tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57560256787336979962024-03-15T17:09:55.009-08:00Short TimersEmbedded student journalists and a professor report from Iraq's Diyala province: Meet <a href="http://shorttimers.blogspot.com/2009/07/professor-to-blame.html">Brian</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/5OKoE">Jenny</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/Z5S9B">Jessica</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/Hd0iO">Tom</a><br>Need info? Start <a href="http://shorttimers.blogspot.com/2009/07/basics-whats-going-on.html">here</a>Brian O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068922437662013502noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-70219955319350935162010-04-13T12:14:00.003-08:002010-04-13T12:31:10.793-08:00Shameless promotion department<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Y5-yvVtPIGCVN1tBhvXhmdQgo-TxcqA3WK2JCZ4BQSRGTHJOwTMu9r1ozp7v3tt3dTOYg06fhE7m52DfD29cPBppDrCEEYjjaL-ZS_cFF96sSlyUuwzWkiwJoBTJ3XQ1Q2e4u4S-I8QT/s320/Aurora_Magazine_Spring2010_LOWRES_Page_02.jpg" /></div><br />
Our Iraq project receives <a href="http://www.uaf.edu/aurora/archives/spring-2010/dateline-iraq/">cover-story treatment in the spring issue of Aurora</a>, UAF's alumni magazine. The package includes an overview I put together describing how we got there, what happened and lessons the students took away from the experience. It also features one of Tom's best pieces, "<a href="http://www.uaf.edu/aurora/archives/spring-2010/dateline-iraq/saying-goodbye/">Saying Goodbye</a>," a story about the 1-5 Infantry's last training mission with an Iraqi police unit. Staff Sgt. Daniel Blalock's emotional parting with several Iraqis he's been working with says it all. <br />
Aurora's designers gave us a beautiful spread. We owe them. Big time.<br />
--Brian O'DBrian Patrick O'Donoghuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941149148141907891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-2113730832145446422010-02-16T12:32:00.004-09:002010-02-16T12:38:27.899-09:00UAF Journalism Embeds: Free public lecture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZusp1jY1BT1pPbBsyEbq2KTchJcM9gu8bm_Ngs9cSqQ_wokjc7Oxp7mMhTIRY-FZMT70LGy71LFjsv7AB1RKQRspeWjC1k98RsnDdAPwLatH83jHpEECuxJOec5JhLE-guXLTL4cb_FA/s1600-h/3UAF+embed+flier.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZusp1jY1BT1pPbBsyEbq2KTchJcM9gu8bm_Ngs9cSqQ_wokjc7Oxp7mMhTIRY-FZMT70LGy71LFjsv7AB1RKQRspeWjC1k98RsnDdAPwLatH83jHpEECuxJOec5JhLE-guXLTL4cb_FA/s400/3UAF+embed+flier.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438958360888462146" /></a><br />This coming Friday, Feb. 19, Jenny, Jessica, Tom and I will discuss our experiences reporting on the brigade last summer. Pictures never seen. Stories that didn't make the printed page. Bring your questions. Nothing is off limits. That's 7 p.m. at Schaible Hall, which is located in UAF's Bunnell Building. <div>--Brian O'D </div>Brian Patrick O'Donoghuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941149148141907891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-48749423699085380742010-01-07T10:41:00.004-09:002010-01-08T21:54:05.451-09:00Personal Delivery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOjtYxzKyp_-0UCXL5eS4l1hLqaKXbtBmhYyVy3b7jHmG0WU5yuOnr0i-5yquK3GL5mSZVFrGYmLCAL3MF4vadp7H44uA-FW4iFiCGH3KT_MLiomAOR9b0FFqWHoSVw_y1gdKGot-bIAn/s1600-h/Mission-brief.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOjtYxzKyp_-0UCXL5eS4l1hLqaKXbtBmhYyVy3b7jHmG0WU5yuOnr0i-5yquK3GL5mSZVFrGYmLCAL3MF4vadp7H44uA-FW4iFiCGH3KT_MLiomAOR9b0FFqWHoSVw_y1gdKGot-bIAn/s320/Mission-brief.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424623485753376274" /></a>Just before Christmas Capt. Chris Hassan, a platoon leader with the 3-21st Infantry, went above and beyond reasonable expectations in completing what amounts to a final Iraq mission. <div><br /></div><div>Let me explain:</div><div>Jessica Hoffman and I traveled in Strykers under Hassan's command on a mission at FOB Normandy. <i>The photo shows the captain briefing soldiers </i>before we joined Iraqis searching a palm grove used launching rockets at Warhorse. When we shifted back to the 1-25ths headquarters we again caught a ride with Hassan's platoon in the convoy out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Somewhere along the way, Jessica misplaced a UAF Journalism tripod.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-size:16px;">We hadn't had much use for the thing. In general, field assignments were too hectic for tripod use. Jessica's camerawork was mostly hand-held by necessity. But she's the kind of videographer who leaves nothing to chance. She lugged that tripod across Diyala Province on the outside chance it might be needed.</span></span></i></div><div><br /></div><div>It wasn't a huge loss, but it was the only piece of gear the team misplaced in our month-long rambles through airport lobbies and military camps stretching back to Fairbanks. Figuring it was at least worth a shot, I emailed Hassan.</div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">> Hey Captain,</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">> Jessica tells me she thinks she left a tripod behind the driver's<br />> side bench seat inside the tripod. Could you guys take a peek when you get a<br />> chance.This would have happened in Monday's CLP run from Normandy.<br />> If, by chance, the tripod turns up maybe we can figuring out how to get it back<br />> through the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"> PAO in Warhorse. If it's not there, don't sweat it.<br /></span><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;">The initial word from the platoon wasn't promising: </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Mr. O'Donoghue,<br />No one has reported finding a tripod but I will look and let you know. If i find it I will get it to you if i have to bring it to you at UAF.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Take care,<br />Christopher B. Hassan<br />CPT, IN<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;">We both scoffed at the idea that an officer with Hassan's warzome responsibilities would make such an oath.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">Jessica laughed, I e-mailed back, and says she's betting you'll hock it at the haji shop. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;">Hassan responded in kind:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">Brian,<br />The Haji shop would probably only give me $5. I personally would rather try it at a Pawn shop in Fairbanks. Im sorry but no one has found it and no one has reported finding it. I will still keep my eyes and ears open for it. Hope you have a safe trip back.<br /><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><br />Take care,<br /><br />Christopher B. Hassan<br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); ">CPT, IN</span> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">No sweat, I responded, I appreciate you looking for it. Jessica hasn't used it much and I don't think we'll miss it. Good luck down the stretch to you and your men.</span> </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;">A week later he had the last word:<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Brian,</span></span><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"> We found the tripod. We are going to load it in one of our storage containers that is flown to the States. I would imagine that I will be able to bring it to you around October.<br /><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><br />Take care,<br /><br />Christopher B. Hassan<br />CPT, IN<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;">In November, the container showed up at Fort Wainwright. Soon after, the captain fulfilled his pledge, dropping by the department where I gave him a peek at our developing brigade Web package. Like many 1-25th soldiers and officers, Hassan elected to reenlist and is leaving Alaska for a new assignment. Wherever the next mission takes him, I'd bet the captain goes the distance, personally seeing the assignment through.</span></div><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;">Take care, Chris<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"> </span></span></div><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><br /><br /></div></span></div></div>Brian Patrick O'Donoghuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941149148141907891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-85916822771911624312009-11-11T09:52:00.003-09:002009-11-11T11:59:05.525-09:00In the works<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplmYoqIBMCvFw8BceNVtNwN5wzuxuf1VJh1O_E9XoOeEBXQP4xBpbL1ROuS7OIPIPwGg5WeJ7VsL_0SM6oB9gN6KqPG5hbDfL2efDjWqfo-YlP6nLL_YEnn_OqUbnmnL1wwTUwf60zlFA/s1600-h/Al-Faw-dawn-minaret.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplmYoqIBMCvFw8BceNVtNwN5wzuxuf1VJh1O_E9XoOeEBXQP4xBpbL1ROuS7OIPIPwGg5WeJ7VsL_0SM6oB9gN6KqPG5hbDfL2efDjWqfo-YlP6nLL_YEnn_OqUbnmnL1wwTUwf60zlFA/s400/Al-Faw-dawn-minaret.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402953188705389698" /></a><br />Snow is on the ground here in Fairbanks. The brigade's command officially changed hands earlier this week. Col. Burt Thompson and many others are soon jetting off to new assignments. <div><br /></div><div>Our Iraq adventures, from accompanying soldiers on sweat-streaming patrols in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Diyala</span> to the odd serenity we glimpsed exiting through VIP quarters near Aw <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Faw</span> palace, continue to draw attention within the field.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CBC's</span><i> The Current</i>, a national radio program, aired a thoughtful discussion about the project, featuring interviews with Globe and Mail war correspondent Graeme Smith, Tom Hewitt and myself. Scroll down to <a href="http://http//www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2009/200909/20090929.html">the 9/29/09 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">show's</span> third segment</a> for the audio stream.</div><div><br /></div><div>A fairly comprehensive three-page spread, "<i>From J-school to Jihad</i>," was the lead item in Editor and Publisher's September hard-copy edition, illustrated by several of the student's photos!</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>In October, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ryerson</span> Review of Journalism, an online publication associated with a Canadian university of that name, posted "<a href="http://http//www.rrj.ca/online/809/"><i>Extreme J-School</i></a>," an written by graduate student Chelsea Murray, contrasting our project with a Canadian journalism program's involvement producing a multimedia documentary about environmental problems in Ghana.<br /><div><br /></div><div>What's next? </div><div><br /></div><div>Hewitt, Jessica Hoffman and other students are working on a new website presenting a fuller picture of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">UAF</span> Journalism's experience reporting on Alaska soldiers efforts in Iraq, as well as the 1/25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Stryker</span> Brigade Combat Team's ceremonial "redeployment" home. The package should show up later this winter on <a href="http://www.uaf.edu/extreme">Extreme Alaska</a>, the department's online publication.<br /><br /></div><div>We're planning a public lecture about the Iraq embedding project this spring. I'm also reprising "<i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">JRN</span> 493 Pen and Sword: Covering America's military"</i> the special topics class constructed around what then seemed to be a radical real-world assignment: embedding <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">UAF</span> students in local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">war games</span> proceeding the brigade's 2005 deployment. </div><div><br /></div><div>Little did we know,<br /><br /></div><div>--Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">O'D</span></div><div><br /></div></div>Brian Patrick O'Donoghuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941149148141907891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-13485362297398104572009-09-01T15:49:00.008-08:002009-09-01T15:59:42.369-08:00Strykers teach final lessons<p>By Tom Hewitt</p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">UAF Journalism</span></p><p>BAQUBAH, Iraq — Shortly after entering the police station, Staff Sgt. Daniel Blalock of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment found himself in the embrace of an Iraqi officer.</p> <p>“I knew it was going to be a sad day when we told them we couldn’t come back,” Blalock said, after he returned the hug.</p> <p>Sgt. Blalock and other members of 1-5’s Charlie Company had come to the station, just north of Baqubah in Diyala Province on a mission to help train the Iraqi Emergency Response Force. The ERF, a special branch of the Iraqi Police trained for security operations, had worked with the American soldiers for months, and it was their final session...</p><p><a href="http://newsminer.com/news/2009/aug/31/alaska-strykers-teach-final-lessons-returning-home/">Read more in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner</a><br /></p>Brian Patrick O'Donoghuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941149148141907891noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-27641642007817766042009-08-30T08:57:00.006-08:002009-08-30T09:21:11.635-08:00HomecomingThe team arrived home safely last night on Northwest Flight 405. We were met by our loved ones at the airport. Even UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers and his wife Sherry Modrow showed up to welcome us back, which was really nice of the two of them. Jenny rushed to catch a flight back to Anchorage - after all of our traveling, she still had one leg to go.<div><br /></div><div>We caught up with our families as we waited for our checked bags. After we had all our things, we said goodbye to one another and stepped out into the darkening Fairbanks night. A temperate 50-degree Interior night never felt so cool before.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can only hope that every soldier with the 1/25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team has an equally happy homecoming. And I hope that the new soldiers with the 3/2 SBCT coming into Warhorse now work to help the Iraqis of Diyala Province - it's going to take a lot of work by all involved to return the area to its former prosperity.</div><div><br /></div><div>For those curious what will happen to this blog, there's still quite a bit of material to be posted here, so I expect we'll have new stuff for you for at least a week or so. We'll probably do a couple more pieces for Alaska Dispatch too, so don't tune out quite yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was an amazing month, and I hope you all enjoyed our coverage. It was an honor to be able to bring some of Diyala back home for you.</div><br /><br />-Tom Hewitt for the UAF Iraq embed teamTom Hewitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00643550404227973374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-23664051024112022952009-08-28T20:30:00.000-08:002009-08-28T20:34:43.310-08:00Deputy DogsAmericans are familiar with working dogs. However, for the Iraqi police this is something new.<br /><br />Soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Canine Unit are helping Iraqi Security Forces train dogs to sniff out trouble.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxQYMsl0x7YPcYu4iHDsNUR6TNqcYBfWIgFEMp1E64MLgKpe4gF7NbQ4ZsvPM8gfpJV97alZo9X_FAcsZWVLQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911792127247114623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-15614292121361282702009-08-26T14:02:00.004-08:002009-08-26T14:07:56.182-08:00Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Hewitt, Photos by Jenny Canfield/UAF Journalism<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL3HDornAtovh0VLJg_eWmTcyvDCugBi7kuGrFTy906aT54zR8HDBmp8VQITR_1VY62fUXDls2Zl4HWIgr_eeZalSooN0lzdTpioDRkwhFsU6b4sRdUV8EltFB3zdxHB9udwXhYd1SWk/s1600-h/KasalesTalk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL3HDornAtovh0VLJg_eWmTcyvDCugBi7kuGrFTy906aT54zR8HDBmp8VQITR_1VY62fUXDls2Zl4HWIgr_eeZalSooN0lzdTpioDRkwhFsU6b4sRdUV8EltFB3zdxHB9udwXhYd1SWk/s200/KasalesTalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374396923506649250" border="0" /></a>COP COBRA, Iraq - On a sunny morning at Command Outpost Cobra, Lt. Col. Michael Kasales of the 1-25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team was mending fences.<br /><br />“This kind of cooperation doesn’t exist anywhere else in Iraq,” he told the assembled Iraqi forces at a joint security meeting. “There can be peace and understanding, or it can turn into a fight.”<br /><br />On the border between Iraq and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, Kasales and the troops of his 5-1 Cavalry Regiment have their work cut out for them, trying to massage egos and build relationships between Arabs and Kurds. It’s a daunting task even under the best of circumstances, and the soldiers are dealing with an active insurgency and infrastructure projects to boot.<br /><br />As the meeting wore on, the magnitude of friction between the authorities became apparent. The Iraqi army and police forces complained of poor communication between the security agencies – American, Iraqi, and Kurdish – in the region, and a lack of trust between forces was a major bone of contention. Still, Kasales urged the meeting’s attendees to continue working together, telling them, “The example you are providing here is coexistence and peace for the future of Iraq.”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79mq_qGTHuP67-o4QKVs-a-jFcHm4SKynHPHWyMajOJA8Abt407WMQV-uEyt3VfDq5m2_caZs0kmnVfOGVZE0qMxGcj_J9Fm93MLRfsxHxJETo5Eutg9eYdpCDkaM_QWkjI-2fichLME/s1600-h/Kasales.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79mq_qGTHuP67-o4QKVs-a-jFcHm4SKynHPHWyMajOJA8Abt407WMQV-uEyt3VfDq5m2_caZs0kmnVfOGVZE0qMxGcj_J9Fm93MLRfsxHxJETo5Eutg9eYdpCDkaM_QWkjI-2fichLME/s200/Kasales.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374397153858281826" border="0" /></a>Kasales has worked hard to ease tensions in his squadron’s area of operations, pushing Iraqi authorities to set up joint checkpoints and operations with the Kurdish pesh merga militia forces. The pesh merga have been successful at maintaining order and security in Kurdistan, and both the Iraqi and American governments believe that cooperation between Kurdish and Iraqi forces is key to keeping the peace, especially in the volatile disputed zone that runs diagonally through northeast Diyala Province – the 5-1 Cavalry’s backyard.<br /><br />Efforts to foster cooperation between Kurds and Iraqis in security operations have been successful, but it’s still a rocky road. At the morning security meeting, Iraqi police and army representatives had arrived in force, but the pesh merga were nowhere to be seen. At the meeting’s end, word arrived that the Kurds had been hassled at the command outpost’s gate, and – feeling slighted – turned around, blowing off the meeting.<br /><br />“It happens about once every three times we do this,” Kasales said after the meeting’s end. “Sometimes it’s where people are seated at the tables. Personally, I think it’s silly, and I let them have my seat if they’ll take it.”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl07z7Y_tQl41pgixkIU9a0PcgdaWN4v4A-elYzE0NjnMjLEluoKWLGhT3QgTv0uet52iWpdGZnBcNvgnE4qkkAhyq4hyphenhyphenekHyQFNCCgaqpPJbnFACgJNkC81JuUxqJoQw8AkGWljMXKo/s1600-h/MarketWalk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl07z7Y_tQl41pgixkIU9a0PcgdaWN4v4A-elYzE0NjnMjLEluoKWLGhT3QgTv0uet52iWpdGZnBcNvgnE4qkkAhyq4hyphenhyphenekHyQFNCCgaqpPJbnFACgJNkC81JuUxqJoQw8AkGWljMXKo/s200/MarketWalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374397161369086402" border="0" /></a>An uncertain future<br /><br />In the Kurd-dominated town of Khanaqin, Iraqi Police Col. Mahmoud was quick to suggest that Kurd-Arab tensions are overblown. “There is no difference between working with Arabs and working with Kurds. He is an Arab, and I am a Kurd,” he said, pointing to the officer at the next desk. “We work together. We trust each other.”<br /><br />“He knows how we [Kurds] suffered under Saddam,” Mahmoud said of Kasales. “We will be sad to see him go.” Still, he expressed faith that the situation will not worsen when Kasales departs in September. “I do not know who will replace him,” Mahmoud said, “But I have faith in the Americans. If he is going to be like Kasales, then we will trust him and we will work with him.”<br /><br />The American soldiers from COP Cobra were less hopeful. “The Kurds and Arabs play nice while we’re here,” one said outside the dining hall that evening as he smoked a cigarette, “But as soon as we’re gone, all bets are off. They’re going to go right back to fighting.”<br /><br />Back at the base, Col. Kasales reflected on the meetings between the Iraqi security forces. “You get everybody together like that in one room, and they always complain and moan about something – there’s always something they’re unhappy about. But just getting them into that room, even if they’re complaining – at least they’re not out in the streets, shooting at each other.”<br /><br />He acknowledged that the transition to a new American unit in the region will be delicate. “We’ve spent a lot of time establishing these relationships, and these partnerships. When the next guy comes in, we’ve got to make sure he’s up to speed.<br /><br />“Because if you’re not careful, you’re right back at square one.”Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-29100563928307339382009-08-25T22:29:00.000-08:002009-08-25T22:30:42.245-08:00Sheik Blames Outsiders<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">August 15th rockets struck just outside of FOB Warhorse, the headquarters of the 1</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">st</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Stryker Brigade.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></span></p> <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">UAF Journalism’s Jessica Hoffman tagged along with the Iraqi Army and the U.S. soldiers from the 3-21 Infantry Regiment investigating the launch site.</span></span></span><div><span style="font-size:12;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Cambria,fantasy;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:Cambria;"></span><!--EndFragment--> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyTCLvMgfzJRLJUQTeZkGhn3L0Dq6-8YPywbby3bjAb2GPNyYAcUyB77AGWmC50KpA1z2pxSrXdRwBbAY8BFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911792127247114623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-73019114304383287642009-08-25T21:30:00.001-08:002009-08-31T15:00:58.399-08:00Strykers search for source of rocket attack<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">FOB NORMANDY, Iraq -- Capt. Chris Hassan and Second Platoon, Charlie Company had a different mission scheduled with their Iraqi Army partners. Plans changed in the wake of an unsuccessful rocket attack against American forces the previous night.<br /></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">"Jesus, that's down by Warhorse," the 28-year-old Hassan spluttered as the headquarters of 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment radioed the new instructions.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Each of the 1-25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's sub-commands wields responsibility over designated portions of Dilaya Province. The rockets took off from a grove less than 10 miles from the brigade's headquarters at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, near Ba'qubah.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The platoon's home borders Muqdadiyah, roughly 90 minutes north. It might have made sense for soldiers from the closer base to respond. But Iraqis call the shots on U.S. involvement since June 30, and the IA command in Diyala Province wanted the assistance of Hassan's Strykers searching the date palm grove linked to the attack.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Local police met the combined force of Americans and Iraqis shortly after 8 a.m. in a village near the Shaki River. Hassan directed his soldiers down a narrow road, bordered with mud walls on either side, toward the grove targeted for searching. As the road emptied into a grassy field, the local sheik arrived with news.<br /><br />"Guys were seen escaping when the rockets were launched," the sheik explained through a translator.</p><p></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10982660">See KTUU.com for more</a></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p></span>Brian Patrick O'Donoghuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941149148141907891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-80092972430218108062009-08-24T09:16:00.006-08:002009-08-25T04:48:49.729-08:00Mail Call<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_xlTsKdEYMEfBNsq2I6kB48tjntoVd17cbP5hn1lwY0yPcqmfr56CnrpKKlem3v9Y2xCN78xBGr-Ku6MqVVyrEGAcGshP96KYWiNeNLKo2O_8Ql1R0uwWNceOkuF39RjH6wnbjo3uhQ/s1600-h/kirk_worley_caption.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 114px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_xlTsKdEYMEfBNsq2I6kB48tjntoVd17cbP5hn1lwY0yPcqmfr56CnrpKKlem3v9Y2xCN78xBGr-Ku6MqVVyrEGAcGshP96KYWiNeNLKo2O_8Ql1R0uwWNceOkuF39RjH6wnbjo3uhQ/s200/kirk_worley_caption.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373881902498809714" /></a><br />A few soldiers in the public affairs office gather around boxes. A care package shipment has just arrived. With excitement Joint Combat Camera member Navy Mass Communications Spc. 1st Class Kirk Worley opens the treasure trove. Inside the one-cubic foot USPS box, there are six smaller boxes. It’s like watching a kid on Christmas morning. The contents of each box spills onto his desk. Pulling the last package out, Worley says with a joyful tone, “This one is going to be the best one.” Each box was filled with candy, trail mix, beef jerky and a myriad of other treats. Worley organizes the snacks across his desk and lets his fellow Joint Combat Camera team member Air Force Staff Sgt. Ali Flisek choose her favorite goodies. With glee she chooses mini SweetTarts and dried mangoes. “It doesn’t matter what’s in the box. It’s just fun getting it,” said Flisek.<br /><br />The Scarlet Macaw Community Arts Center in Sawyer, Michigan sent this particular package.<br /><br />~Jessica HoffmanJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911792127247114623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-91699419998038169842009-08-23T10:20:00.000-08:002009-08-23T10:30:52.218-08:00Training in a Combat ZoneWar is often characterized by combat and fire power, what has often been referred out here as “kinetic” operations. But these days Alaska’s soldiers serving in Iraq are finding themselves in less aggressive, supporting roles.<br /><br />To keep skills up to date, the Brigade offers its soldiers training in the warzone.<br /><br />~Jessica Hoffman<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyaBweOmMqUsYN7EppiE2RLJ0Qbqs5PhA9k2bzQKmzoJjXaI-QKHpBVaKI7UrsHdldwIER9qHLOFVswcaEq' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></center>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911792127247114623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-24514842246447343142009-08-23T00:58:00.002-08:002010-02-23T09:59:52.435-09:00New Posts At Alaska Dispatch<b>Balancing rockets and recreation</b><div>by Brian O'Donoghue<br /><div><br /></div><div>Once known as a "black-out" base, Forward Operating Base Warhorse now sports an outdoor basketball court illuminated by spotlights all night long.</div><div><br /></div><div>More at <a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1617-balancing-rockets-and-recreation-">Alaska Dispatch</a>.</div><div><br /><b>Good fences make good neighbors </b></div><div>by Tom Hewitt</div><div><br />It's easy to miss the most prominent architectural feature of Forward Operating Base Warhorse, even though it takes up far more space than any other object in the area.</div><div><br /></div><div>More at <a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1620-good-fences-make-good-neighbors">Alaska Dispatch</a>.</div></div>Tom Hewitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00643550404227973374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-69094237443243530992009-08-22T21:00:00.001-08:002010-02-23T09:59:03.860-09:00An Iraqi fishing storyThe American captain from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, was making his rounds, checking on developments in one Iraqi police lieutenant’s corner of Muqdadiyah.<br /><br />Capt. Tim Walton asked the police officer about how upcoming Ramadan fasting might affect his 50-member force. Walton wanted to know who made the call pulling police from many of the highway checkpoints. He and the Iraqi discussed the progress of local trials involving suspected terrorists.<br /><br />The police lieutenant’s description of a recent arrest jogged the Fort Wainwright soldier’s memory. “Last October, we stopped that same guy with his big pole in the water,” Walton recalled.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1619-an-iraqi-fishing-story"><i>Read more</i><br /></a>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911792127247114623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-32581422685872467022009-08-21T15:17:00.004-08:002009-08-21T16:59:14.075-08:00Maintenance<span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">By Tom Hewitt/UAF Journalism</span><br /><p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">Last week, Sgt. Melvin Lamb of the 1-25<sup>th </sup></span> <!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Stryker Brigade walked into his classroom with an unenviable task: He had to teach a group of Iraqi Army soldiers, many of whom had never picked up a wrench, how to maintain and repair their vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It wasn’t the responsibility that was onerous, it was the time frame.</span><!--EndFragment--> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtImfYcm-q_C_dTM9yPB2X1e_FWhS1jVeGVb20Dqy-dZ1KEc6Wlw9ThZRQnqRcP867D4Y-U0grmCJdXZdutLuQcRqwUjiHZrUPK5wAhhuDuaOIewFvTHEPGHaBdJ97Fr2Ndd15k0X6Jbs/s1600-h/HMMVside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtImfYcm-q_C_dTM9yPB2X1e_FWhS1jVeGVb20Dqy-dZ1KEc6Wlw9ThZRQnqRcP867D4Y-U0grmCJdXZdutLuQcRqwUjiHZrUPK5wAhhuDuaOIewFvTHEPGHaBdJ97Fr2Ndd15k0X6Jbs/s200/HMMVside.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372560647143868978" border="0" /></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">He had to do it in 14 </span><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">days. </span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">“Trying to teach them everything in two weeks – yeah, that’s a crash course,” Lamb said, standing in the oversized container unit that serves as his mechanic’s school. “Some of them do have experience, but the bulk of what I get are drivers.”</span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">With such a short time to teach the Iraqis, the American instructors have to focus on the high points – the vehicles’ major systems and sources of the most common problems. Although Lamb wishes he could teach a longer class, he knows it’s not realistic. “It would be better if they could embed with us for a year,” he said, “But their government can’t afford it.”</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">In fact, the Iraqi government has difficulty letting its soldiers a</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qqfYu8ulW9q1uHMMfcTPA4oJ2OhjQvZjeHiZ4jCg2ql2MvyzDBkz9JXsHqqR86V-8P857zTb8gDz22UKr397RTuViCNXk9gbG_44OIHoGTj4ZsVVDfDkMz3P_zP6ASYMUsyHSwnuKv4/s1600-h/HMMVfront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qqfYu8ulW9q1uHMMfcTPA4oJ2OhjQvZjeHiZ4jCg2ql2MvyzDBkz9JXsHqqR86V-8P857zTb8gDz22UKr397RTuViCNXk9gbG_44OIHoGTj4ZsVVDfDkMz3P_zP6ASYMUsyHSwnuKv4/s200/HMMVfront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372560636888153362" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">ttend the class at all, even in its two-week form. For the men who enroll, the class is treated like leave, and though there is air conditioning in the classroom, it’s hardly a vacation. Lamb and his fellow instructors teach HMMV maintenance, and though the Iraqi Army soldiers are eager, they often have a lot to learn.</span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">“The main focus is trying to get them to use manuals,” Lamb said, adding that the Americans had </span><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">their hands full translating the English-language HMMV manuals, already difficult for many U.S. soldiers to understand, into Arabic. </span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">Despite their reluctance to crack books for answers, the Iraqi soldiers showed initiative in other areas. “They’re very intuitive,” Lamb said. “When something goes wrong, they’ll look all over for obvious problems.”</span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">Without at least some instruction, however, the Iraqis’ eagerness can go to waste. “The first day of class, something was wrong with the HMMV, and it wouldn’t start,” Lamb said. “It took them two hours to figure out that it was in drive.”</span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">Outside the classroom, Lamb’s Iraqi Army pupils sat at a picnic table, chatting and wearing refitted U.S. Army uniforms from previous conflicts. Kosovo, Somalia, Desert Storm, and even Vietnam were represented.</span><br /></p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaYeXsQ4s5Tk5MnuVMk-4iNzUiLfzQDHUXKm5pgFykFYiVffLORXTQ9JZDaPdUmNsN7PaBmV6q7O1yhW2amYY5SznnefzOiuDCcX1c5kw_04JRbf2J_WFWr96efcJpHW0Rrbh5PqyMPo/s1600-h/IAStudents.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaYeXsQ4s5Tk5MnuVMk-4iNzUiLfzQDHUXKm5pgFykFYiVffLORXTQ9JZDaPdUmNsN7PaBmV6q7O1yhW2amYY5SznnefzOiuDCcX1c5kw_04JRbf2J_WFWr96efcJpHW0Rrbh5PqyMPo/s200/IAStudents.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372560653437421282" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">The HMMV </span><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">maintenance class was valuable, they said, and they had learned a great deal. They </span><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">expressed some frustration with having to use the manuals, but said they trusted Lamb and took him at his word that doing things by the book was worth their while. They had been working on the vehicles all morning, but as the heat of the day approached, they were taking a break before going inside for the four-hour classroom portion of the day’s lesson.</span><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">The short time frame made the class seem more like triage than a full-fledged maintenance program, but Lamb remained optimistic. “99 percent of the guys that go through this class are greatly improved by the end.”</span><br /></p> <span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:100%;">As the Iraqi Army soldiers filed into the classroom to resume their studies, Lamb made light of his task. “This is actually a lot less intricate than regular car repair,” he said. “You know how you’ve got about 50 or 60 sensors in your car at home? Well, these HMMVs have four.”</span>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-49079100056108662252009-08-20T13:11:00.004-08:002009-08-20T13:38:56.330-08:00132.8 Degrees FahrenheitToday was the hottest Forward Operating Base Warhorse has experienced this year. The thermometer at the Public Affairs office, our base of operations, pegged the maximum temperature at 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, nobody here - not even the soldiers - had experienced heat that severe before.<div><br /></div><div>You may be wondering what it feels like to be outside at that temperature. The answer, as best I can approximate it, is that it feels as though you're inside a sauna that doesn't have any walls. The heat pushes its way into everything - your clothes, the water you're carrying, your body armor, the vehicles (which get too hot to touch without gloves)... everything. There's no escape.</div><div><br /></div><div>It also really makes you understand why it's not a good idea to enter a sauna fully clothed, with body armor and a helmet to boot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, there are ways to deal, and the funny thing is that it's not entirely unlike the way we deal with extreme cold in Alaska. Stay hydrated, dress appropriately, don't go outside unless you have to, and monitor your core temperature very closely. The soldiers of the 1-25th Stryker Brigade have learned these lessons well themselves - every vehicle going outside the wire has a cooler stocked with ice water and Gatorade for those riding inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we get back to Alaska, it's going to be below freezing at night. It will take some getting used to for us, but even more so for the soldiers who, for the past year, have made FOB Warhorse their home.</div>Tom Hewitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00643550404227973374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-34790299827646698062009-08-19T15:06:00.004-08:002010-02-23T09:58:19.286-09:00COP Keywest Closure & Web Coverage UpdateAs U.S. forces are pulling out of Iraq, American occupied bases are returning to Iraqi control. During these ceremonial hand-offs, inventory is accounted for, the conditions of the buildings are noted and agreements are signed.<br /><br />UAF Journalism’s Jessica Hoffman was present for the 9th installation closure in Diyala.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwgx_RF5z8PO4xxVcx5PYcE-FKbIDAt7Jyi5nz2vr7LcyisMWa5wK-Il-nCfYuFIZxCAXXvafkfuiHGy8_P1w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br />As well, here's our weekly update of web coverage of our embedded journalists:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Anchorage Daily News </span>(multiple stories from their dedicated <a href="http://www.adn.com/shorttimers/">Short Timers</a> section):<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.adn.com/shorttimers/story/901661.htmlhttp://www.adn.com/shorttimers/story/901661.html"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Help Requires Hard Sell</span></a> (O'Donoghue - 8/17)</li><li><a href="http://community.adn.com/mini_apps/vmix/player.php?ID=5671678&GID=118"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Training with DET Cord</span></a> {<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">VIDEO</span>} (Hoffman)</li></ul><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Alaska Dispatch</span> also has updated their dedicated section:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1569-draft-night"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Draft Night</span></a> (Hewitt - 8/18)</li><li><a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1552--wary-veterans"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Wary Veterans</span></a> (O'Donoghue - 8/17)</li></ul>Additional Online Content:<br /><ul><li>Fairbanks DN-M: <a href="http://newsminer.com/news/2009/aug/16/alaskas-strykers-learn-expect-unexpected-iraq/"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Alaska Strykers learn to expect the unexpected...</span></a> (O'Donoghue - 8/16)</li><li>The American Prospect: <a href="http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=08&year=2009&base_name=will_the_last_embed_turn_out_t"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Will the Last Embed turn off the Lights?</span></a><br /></li></ul>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-70467882068057348912009-08-19T11:07:00.005-08:002009-08-19T12:24:21.886-08:00Army of Sergeants<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2h7YWoXMIxUxyDUJViyQ110TfNDQm5767gFcPGy09efZXfJ77IrZHUMBQBce8SO8T38ldYKnf9KdlwDuABENTljtHTyzypOllS-k75XrmX2PAD9qnRpKS_6QXomA0dtDZlKeE4wa7iU/s1600-h/interviewingsgtmajor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2h7YWoXMIxUxyDUJViyQ110TfNDQm5767gFcPGy09efZXfJ77IrZHUMBQBce8SO8T38ldYKnf9KdlwDuABENTljtHTyzypOllS-k75XrmX2PAD9qnRpKS_6QXomA0dtDZlKeE4wa7iU/s200/interviewingsgtmajor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371762369395771602" border="0" /></a>By B. O'Donoghue<br /><br />“Talk to the privates,” Col. Burt Thompson said early on, encouraging us to get the full picture on life in and around Warhorse Forward Operating Base.<br /><br />I have encountered a few privates on missions and other stories we’re covering as embeds with the 1-25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. But soldiers at Beetle Bailey’s end of the pay grades don’t appear that common among Fort Wainwright’s deployed ranks.<br /><br />This is confirmed by the brigade’s top NCO, Sgt. Major Gabriel Cervantes. He said it’s a natural consequence of the 1-25th’s overnight formation as a “life-cycle unit” in 2006, and the U.S. Army’s promotion process.<br /><br />“When they came in, 90 percent of these soldiers were privates. Now all those soldiers who were privates three years ago are sergeants.”<br /><br />Cervantes expects the brigade will see big turnover this fall as many of those newly-minted sergeants either move on to new Army posts, or elect to get out of the service.<br /><br />As an established brigade, however, the 1-25th should retain more of a mix in the ranks. “You’ll always have people rotating in and out,” Cervantes said, “but there won’t be such an abundance of NCOs.”Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-85347779726907439782009-08-18T09:43:00.004-08:002009-08-18T10:04:02.530-08:00Social Media UpdateWe've been adding content in the form of some pictures of the team on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairbanks-AK/Short-Timers-Embedded-student-journalists-and-a-professor-report-from-Iraq/124374061562?ref=ts">our Facebook page</a>.<div><br /></div><div>If you're on Facebook, check it out, and become a fan! We hang out there when we have a free moment, and try to answer questions if you have any.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're on Twitter, Jenny and I (and some others too!) have been posting under the tag <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23UAFiraq">#UAFiraq</a> - it's searchable, so you can filter for just posts that contain that tag.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're social-media-challenged, we're working on a gallery outside of Facebook too. I'll keep you updated.</div>Tom Hewitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00643550404227973374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-80209809741355577462009-08-17T14:10:00.006-08:002009-08-21T17:04:21.339-08:00Living On The Iraqi FrontierBy Tom Hewitt/UAF Journalism<br />Photos by Jennifer Canfield/UAF Journalism<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5p3q8JtxnIxenWDuPocu1h8RKHLDv8KqmWjPUu6397BWM6n_3QVCvb2L2Ntd8uMvqBXO31eihSggF3HN5-X8fSibdOF613UbZeHbm22MHACfONK-Q1Coxzy7rzMQoeDtv3mEpPpDJ_M/s1600-h/DallmanStryker.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5p3q8JtxnIxenWDuPocu1h8RKHLDv8KqmWjPUu6397BWM6n_3QVCvb2L2Ntd8uMvqBXO31eihSggF3HN5-X8fSibdOF613UbZeHbm22MHACfONK-Q1Coxzy7rzMQoeDtv3mEpPpDJ_M/s200/DallmanStryker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371060441560679746" border="0" /></a>COP COBRA, Iraq - “Ah yes, Cobra,” Maj. Chris Hyde said, laughing nervously and sucking air through his teeth. “It’s nice up there, really nice. But – how shall I say it – very austere.”<br /><br />Austere was the right word. A lone soldier from the 1st Cavalry, 5th Squadron showed up to greet the arriving Blackhawk helicopters at the landing pad, and as he showed us to our quarters, he made no effort to hide either the plainness of Command Outpost Cobra or his affection for it.<br /><br />“Sure, we don’t have a big mess hall here, or some of the other stuff they have at [Forward Operating Bases] Warhorse or Caldwell,” he said. “But I like it. We get our missions done, and it’s a little more relaxed than down at Caldwell. For one thing, there’s no Sergeant Major Greene up here.”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWKCC_c6wpT8WK9PsRLoH7u6Z3Bb6vFP95zDQNpzVMZ1bcdIqF1nVgBpmTcp47WbdELHxtY959WAaO7xhSze6lLOoIM4L8b-F8UE9Wunv8AQs5e3VaIJgRZTB0kaMdUCkrIJch128kGM/s1600-h/DallmanExtremeAngle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWKCC_c6wpT8WK9PsRLoH7u6Z3Bb6vFP95zDQNpzVMZ1bcdIqF1nVgBpmTcp47WbdELHxtY959WAaO7xhSze6lLOoIM4L8b-F8UE9Wunv8AQs5e3VaIJgRZTB0kaMdUCkrIJch128kGM/s200/DallmanExtremeAngle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371059459454516834" border="0" /></a>Soldiers at COP Cobra tended to speak of Sgt. Maj. Charles Greene, the squadron’s chief non-commissioned officer, with a mixture of mild resentment and respect. While several cited his absence as a reason they enjoy their stay at Cobra, they affectionately retold stories about Greene’s temper and his fondness for Diet Pepsi.<br /><br />The soldier who greeted our helicopters wasn’t kidding about Cobra not having a big mess hall. While the dining facility at Warhorse had an overwhelming array of menu options, at Cobra there was only one choice: take it or leave it. There were no soldiers choosing the latter. Thankfully, the meal of the evening – spaghetti and meatballs with green beans and a roll – proved delicious. A nearby table held an open case of Pop-Tarts, presumably an alternative on nights when the food was less popular.<br /><br />The men and women staffing COP Cobra may enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere, but they can turn it on and off like a switch. On a mission in the nearby town of Khanaqin the next day, the soldiers’ eyes darted back and forth as they walked through the half-empty market, looking down side streets and up to rooftops for harbingers of a coming attack. While Khanaqin has been calm for some time, the soldiers were visibly relieved when they finished the walk and got back into their waiting Stryker vehicles.<br /><br />COP Cobra’s facilities ran from modest to extremely modest. A makeshift barbershop was set up one night in the corner of the laundry room. Only one set of electric clippers was in evidence, and a garbage bag stood in for a barber’s apron. Still, those waiting for a haircut were in good spirits, and one – equipped with an acoustic guitar – even indulged a request to play “Free Bird,” which he played flawlessly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEEu9Q8DkQzTXyCLRgBZISK5dZuFLpI3YGYfyaTXydH1ytmFivoXw1XCJQLLsu12nZoz8SrE2-mq5F3iN9D_upK-8_hQj__W4IRp04ptfD5DvdmKtMWARVtCfNDI3cu2iZhBgmPEBGyA/s1600-h/StrykerPatrol.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEEu9Q8DkQzTXyCLRgBZISK5dZuFLpI3YGYfyaTXydH1ytmFivoXw1XCJQLLsu12nZoz8SrE2-mq5F3iN9D_upK-8_hQj__W4IRp04ptfD5DvdmKtMWARVtCfNDI3cu2iZhBgmPEBGyA/s200/StrykerPatrol.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371059990748427186" border="0" /></a>The only amenities on the outpost universally derided by its soldiers were the latrines. Even the bathroom at the squadron’s headquarters, widely considered the best at Cobra, only had one Western-style toilet, with the others little more than holes in the floor. In one stall, a folding chair leaned up against the wall with the seat cut out, in an effort to provide some measure of normalcy.<br />Despite the austerity, those stationed at Cobra find ways to import touches of luxury. The evening after the mission to Khanaqin, the squadron’s chaplain had a cookout, complete with steaks. “They won’t be the best steaks you’ve ever had,” warned Pvt. Joel Adams as we walked over to the grill, “But it’s a steak in Iraq.”<br /><br />By the time the steaks were finished, the night was pitch dark. The soldiers stood outside the dining hall, smoking cigarettes and talking about home. Almost all of the soldiers were less than a month from the end of their deployment, and they held forth on the places they would go, the music they would buy, and the beer they would drink as soon as they got back to Fairbanks.<br /><br />“What a night,” said Spc. Joel Adams as the cookout wound down, looking up at the night sky. “Feels almost like home.” The stars rose over the outpost, and the Big Dipper shone brightly, comforting and yet somehow out of place above the desert.<br /><br />The next evening, Adams and Sgt. Christian Ozuna sat with me in the mess hall at FOB Caldwell for dinner after a convoy ride from Cobra. The two shared good-natured gripes about their housing. “We were supposed to get new housing units,” Adams said. “They talked about it for weeks and weeks, and then they gave them to 3-66 [Cavalry Regiment]. Always the way.”<br /><br />“We have a mouse in our quarters, actually,” Adams continued. I volunteered that I had seen the rat poison set out in the corner of Cobra’s dining facility.<br /><br />“Yeah,” Ozuna said, smiling and looking into the distance, “Those steaks last night sure were tasty, weren’t they?”Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-33579770083729850142009-08-16T16:56:00.003-08:002009-08-16T17:07:13.188-08:00Getting The Band Back TogetherIt's been over a week since the team has been in the same place - Brian and Jessica headed out to Forward Operations Base Grizzly last Saturday, then Tuesday they came back to Warhorse as Jennifer and I traveled to Command Outpost Cobra to the northeast. We thought we would have a little overlap time before Brian and Jessica went back north to FOB Normandy, but then Jennifer and I were waylaid en route, so we missed each other again.<div><br /></div><div>In a few hours, though, Brian and Jessica should be returning from Normandy by convoy, and the gang will be whole once more.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've really appreciated the trips outside of Warhorse - they've been the most valuable time I've spent here - but it's going to be nice to have a little time with the whole team. It's been a while.</div>Tom Hewitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00643550404227973374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-50365167948617520662009-08-16T16:54:00.002-08:002010-02-23T09:55:16.285-09:00The Arms RaceI was sitting in the coffee shop when I noticed people running by outside.<div><br />Then I heard the alarm, "Incoming...Incoming..." and realized that it had been going on for several seconds. I was so engrossed in the conversation I was having that I hadn't noticed it earlier.</div><div><br /></div><div>More at <a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1538-the-arms-race">Alaska Dispatch</a>.</div>Tom Hewitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00643550404227973374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-48922938864953799182009-08-13T10:14:00.004-08:002010-02-23T09:53:29.858-09:00Web Coverage - Part 2Our embedded journalists continue to grab headlines across the web as more of their stories are being picked up by media outlets and blogs. Here's some links:<br /><br />Anchorage Daily News has dedicated an entire section to the stories of our embedded students: <a href="http://www.adn.com/shorttimers/"><span style="font-style: italic;">UAF Students in Iraq</span></a><br /><br /><ul><li>Alaskan Dispatch (8/13): <a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1509-noisy-neighborhood"><span style="font-style: italic;">Noisy Neighborhood</span> (B. O'Donoghue)</a></li></ul><ul><li>Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (8/12): <a href="http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/aug/12/fort-wainwright-soldiers-find-themselves-different/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fort Wainwright soldiers find themselves...</span> (B. O'Donoghue)</a></li></ul><ul><li>Alaskan Dispatch (8/10): <a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/reporting-from-iraq/1468-the-ashraf-powder-keg"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Ashraf Powder Keg</span> (T. Hewitt)</a></li></ul>Also mentioned in a recent article concerning global reporting:<br /><ul><li>Sacramento Bee (8/9): <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2094400.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">New breed rewrites rules of global reporting</span></a></li></ul>As well, <a href="http://www.thunderrun.us">The Thunder Run</a>, a blog specializing in news from the front lines, has started linking to our articles. P2pnet has also written a short article about our students that can be found <a href="http://www.p2pnet.net/story/25801">here</a>.<br /><br />You can follow our group's tweets by searching <a href="http://twitter.com">Twitter</a> for "#uafiraq" or by following this <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=uafiraq">link</a>.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-14720348138564179722009-08-13T09:35:00.004-08:002009-08-15T07:25:42.664-08:00Air AssaultI thought we had hit some turbulence. Everyone stood up and filed out the ramp of the Chinook Helicopter. As I stepped off the ramp, I was blinded by the dirt and straw kicked up from the rotors. Following the soldiers, I stumbled over the ruts for a few yards and knelt as the helicopter lifted off.<br /><br />The dust settled, revealing a star blanketed sky. It was about 3 a.m. Orion could be seen, but here, the celestial warrior stretched horizontal. The half moon illuminated furrows from farming and a plateau jutting from the mostly flat land. Beyond the plateau ahead of us, sparse lights from a distant village could be seen.<br /><br />Within the plateau, the soldiers spotted an unexpected light. This caused concern and the soldiers stood fast with their rifles ready. It was possible this light could be from a fire inside a cave. <br /><br />Soldiers immediately moved to investigate the light. The Iraqi Army and a small squad from the 1st Platoon, B Co., 1-25th Stryker Brigade led the way, beginning a mission that would continue past dawn.<br /><br />-Jessica Hoffman<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycT1g4Tyn4kQkMEQmFC77GKnqIHCa2faGyRvMNuusnFfbNDfDg6YcFCjB62rQnNzJ0LrOBSFT0osZdf0JPgA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></center>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756025678733697996.post-91334289100126398452009-08-12T10:00:00.002-08:002009-08-12T10:12:22.349-08:00Homestretch<center><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwXsbS12gDJTV6rIdwjHNhbvxICQQFdoYRNmmf4d-DfBRg8sWsMFQA4DACsIkETRXEgWV5ZRW5MCC-WhfrXWw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />Our embedded journalism student, Jessica Hoffman, reports on the Stryker Brigade's preparations to head home as well as what the soldiers are looking forward to when they return to Alaska.</center>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634585301294136941noreply@blogger.com0