Tag: DEPLOYMENT

Everything is well here. It is starting to get hot, I mean real hot! & I love warm weather. I have been working out at lunchtime but that may be ending soon. Yesterday, I ran a 2 mile run for time on the track in what was probably 95 degree heat. My time was very good considering I was still sore from my soccer game and the heat. I was able to run a sub 14 minute 2 mile which probably equals almost a 13 minute two mile with fresh legs and decent temps. Yesterday afternoon and evening I had a slight fever – I didn’t put it together until later that the fever was from the intense exercise in the heat (sometimes I don’t think right or clearly about working out) I feel fine today and did a boxing workout (at lunch in the heat, but I had water and got in the shade some too ?

On another note, I have scheduled my Boss, two star General, U.S. Air Force, Major General Robert McMahon to appear on a DOD Bloggers Rountable this March 31, 2010 at 11 am U.S. EST. These vents are run by the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs teams. They invite leading bloggers that follow military and DOD related issues to call in and have a Q and A session with high profile military leaders. On my boss’s show, he will discuss how we prioritize the movement of U.S. forces and equipment into Afghanistan, the alternate logistics routes into and out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and also how logistics supports a counterinsurgency fight through local economy building. We may also do a concurrent Pentagon channel interview. I will post official times and info later but the websites are

www.dodlive.mil/index.php/category/bloggers-roundtable/

www.blogtalkradio.com/bloggersroundtable

Everything else is going well – very busy. If I have free time, am watching the Sopranos First Season episodes. Sylvio “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”
 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACIS1inmjFc
 

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Greetings from Haiti!

This is my first post and I am very excited - so excited, I don't know what to write!

I have been in Haiti for about six weeks, providing public affairs support  for the Joint Task Force - Haiti command team. It has been very interesting for me (this is my first deployment) and I am in no rush to leave.

My job responsibilities here are to gather command information products and distribute them via electronic means.  I am also assisting in the publication of the JTF-H twice-weekly newsletter, The Responder, and provide photographic support.

My unit, the XVIII Airborne Corps, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., was a first responder to the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake that rocked the nation of Haiti. The Corps, as the command and control element, doesn't have a large public affairs team, so we had to tag two members of the Fort Bliss, Texas-based 16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Our team currently includes a joint forces team of public affairs officers, a public affairs sergeant major, a broadcast journalist noncommissioned officer and two print journalists.  We are in the process of changing PA support over the U.S. Army South and the 11th Public Affairs Detachment.

I wish I would have started this earlier so that I would have been able to share the last month or so of my Haiti experiences.

Some of the products that we have put out can be accessed here,the 18ABC facebook here, and the JTF-H facebook here.

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

All is well here in the desert. I was able to get away today to workout during lunch. I need to buy some actual boxing gloves because the weightlifting gloves are not enough. They work for about 10-15 minutes but after that my hands start blistering. I’m definitely going to buy some or order some today because 30 minutes of heavy bag boxing equals knuckle blisters without gloves.

Yesterday, we had a two star Army General that went very well. We ended up having an informal dinner at the dining facility where about 8 General Officers attended. I was in charge of the logistics of the trip down to arranging the General and his staff lodging, scheduling all of the events of the day to include meetings, office calls, and ceremonies, and lastly picking up and dropping off at the airport. One thing that I learned yesterday is that I am also in charge of the safety and security of the Generals once we venture off base camp. I carried my M9 with me to the airport and back just as a force protection measure.

Very busy here and between the different routes into Afghanistan, diplomatic negotiations with neighboring Afghan nations, and the Iraq drawdown we will be very busy through the summer. We, as a unit, have some very exciting trips coming up around the area that I will take part in at least some of them. They include Jordan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Dubai, Al Asad Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Krgyzstan, and multiple locations in Afghanistan. Some very interesting places!

In my position here as deputy chief of staff, it has given me the opportunity to think about leadership and motivation a great deal. The library here had a great book about motivation that states external motivators don’t work as well in the end. As an example, people may be less motivated if they have to do something than if they are told or are exploring something. Wikipedia is one example they use where literally millions of people work for free and it is the most well known encyclopedia even over corporate one.

I agree that intrinsic motivation brings out much more in people, military and civilian alike. Although people like to be recognized for what they do, they also like to have autonomy and the ability to own projects, experiment, spend time to think, and set their own goals. Anyway, that is my rant and something that I am thinking about a lot. We have a really good group of people here that I am working with from all branches of service and DOD civilians. The DOD civilians where tan desert uniforms with DOD civilian on then
 

A DOD civilian in the back with tan desert fatigues.  He works ammo moves for my unit and sort of looks like a pirate with his goatee and earing.  Picture is at a morale center where civilian clothes and near beer (no alcohol) is allowed.

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

It seems like a lot of the media focus is on Afghanistan now.  However, this upcoming election in Iraq is truly a historic time.  It will be our real transition to stability operations there with Iraqis in the lead.  I follow Tom Ricks blog over at foreignpolicy.com - he really thinks that Iraq is unraveling and will erupt sometime soon.  He is a very smart and knowledgeable guy so let's hope he is wrong.

In an unclassified portion of a meeting, I came across a crazy figure about Iraq.  We will be moving over 1 million pieces of equipment out of Iraq by 1 SEP.  It sounds like a crazy number but it was clarified by a smart General that I have worked with before.  Much of that large number will be on the soldier's person.  In other words, it is weapons, ruck sacks, body armor, sleeping bags, etc/  Still, a huge number.

On another note, it made my day today and maybe the highlight of my deployment so far to be in a direct email chain that goes back to Gen Petraeus.  It was a benign email about logistics, etc.  But, still it shows the level of people and officers that I am working with - the highest.  The meeting I just came from had 3 Generals in it and I was one of only maybe 4 other people in the room.  Just hard to explain how unique that is for someone at my rank.

Lights glow during an evening view of the Gates of Babylon restaurant aboard Camp Slayer, Iraq, Feb. 25, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anita VanderMolen.
 

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Everything is going well over here.  I feel a bit better from my head cold and was able to work out today lightly.  Complete a short crossfit workout during lunch time with some jumping squats, sprints, and box jumps.  I should be able to play soccer tomorrow in our game against the Kuwait National Guard.

We are preparing for news on a posible shift in logistics through Turkey.  Turkey is upset about the upcoming potential U.S. resolution labeling the 1915 conflict an "Armenian Genocide".  Turkey has already pulled out their U.S. ambassador.  At this point it is unclear how it might affect logistics.  Currently, we use the base at Incirlik, Turkey as a major airlift hub.  Additionally, Turkey is part of the surface route by truck of some cargo moving from Iraq to Afghanistan.  If Turkey reject U.S. movement at Incirlik and throughout, we would need to scramble for other alternatives. 

I started a hometown news release for my unit here.  One of the Navy officers that I work with is forward in Afghanistan, Kabul.  The article I wrote on him was picked up by Military World and USA Today online.

The original article was published on DVIDS at the link here.

Here are some photos of logistics going on in our huge area of operations that includes all of the Middle East and some of Central Asia.

U.S. Army soldiers sit board a C-17 Globemaster aircraft on Manas Air Force Base, Kyrgyzstan, Feb. 6, 2009. The soldiers, assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, are flying out to support Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini

Iraq's deepwater seaport Umm Qasr.

U.S. Marines with a helicopter support team from Combat Logistics Battalion 8 attach an M777A2 lightweight howitzer to a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter at a landing zone on Fire Base Fiddler's Green in the Helmand province of Afghanistan Sept. 28, 2009. The Marines are transporting howitzers to broaden 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment's support of Regimental Combat Team 3, which is deployed to conduct counterinsurgency operations in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (DoD photo by Sgt. Christopher R. Rye, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)
 

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

This is where I normally hang my hat.  It is not really an office, but has everything I need :)

Nice place to hang my battle rattle behind the desk.

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I am planning on meeting with my boss next week to discuss my blogging on Army Strong Stories. My unit is working on some really fascinating logistics movements within Central Command. However, some of the movements and timelines are labeled secret so I want to ensure that I am in complete compliance with operational security.

We are deeply involved in shipping the new kinds of mine resistant vehicles into Afghanstan. It is interesting because I was deeply involved in shipping some of the first MRAPs( mine resistant vehicles) by sealift out of Charleston, SC into Iraq. Some of the new vehicles are smaller and better suited to the rugged terrain and rough roads of Afghanistan. Due to the fact that Afghanistan is landlocked, the plan is to sealift MRAPs into forward seaports like Kuwait or other nearby nations like Bahrain, and then fly from there to Afghanistan. It is a major cost savings and significant reduction in the strain on limited Air Force planes to ship by vessel as much and as far as possible.

I did some PT (physical training) during my lunch period today. It was very sandy and almost like a light sandstorm. I asked some of the security guys that have been here for years if it was healthy to work out in. They said that I shouldn’t over-do it but that I need to get acclimated, so go ahead. I did some cross-fit workouts today. Jumping squats, stair steppers, burpees (google crossfit burpees ? ? ) and backwards sprinting. I stopped short a little to not go too hard with some sand in the air.

The food here is excellent. The dining hall has everything you could want. My lunch today was grilled chicken sandwich, salad bar, and Kuwaiti yogurt. Good stuff!

I like to add photos as much as possible. Here are some showing the local camels, pallets for airlift, and a tent city where some Kuwaitis live off of the road during winter months. They leave during the summer because it is too hot!
 

Something wrong with photo editor on here so will try to add later!!

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

We had some hiccups getting to Kuwait, but now we are here!  I will post some photos of my pre-deployment training in this post as well.  We couldn't get out of US due to weather and maintenance issues on the plane.  However, we did make it into Kuwait last night after stopping in Ireland and passing through some other Middle East countries.  It is about 85 here today and very nice out.  More to follow soon and am working on getting set-up in my living quarters and job at CENTCOM Deployment Operations Center.

An Air Force officer picked me and a contractor up from Ali Al Saleem Air base and couldn't have been nicer.  He helped me get set-up in my roon and drove me around the base camp.  The plan for me is to be a direct executive to our unit commaner who is a two-star Air Force General.  It is going be very fun, a challenge, and hard work!  More to follow!

Getting ready for 9mm pistol qualification and close marksmanship training.  Feb. 11, 2010.

Picture is just outside of our barracks as we could not take weapons inside.

Freedom hall, where we hung out in a hangar before flying out from Ft. Benning, Feb. 12, 2010.

A dog handler and his German Shepher, at airport terminal.  The dog was a great flier and I

think is headed to Afghanistan, Feb, 13, 2010.

Waiting with body armor and 9mm weapon for our 0530 formation, Feb, 12, 2010.  It was cold

in Georgia that week!!!

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Although I should already be in Kuwait, our flight was delayed due to weather.  The East Coast really has got slammed with snow and we had some issues getting the plane de-iced.  Hopefully, my next post will be from Kuwait or somewhere close by there in the Middle East.  Right now, we are waiting at a CONUS location to board the plane and depart enroute to Kuwait.  We should have one stop in Europe somewhere.

Waiting for news about our delayed flight to Kuwait and getting some rest.

Our group is a mix of army soldiers, DOD civilians, and contractors, Feb, 2010.

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Today is Day 1 at the CONUS Replacement Center Fort Benning Georgia for me.  I should be here for about a week and then fly out.  About 500 people here processing for the week, mostly contractors and DOD civilians.  There are a ton of interpreters and even some dog handlers.  We did some paperwork today, briefings, and some testing for traumatic brain injury that was interesting,  Here are some photos, more to follow..

My first station.  In line at a huge pavilion.  Ft. Benning, GA CRC Center, Feb. 6. 2010.

One line for DOD civilians, one for contractors, one for military.

Waiting for next briefing.  Why is southern Georgia cold right now??? Glad I brought my fleece jacket.

 Email

 Print

 Comments

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•