Although he was addressing the audience at the Reserve Officers Association’s first National Security Symposium in Washington, D.C., the subject of Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli’s keynote speech was on the health and well-being of soldiers and their families – it is "absolutely critical to the security of our nation.""I recognize it may seem to be an unusual topic for a forum on national security, however I believe it’s absolutely very relevant," the Army vice chief said during his Jan. 30 speech.Soldiers and their families are under a tremendous amount of stress and strain after nearly a decade of...
Soldiers from the Indiana National Guard’s 3-19th Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) have spent the last several months assisting Afghan farmers, and recently they taught a class on poultry management in Afghanistan’s Khowst Province.The 60 National Guardsmen from the ADT support the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division’s Task Force Duke, home based at Fort Knox, Ky.Skills and education among the ADT members include forestry, engineering, general farming, pest management, horticulture, marketing and education.A mission to Combat Outpost Terezayi saw members of the ADT...
United States Division-Center recently graduated its first Equal Opportunity Leadership Class held in Baghdad, Iraq.
Story and photo by 1st Lt. Kyle Litchfield, 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., USD-CBAGHDAD—Developing a strong partnership requires trust, and the Stability Transition Team “Phoenix” with 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center balances their traditional office meetings with its 6th Iraqi Army Division partners through training exercises, sit-down meals, and sporting events.These activities are attended by the Soldiers of Company B, 1st Bn., 63rd Armor Regt. Company B’s Soldiers are the U.S. forces’ tactical partner of the...
Story and photos by 1st Lt. Kurt M. Rauschenberg, 29th MPAD, USD-C BAGHDAD—The University of Baghdad Agriculture College recently reopened its doors in a grand opening celebration that is part of an effort to revitalize agriculture in Iraq.A program implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture and Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team called Ag Cooperatives, or `Co-Op`, is helping to meet the needs of Iraqi farmers through education, training and resource support. According to PRT members, the program, already proven a success from an earlier project in east Baghdad, provides...
Story and photo by Spc. Daniel Stoutamire, 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., USD-C BAGHDAD—Soldiers with the 2nd “Dagger” Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center recently trained six Soldiers with the 6th Iraqi Army Division’s Medical Field Unit on physical therapy and pharmacy operations at Riva Ridge Troop Medical Clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq.The training was intended to help increase the knowledge base and experience level of the 6th IA Div. MFU’s personnel, as well as help encourage a greater dialogue between U.S. and Iraqi medical Soldiers.“[This training]...
Story and photo by Spc. William K. Ermatinger, 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., USD-C BAGHDAD—A key factor in any military’s success is its ability to train new Soldiers. To assist in facilitating this ability within the Iraqi Army, Soldiers with B Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center work regularly with new Soldiers of the 11th Iraqi Army Division on basic Soldier skills at Joint Security Station Old Ministry of Defense in eastern Baghdad.During one regularly-scheduled training session between B Co...
Story and photo by Capt. Tiffany M. Collins, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division-Center Public AffairsCAMP RAMADI, Iraq – With less than 24 hours in-country, Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Devens, who recently took the reins as sergeant major for United States Division-Center, embarked on a whirlwind journey to acquaint himself with units within the USD-C footprint. First stop, Camp Ramadi and the Soldiers of the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, who are responsible for the advising, training and assisting Iraqi Security Forces in Al Anbar...
Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Tanya Thomas, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division-Center Public AffairsCAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq – Gusty winds and low visibility during another Iraq sandstorm didn’t deter Soldiers from the Iraqi Army’s 8th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division willingness to train. About 30 Soldiers from the Iraqi brigade joined U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, recently, to take part in Operation Eagle’s Talon, a five-day exercise that allows the...
Story by Staff Sgt. Tanya Thomas, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division-Center RAMADI, Iraq –Iraqi Police officers received a crash course on crime scene investigation as part of the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division’s ongoing mission to enable the Government of Iraq and provide the Iraqi citizens with a safer, more secure, and sovereign country.Specialists Jonathan Lainez and Derek Jackson—both infantrymen and trained members of one of the Vanguard Brigade’s special weapons...
Story and photos by 2nd Lt. Daniel Elmblad, 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., USD-C BAGHDAD—While some people may feel a bit squeamish about spending time around medical procedures—especially those involving blood or needles— the medics of 6th “Saber” Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center jump at every opportunity to do just that, which, in turn, improves their medical and life-saving skills.The medics of 6th Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt. are trained to Level 1 care standards that allow them to set up and run an...
TRICARE 26 program "on fast track." The Department of Defense announced details of the premium-based TRICARE Young Adult Program (TYAP) which extends medical coverage to eligible military family members to the age of 26.Expected to be in place later this spring, TYAP implements a provision included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year 2011. Premium costs for TYAP are not yet finalized, but the NDAA specifies rates must cover the full cost of the program.The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 required civilian health plans to offer coverage to adult...
AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare (ILW) recently published a Defense Report on the Declaration on Defense and Security Co-operation, a defense treaty signed by France and Britain on Nov 2.Titled "The French-British Defense Treaty: Setting History Aside?" (Defense Report 11-1, January 2011), the paper examines how the treaty may pave the way to a new level of cooperation, surpassing anything previously achieved between the two countries on a bilateral basis.France and Britain are well matched to cooperate on defense as equal partners, given the similarities in national objectives and...
Oversight plan for House defense panel released. The House Armed Services Committee recently released its draft oversight plan for the 112th Congress.AUSA was pleased to see that in many areas, the oversight plan agrees with our 2011 Resolutions. (To see all of AUSA’s 2011 Resolutions, go to http://www.ausa.org and click on Legislative Agenda). The plan identifies specific areas and subjects that will receive special attention for the next two legislative years including: Force ProtectionForce protection will continue to be emphasized as a high priority issue for special oversight. The...
It generally takes four years to develop a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet. It took about a minute Jan. 8 to transition two students from cadets to second lieutenants in the United States Army.The Army’s newest officers received their oaths of office on the Alamodome field in San Antonio, Texas, prior to kickoff of the 11th Annual All-American Bowl in what proved to be a demonstration of ROTC’s mission: Commission the future leadership of the American Army.For Veronica Perez of the University of Texas-San Antonio and Jamie Carpenter of the University of the Incarnate Word, the...