"SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AT HOME AND AWAY"

My Favorites
My Favorite color is... Blue
My Favorite food is... Chinese Hunane Style
My Favorite smell is... The air after It Rains
My Favorite music is... Native American
My Favorite hobby is... Being Creative
My Favorite flower is... Blue Rose
My Favorite time of the year is... Autumn
My Favorite sport is... NasCar
My Favorite animal is... German Shepherd's
My Favorite pastime is... Walking My German Shepherd's

MySpace Layouts MySpace Codes MySpace Backgrounds

* * * NEWS * * *

RCT-2 TAKES TO THE SKIES TO COVER AO

By Cpl. Ryan C. Heiser
2nd Marine Division

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Gamble, a corpsman with Regimental Combat Team 2’s Aero Scout team, provides security while the rest of the team searches a group of Bedouin tents. Aero Scout, technically a large squad of the provisional rifle platoon, is a mix of military occupational specialties ranging from infantry to administration. The team uses helicopters to quickly search areas of interest, and scout out possible targets.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- In a 30,000 square mile patch of desert, roughly the size of South Carolina, it isn’t easy to have eyes and ears everywhere. Regimental Combat Team 2, the unit in control of the northwestern piece of Iraq’s Al Anbar Province, has taken an elevated approach to the problem, and regularly fields an Aero Scout group to the far corners, cliffs and caves of the western Euphrates River valley.

Aero Scout is made up of Marines from different military occupational specialties ranging from infantry to administration. The team uses helicopters to quickly search areas of interest and scout out possible targets.

“We fly around to areas that may be difficult for ground units to get to, and scout out any nefarious activity,” explained Cpl. Kyle D. Christian, the team’s radio operator. “We make the enemy feel like there is nowhere to hide, and we play a large role in reconnaissance also.”

The group flies to large areas of open desert where they suspect illegal activity may be taking place, and take a closer look.

“We are a reconnaissance asset,” said Maj. Robert B. Brodie, the Aero Scout mission commander. “Recon slash interdiction and disruption, that’s what we do. It comes down to economy of force. We enable the regimental commander to have a force that can do recon and show a presence across his entire area of operation.”

According to the aeroscouts, in addition to their scouting mission, they also help out nomadic civilians on their frequent aerial exploits.

“We do cache searches, vehicle searches and sweeps, but we also provide a humanitarian aspect to our mission,” said Sgt. Jason R. Carmody, the team’s platoon sergeant. “We hand out speedballs, backpacks filled with water, chow, toothpaste and other hygiene gear, and handbills with phone numbers they can call and photos of the most dangerous insurgents in their area.”

Brodie, a Beaufort, S.C., native, explained the nomadic Bedouins the aeroscouts frequently come into contact with do not have the luxuries or communication assets local villagers may have access to.

“They don’t get television or radio, so we help them out by providing them with information about what is going on in their country and who the bad guys are. We better enable the overall mission by opening more lines of communication and information sharing,” Brodie said.

The Marines on the Aero Scout team said they enjoy what they do, and love the chance to get out and make a difference.

“I get to go out and at the end of the day feel like I did something that mattered. It doesn’t make a difference if we rolled up a bad guy, found any weapons, or just collected some good intel, in the end it all fits together to help eliminate the threat to the Iraqi people,” said Christian, a Hallettsville, Texas, native. “There are no more stupid insurgents, they died a long time ago, so we are trying to fight very smart individuals who know what they are doing, and every piece helps fit the puzzle together so we can catch him.”

The group usually takes a fire team of Iraqi soldiers with them on the helicopters to not only help with communication, but also show the civilians how far the Iraqi Security Forces have come in their training and dedication.

“This lets the civilians know we are working together to take the weight of safety and security off their shoulders, so they don’t have to worry about getting attacked, the good guys are watching,” Christian said.

“Simply put,” explained Brodie, “We are positively affecting the people of our AO by providing a secure environment in which we can cultivate nationalism.”

The Aero Scout team has been working together for about four months, and has completed nearly 20 successful missions in support of RCT-2.

“This is a regular group of guys, not specially trained, but because of their eagerness and will to make a difference, they were able to come together and make a successful unit and successful missions,” Brodie said.

EXPOSING THE ENEMY

CONCERNED LOCAL CITIZEN GROUPS
AID PROGRESS IN IRAQ

WASHINGTON – Captures of al Qaeda operatives and seizures of weapons caches in Iraq are up, and casualties are down, a senior military official in Baghdad told online journalists and “bloggers” today.

Air Force Col. Donald Bacon, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, attributed a large part of this success to the surge of operations, the increase in activity among Iraqi security forces, and most recently, the formation of concerned local citizens groups, known as CLCs.

Since surge operations began in June, Bacon said, al Qaeda attacks are down 55 percent, civilian deaths are down 60 percent, coalition casualties are down 55 percent, and Iraqi forces casualties are down 40 percent.

Iraqi security forces are becoming increasingly active, with Iraqi forces now bearing a big brunt of the casualties, taking 50 percent more casualties than U.S. forces, the colonel explained.

Bacon touted the CLC program’s importance.

“Concerned local citizens are part of the force protection plan; without them, al Qaeda would move back in the region,” Bacon said. In October, Bacon noted, 43 al Qaeda leaders were captured or killed, up from 29 in September, 25 in August, and 18 in July. To become part of the CLC, citizens are given biometrics and put under a contract which includes a sworn allegiance to protect the Iraqi government.

CLCs also have increased the number of uncovered weapon caches. Of the 72 caches uncovered in October, 40 of them were found by CLCs.

The 5,365 caches uncovered so far this year far exceed the 2,667 uncovered last year. “These are the fuel that al Qaeda uses to attack Iraqi security forces and civilians,” he noted.

The goal going forward, Bacon explained, is to make the CLC groups 20 to 25 percent of the Iraqi security force. He said the program is seen as a way to engage more and more Iraqis in their own government, aiding security and leading to more encouraging statistics in the future.

“CLC is a recently new initiative in recent months that has made a tremendous impact on the security here in the region,” Bacon said. “We are working hard with the Iraqi government to make this fully an Iraqi government program. We are working with national and local leadership to work on this program.”

WARFIGHTER'S STORIES

WOUNDED WARRIOR STANDS
TO PIN ON SILVER BARS

By Dennis Ryan

Brig. Gen. John Johnson, Rebecca Kelley and Sgt. Maj. Willie Ash Jr. watch 1st Lt. Mark Little stand outside for the first time on his new prosthetic legs at his promotion ceremony.

FORT MYER, Va. -- Exactly two months ago 2nd Lt. Mark Little was patrolling in Iraq, when he was wounded by an improvised explosive device. He lost both of his legs.

Wednesday morning at the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial, Lt. Little stood proudly outside on his new prosthesis for the first time to receive the silver bars of a first lieutenant.

Brig. Gen. John D. Johnson, special assistant to the commanding general of the Installation Management Command, called Lt. Little a "proven leader" and someone who "has already made sacrifices for his nation" before pinning the bars on the Soldier.

"This is a guy who gives so much to his country," Brig. Gen. Johnson said after the ceremony. "The attitude he has is inspiring to see. That's the epitome of a Soldier. We've had Soldiers such as Gen. [Frederick M.] Franks [Jr.] who've lost limbs and gone on to great careers. It's what's in your heart and what's in your head that matters."

In May 1970, Gen. Franks was wounded in action in Cambodia. His leg was amputated below the knee and, after rehabilitation, he remained on active duty. Franks went on to lead 146,000 U.S. and British forces during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His units rolled more than 250 kilometers in 89 hours to liberate Kuwait in February 1991.

1st Lt. Little served as a sergeant in an engineer battalion with the Virginia National Guard while attending George Mason University.

His father, a veteran of the Korean War, Fred Little, proudly pinned a silver bar on the lieutenant's hat.

"Everything was just the way it should be," the father said.

Girlfriend Rebecca Kelley also helped with the promotion.

"I think it's fantastic," she said. "He surprises me every single day. He got into the states on the 11th of September. His progress has been amazing, the blood transfusions, infections, the things he had to overcome."

Lt. Little was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center Sept. 11.

Kelley said Little did not want to receive his promotion sitting down.

"He was determined to stand up today," she said. "He just got the left leg Monday."

The young officer was fully aware the statue behind him contained Marines. He grew up in the Arlington-Fairfax area and said he has always loved it and the locale.

"It shows overcoming adversity and this is what I am doing," Lt. Little said. "This is my first day with the left leg outside of the hospital. I got it Monday. Yesterday was the first day I stood up on it. I took 20 steps on parallel bars yesterday."

"Walter Reed is a wonderful, wonderful place," the new first lieutenant said. "I've experienced nothing but great care there."

Dear Lord,

There's a young man or woman far from home,
called to serve their nation in a time of war.
We pray you keep them safe, we pray you keep them strong,
we pray you are sure to send them safely home.
For they have been gone way to long.
Bless those who await there safe return,
and those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve their country no matter the cost.
And God Bless America and her Heroe's!!!

---Author Unknown----

MILITARY PRAYER

Lord, give us strength and courage
in the fields of battle.
May our missions always be
for honorable and just causes.

Guide our leaders to act
with wisdom and compassion.
Help us protect and defend
the rights of the innocent.

Watch over our loved ones
while we are far from home.
When we are in harm's way,
protect us from injury.

Grant us victory and lasting peace,
if not here on earth,
then forever with you in heaven.