to complete your mission and come home safely,” Gates said.

This was thye secretary’s first large-scale meeting in Afghanistan. He typically meets with much smaller groups of troops, often without their leaders present, to get an unfiltered view of their needs and concerns. In this session, though, he fielded a handful of questions from the crowd, then posed with every servicemember for a photograph.

The group represented a mix of ranks, services and countries as this command, with about 24,000 troops, has the largest NATO International Security Assistance Force presence of the five regional commands in Afghanistan.

Gates told the servicemembers that talking with the troops has been the highlight of his job.

“Your suggestions have shaped my thinking on everything from day-to-day military operations to enhancing the quality of life for servicemembers and their families,” Gates said.

The crowd sat intently listening, wearing a varied mixture of camouflaged uniforms with rifles and pistols draped across their shoulders. Digital cameras flashed constantly.

“The size and scope of your mission is going to see some changes in the coming months,” Gates said. “The details are still being worked out, and the final decisions will be made by the next president. But a consensus has emerged that more troops are needed to provide security and train Afghan security forces.”

The secretary acknowledged the campaign will not be easy or quick for a country scarred by ethnic fissures, grinding poverty and daunting terrain. But success will not come by military means alone, the secretary said. More infrastructure is needed alongside economic development and governance, he told the troops. Everyone within the NATO alliance will have to step up and do more, he added.

In the end, though, Gates promised success. He said the planning of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States were born here, and that he is convinced that the U.S. military, alongside its allies, will begin the work they started here seven years ago.

“I believe that we can succeed, that we must succeed, and we will succeed,” Gates said.

(Report by Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service.)

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US Airpower Summary; Dec. 11, 2008: F-15Es Provide Aerial Protection

An F-15E Strike Eagle soars over Afghanistan providing close-air support and armed aerial overwatch to deter enemy activities. The Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon.)

Dispatches from the Front:

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 11, 2008 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 10, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, an Air Force B-1B Lancer dropped a guided bomb unit-38 onto anti-Afghan forces who were observed moving weapons from one compound to another in the vicinity of Sangin. The mission was confirmed a success by an on-scene joint terminal attack controller.

In the vicinity of Musa Qaleh, a coalition aircraft fired rockets against anti-coalition forces hiding inside a highly camouflaged compound. A JTAC declared the mission successful.

An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle performed a show of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition ground forces convoy conducting clearing operations near Bagram. The mission was reported a success by a JTAC.

In the vicinity of Soltani, an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II performed a show of force to deter anti-Afghan forces moving near a coalition forward operating base. A JTAC confirmed the mission successful.

A Navy F/A-18C Hornet and a coalition aircraft conducted shows of force to deter anti-Afghan activities in the vicinity of Garmser and near Lashkar Gah. The missions were reported a success by the JTACs.

In the vicinity of Gardez, an F-15E performed a show of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy conducting search operations in the area. A JTAC declared the mission successful.

A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet conducted a show of force and provided coalition convoy escort to deter anti-Afghan forces near Moqor. The mission was confirmed a success by a JTAC.

In total, 69 close-air-support missions were flown in support of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Sixteen Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, two Navy aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

In Iraq, Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons performed shows of force and provided armed aerial reconnaissance for a coalition forces patrol conducting search operations for an improvised explosive device emplacement team that was spotted digging on the side of the road in the vicinity of Baghdad. The JTACs confirmed the missions successful.

In total, coalition aircraft flew 45 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions integrated and synchronized with coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt hostile activities.

Twenty-six Air Force and Navy ISR aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Iraq. Additionally, three Air Force and coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intra-theater heavy airlift, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.

Approximately 130 airlift sorties were flown, more than 400 tons of cargo were delivered and nearly 3,500 passengers were transported.

Coalition C-130 crews flew as part of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq.

On Dec. 9, Air Force and coalition tanker crews flew 49 sorties and off-loaded approximately 3.5 million pounds of fuel to 279 receiving aircraft.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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