Good News from Iraq

Refurbished school opens in Salman Pak
By Maj. Joe Sowers, 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO


FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – The only secondary school for girls in the Salman Pak area opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 24.

Leaders of the Salman Pak Council, the Iraqi Army, the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, gathered in Salman Pak for the ceremony, which marked the completion of a $200,000 project initiated Feb. 28.

Members of the Salman Pak Council brought the decrepit school to the attention of 1-15th Inf. Regt. leadership in January. The school was in disrepair and local leaders’ desire to improve educational facilities matched the goals of the battalion leadership.

“We were looking for a big school to refurbish to make an impact,” said Capt. Matt Givens, from Columbus, Ga., the civil-military operations officer for 1-15th Inf. Regt. “It was the only female secondary school in the area. Before the refurbishment, the school was pretty much falling down. It had no electricity and students couldn’t use the restrooms.”

Givens said the project completely overhauled the building. Iraqi contractors repaired structural damage, erected a security wall, rewired electrical outlets, replastered the outside and repainted the inside.

Two of the most significant improvements were connecting the restrooms to a septic tank and the construction of a concrete courtyard.

“Unpaved courtyards get quite muddy when it rains,” said Givens, who has facilitated 13 different school refurbishment projects during his unit’s 14-month deployment. “School administrators commonly ask for concrete courtyards for assemblies and recreation.”

Givens said these projects make a difference in the community.

“People view it as you’re helping take care of their children and it helps to build trust within the community,” he said. “They are excited when they see you helping their children.”

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga. and has been deployed to Iraq since March 2007. The 2-6th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division from Baumholder, Germany, and will soon replace the 3rd HBCT in the Mada’in Qada.
Posted by David Spunt on 04/29 at 09:31 PM

Ryan's 'Thank You' on anysoldier.com

i want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the packages and letters that you have been sending. as luck would have it...my tour has been shortened and i will be going home in about a week!!! it is just more proof that things here are starting to go in the right directions. the changes in this country are not going to happen over night. and it will take years before this country will be able to stand on it's feet. but the people of our country sould be proud that that the guys in the armed forces are willing to fight and die for this country. it is an honor. it is what we do...and we do it well.

thank you all who took time to send me a birthday card on my 30th birthday. i sat here and thought about what i had done in my 30 years of life. i helped to liberate 2 countries from opression. that's pretty damn good. some of my non military friends have finished college, and bought houses....have great careers. i have had to put all that on hold...so i could do the military. no degree, no house...no civilian career....but i saved millions of people from genocide. i wouldn't change it for the world.

thank you for all of your support!

until next time.

Afghan school gets new library and science lab for opening day

BAGRAM AIRBASE, Afghanistan – The first day of school at Jan Qadam Elementary School, Parwan Province, was alive with the throngs of excited children, dignitaries, government officials and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan soldiers who dedicated a new school library and science lab, March 24.
Just after 9 a.m. on Monday, the Head of the District Development Council welcomed everyone to the event, noting the importance of the relationship between the school and all those who helped make it a great place to learn. He specifically thanked the children of Calvert City Elementary School, Calvert City, Ky., for their partnership with the Jan Qadam School.
“The partnership between the schools is a community-based initiative between the people and students of Calvert City Elementary School and the Jan Qadam School and community,” said Lt. Col. Kenneth Watson, a member of CJSOTF-Afghanistan.
After the speeches and a prayer, the new school library was dedicated to Afghan Gen. Baba Jan, a retired Afghan commander. Jan donated the land to build the school on and the library is filled with books donated by USAID.
The distinguished guests and visitors toured the school and visited the new science lab. It is the only science lab in the Bagram School District, which has 32 schools, including seven high schools.
“School is the factory that produces positive individuals for society,” said Adul the Head of the District Development Council, Adul Waquel.
Jan Qadam hosts more than 1,200 students who are taught in two shifts.
Village elders passed out backpacks to more than 500 students and Calvert Elementary children donated notebooks, pens, pencils, glue and rulers to their Afghan counterparts.
The partnership with Calvert Elementary is only just beginning. In addition to the supplies provided, students from a second grade class there wrote letters to the students at the Jan Qadam School. Calvert students were mostly interested in what Afghan children do at home, during their free time.
“My name is Erin, I’m from Calvert, Kentucky,” one of the letters starts out. “I can’t wait to learn about your culture.”
Most of the Calvert students seemed interested in the differences between Afghan children and American children with most listing their favorite sports and after-school activities.
“It bridges cultures and helps educate future generations about other people who share our world,” said Watson.
“We will pass the translated letters out to the Afghan children and send their replies back to the states,” said a Coalition commander. “Some time in the next few months students from Calvert city will travel to Ft. Campbell, Ky., to have a video teleconference with some of the Afghan students.”
“It was a great day for the people of Jan Qadam, the Ministry of Education, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Coalition forces,” said Watson. “It reinforces our ties and commitment to the community and people of Afghanistan and helps foster an enduring relationship.”
(This article written by the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan Public Affairs Office)
Written by Bagram Media Center Friday, 28 March 2008

A Brighter Future

Monday, 31 March 2008
By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO




FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Her hands run across his hand, her fingers explore his features. She asks her father: Is he fat or skinny? Tall or short? She is trying to learn about the man she cannot see, the one who strives to end the mystery surrounding him and the world around her.

First Lt. Michael Kendrick, platoon leader of 2nd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said it is his goal to replace the mental picture young Noor Taha Najee has of her father with the actual image.

Noor, a 5-year-old girl who lives in al Buaytha, has been blind since birth, a condition caused by poorly-developed corneas, said her father Taha.

It is a problem which runs in the family. Taha's brother, Mustafa, also suffers from the birth defect, one that prevents the eyes from registering anything other than light sensitivity.

Although the condition is genetic, it is one that can be fixed through surgery. Kendrick, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., and his unit have been working closely with doctors to try to get something done for the family.

"To have her see her family, her brothers, to put a face to the voice, it would be a blessing," Taha said of the opportunity to help give sight to his daughter and brother.

The Eye Defects Research Foundation, a nongovernmental organization based in Los Angeles, is already trying to schedule a surgery for the girl.

On March 14, the Soldiers took Noor and her uncle to the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad to get an evaluation done on the two, which showed a higher potential for success with Noor.

"We're on standby now, waiting for a doctor in L.A.," Kendrick said.

He said they are now trying to find a local Iraqi doctor who would be willing to travel with Noor and her family to California. An Iraqi doctor is needed who could be shown the necessary follow-up care.

Such a gift would seem appropriate for a girl who is described as very generous and giving by her father.

"She's different from many other kids," Taha said. "She's always sharing. She'll give you anything."

It is a personality trait which has endeared her to the 2nd Platoon Soldiers.

"We've taken a real vested interest in the people here," Kendrick said, adding his Soldiers spend a lot of time on the ground, interacting with residents. "We empathize with the people. It pays dividends winning the hearts and minds. It keeps things quiet."

Noor has developed quite an attachment to Kendrick, Taha said.

"She likes to sit by him, and is always asking me about him and loves it when I tell her stories about him," he said. "She's only like that with Kendrick."

As a father of two young girls himself – Presley, 3, and Parker, 1, – Kendrick said he knows the importance of family and providing for them.

While she may not be able to see what the Soldiers are doing for her, Taha said Noor can definitely sense the good will of Kendrick's platoon.

"Love begins in the mind, not the eyes," Taha said.

After year in Afghanistan, battalion welcomed home

The Arizona Republic
Mar. 28, 2008 12:00 AM

They were part of the largest deployment for the Arizona National Guard since World War II. They had been in Afghanistan for a year.

This week, they came home.

About 100 members of the 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment began returning to Arizona on Thursday.

The rest of the unit will be home over the next several days.

The group, known as the Bushmasters, aided in a February rescue operation after a helicopter carrying Sens. John Kerry, Joe Biden and Chuck Hagel made an emergency landing.

Two members of the unit were killed in action while deployed: Staff Sgt. Charles Browning of Florence and Pfc. Mykel Miller of Phoenix. An additional 24 soldiers were wounded in action.

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Blue Star Mothers Meeting

March 25, 2008

Debbie Miller and Debbie Seifert were not able to attend the meeting. Those BSM’s in attendance held an informal meeting wherein the time was spent caring, sharing and discussing as follows:

1. Resignation –
1. Bonnielee Walsh’s resignation as Co-Vice President was announced.
2. “Middle” Meeting, March 11^th –
1. Vicki Payne informed everyone about the talk given by the D-M Speakers at the March 11^th meeting and information on deployment, etc. One of the things they talked about the soldiers’ returning stateside and re-entering normal life. It takes between 3-12 months for the soldier to become acclimated back into stateside life. The suggestion was made that they be invited to speak at another meeting and that their talk be taped. The next “middle” meeting will be April 8^th at the VFW.
3. “Middle” Meetings –
1. Obtaining speakers for these meetings was discussed.
4. MilitaryOneSource.com –
1. Link has been added to the BSM website.
5. Easter Eggstravaganza –
1. Was discussed.
6. April 8^th “Middle” Meeting –
1. Barbara Lutgendolf will be speaking. Barbara is a teacher in Marana whose son was a Naval Medic for the Marines.
7. April 29^th Meeting/Potluck –
1. Barbara League and April Bolt will ask their sons (Matt and Gareth) to speak at the April 29^th meeting. Debbie Miller’s son was in the same group. Discussion/decision to have a potluck that evening from 6:30-8:00pm and have the business meeting from 8:00-8:30pm. A potluck sign-up sheet was passed around.
2. Vicki Payne will check with Kim Sloan regarding having food in the VFW meeting room.
8. Pima County Fair –
1. Decision was made to NOT have a table at the Pima County Fair. The table would have to manned every day for 10 days from 11:00am-9:00pm.
9. Memorial Day –
1. Lois Spangenberg will check to see if Tucson has anything in the works.
2. VFW has a cookout for Memorial Day, May 26^th.
10. 4^th of July/Mt. Lemmon –
1. Helen Quigley volunteered to obtain details on the Mt. Lemon 4^th of July Celebration. She participated for the BSM’s in 2007.
11. 4^th of July/Marana –
1. Barbara League volunteered to obtain details on having a table at their celebration.
12. 4^th of July/Oro Valley –
1. Linga Cagle volunteered to contact Oro Valley regarding having a table at their celebration.
13. D-M Spring Air Show –
1. Lois Spangenberg volunteered to get info on having a table there.
14. Adopting a Highway –
1. Suggestion was made to look into this, i.e. cost, what is involved and how often.
15. DISCUSSION –
1. There was a lot of discussion on the BSM’s original formed to be a support group and having lost a lot of the people who attended the first meetings because their need for support was not being met.
2. Suggestion was that we need to reduce the time spent on business and to go back to being more of a support group.
3. It was also suggested that a group e-mail be sent to those that have attended the BSM Meetings in the past to let them know that the meetings are going to revert back to lean more toward support than business.
4. Doing “FUN” things was also suggested –

i. Getting groups together to go to –

1. Gaslight Theater.

2. Baseball games.

3. Reid Park Zoo, Music Under the Stars.

4. Sabino Canyon hikes.

5. Riverfront Park, Oro Valley.

6. Catalina State Park.

7. Etc.

Respectfully submitted,

Charli Greenlees