Other Memories
Assigned in LTC Billet as SF LNO for SOCSO to JFCOM (Translated-Answered phones in JOC?) Had to leave and find a unit that would use my skills!
Other Memories
Served as AMF Commander commander in Combat. Ran SF ASOT/LLSO, CA, Psyops teams additional duties. Temp Base Camp CDR with 2 ODA's & 1 Co' of 82nd ABN. Afterwards, returned to complete SF Staff Time at Bragg. Transferred from 19th to 20th SFGA and took a team. SF ODA Team Commander in FL before going IRR-DIMA.
Description On 2 December 2011, US officials handed over Camp Victory to Iraq after officials from both countries signed the necessary paperwork. There was no formal handover ceremony.
Camp Victory is the US ArmOn 2 December 2011, US officials handed over Camp Victory to Iraq after officials from both countries signed the necessary paperwork. There was no formal handover ceremony.
Camp Victory is the US Army base situated on the airport grounds. From Camp Victory near the international airport, it's about a 15-minute drive by Humvee to downtown Baghdad. Camp Victory is five kilometers from Baghdad International Airport. Iraqi workers are working on buiding up Camp Victory's brand new Tent City with a population 12,000 soldiers from dozens of nations, including the USA. In mid-September 2004, as part of an Army-wide effort to give its facilities around Baghdad friendlier connotations, Camp Victory was also given the Arabic name translation of "Camp Al-Nasr".
Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory is where the Army is now headquartered. Some of the villas were still being built as of mid-2003. Coalition hired construction crews around the lake to finish the job that Saddam had started. Military units use most of the marble-clad facility. An Australian army unit has one side of the palace's ground level and US Army legal officials have part of the second floor. A few soldiers also call the palace home. The soldiers -- 30 to a room -- sleep there, hanging their underwear and socks on the windows to dry.
Missouri National Guard members stationed at Camp Victory, Iraq, spent their July 4th holiday competing in a 5k run. The 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry of the Indiana National Guard, is responsible for ensuring that Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory stays in good repair and keeps its presidential charm.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said "amazing progress" had been achieved in Iraq during the past four to five months with the creation of city councils across the country and a national governing council. Briefing reporters at Camp Victory in Baghdad 05 September 2003, Rumsfeld said the next step for Iraq is to set a date for a convention to draft a constitution. He said the Coalition Provisional Authority intends to stay in Iraq only as long as necessary.
Mosquitoes, flies, and rats got the (combat) boot from the 714th Medical Detachment. Shortly after arriving at Camp Victory, the 10-member team from Fort Bragg, NC, which provides preventive medicine for V Corps, Combined Forces Land Component Command and Baghdad International Airport, went right to work. Investigating a rat-infested living area, they found rat droppings in dozens of locations, inside and out. They laid traps throughout the area and taught the soldiers there how to properly clear and reset them. In less than a week, nine rats were killed. During a typical week, a team from the 714th inspects living and work areas here for rodents and sets mosquito light traps around sites with large concentrations of standing water. Later, team members collect the light traps and refrigerate them to ensure all mosquitoes are dead.
The US Army is working on improving living conditions for the troops while Operation Iraqi Freedom progresses. One of the larger projects is the revamping of the Camp Victory base. The soldiers of C Company, 389th Engineer Battalion from Dubuque, Iowa clear the thick wild fields surrounding Camp Victory. The first thing that has to be done is to proof the land - clear and level the grounds scheduled for construction. Most of the land on Camp Victory is covered with wheat fields that need to be burned and trees that need to be torn down. The soldiers of C Company also have to clear the area of any possible landmines or improvised explosive devices on at least sixty acres. The 389th En. Bn. cleared the whole west side of BIAP (Baghdad International Airport). In October 2003 they were doing the same thing here. This is probably a bigger area. Next the soldiers level the ground and layout gravel for vehicle traction and to decrease dust levels from the fine-grain sand. This is necessary because the water tends to sit over the sand rather than soak into the ground. After the ground has been leveled, the job of construction will go to KBR (Kellogg, Brown, and Root). KBR will truck in modular buildings and install electrical wiring and plumbing. The buildings will be fully operational living, dining, and administrative facilities.
Iraqi contractors and American soldiers shared the heat, sweat and asphalt in a recent joint paving project at Camp Victory. The 94th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade soldiers teamed up with the Iraqis in mid-September to pave a 40-foot-wide road with 854 tons of asphalt in order to reduce traffic congestion in the center of the camp.
Camp Victory is home to the Pegasus Dining Facility and also sports a short-order grill, salad, pizza, sandwich and ice cream bars. A Burger King stand, operating out of two mobile tractor-trailers is located outside the Camp Victory's PX which offers a wide variety of products ranging from televisions, gas grills, A/C units, microwave ovens, women's thong underwear and condoms. As of June 2004, that Burger King had the distinction of being Burger King's sole Iraq location. In addition, the base offers Internet cafes, weight rooms and basketball courts.
The large man-made lake between Camp al-Tahreer and Camp al-Nasr was once stocked with fish as part of Saddam Hussein's private hunting reservation, and has since become one of the largest overseas American military bases built since the Vietnam War. Though the lake is no longer stocked, the 1st Cavalry Division soldiers stationed here have found that fishing season is still open. The division's fishing fanatics and amateurs who fish this lake received a boost when an Alabama sporting goods company collected hundreds of rod and reel combos and thousands of fishing accessories for donation to the soldiers. The gear started arriving June 2004 when the parents of 1st Lt. Kevin Black, executive officer for 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters Company, contacted Simmons Sporting Goods Co. of their hometown of Birmingham. When company officials heard soldiers in Iraq had a place to fish, they immediately donated about 20 rod and reel combos along with around 200 lures from their shop.... More
Memories
Served as Contractor, many firefights and incoming.
Description Operation Mongoose near Spin Boldak is winding down. Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division continued cave destruction in the Adi Ghar Mountains. The operation began Jan. 27. Eighteen rebels were killOperation Mongoose near Spin Boldak is winding down. Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division continued cave destruction in the Adi Ghar Mountains. The operation began Jan. 27. Eighteen rebels were killed after US and Norwegian aircraft bombarded the area on January 27 and 28. Coalition troops had initially believed 80 rebels linked to Taleban, Al-Qaeda and the radical Hezb-I-Islami party of hardline ex-premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar were hiding in the Adi Ghar caves, 20 km north-west of the border town of Spin Boldak.
Soldiers of Company A 2nd of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) White Devils, along with soldiers of A Company 307th Engineers, attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, from Kandahar Army Airfield, Afghanistan, take a break in one of the caves they are clearing during a combat patrol in the mountains of Adi Ghar, Afghanistan, on January 30, 2003. The mission called Operation Mongoose is to search various caves throughout the mountain ranges of Adi Ghar for suspected Taliban and weapons cache and destroying them preventing the re-emergence of terrorist activities in the area. ... More
Memories
Not OP Lancero, Served in Base Camp, Orgun-E, Afghanistan, Appx- 17 attacks
Other Memories
Served with 19th SFGA on SEP 11. Was SFDOQC candidate post 9/11. Fast tracked through ICCC, CA-OAC & CAS3 Then deployed to combat with my CAN NG SF unit, and returned to continue to serve on AD by their request. Served as 18A committee XO and 4th BN S-3 asst. (Spent alot of time at SWC as Enlisted as well.)
Combat time with 19th out of CA while the Gobernator was in office.
Description "Operation Enduring Freedom" (OEF) is the current official name used by the U.S. government for the War in Afghanistan, together with a number of smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Gl"Operation Enduring Freedom" (OEF) is the current official name used by the U.S. government for the War in Afghanistan, together with a number of smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Global "War on Terror" (GWOT).
The operation was originally called "Operation Infinite Justice", but as similar phrases have been used by adherents of several religions as an exclusive description of God, it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims, who are the majority religion in Afghanistan. U.S. President George W. Bush's remark that "this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while", which prompted widespread criticism from the Islamic world, may also have contributed to the renaming of the operation.
The Operation comprises several subordinate operations:
Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P, formerly Operation Freedom Eagle)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Pankisi Gorge (completed in 2004)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS; see also Insurgency in the Maghreb)
Operation Enduring Freedom – Caribbean and Central America (OEF-CCA)
The term "OEF" typically refers to the war in Afghanistan. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are only loosely or nominally connected to OEF, such as through government funding vehicles. All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities.
Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, which is a joint U.S., U.K. and Afghan operation, is separate from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is an operation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations including the U.S. and U.K. The two operations run in parallel, and although it has been intended that they merge for some time, this has not yet happened.
Overview
In response to the attacks of 11 September, the early combat operations that took place on 7 October 2001 to include a mix of strikes from land-based B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, carrier-based F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet fighters, and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from both U.S. and British ships and submarines signaled the start of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-A).
The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by President George W. Bush in his 20 September Address to a Joint Session of Congress and his 7 October address to the country, included the destruction of terrorist training camps and infrastructure within Afghanistan, the capture of al-Qaeda leaders, and the cessation of terrorist activities in Afghanistan."
In January 2002, over 1,200 soldiers from the United States Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) deployed to the Philippines to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in their push to uproot terrorist forces on the island of Basilan. Of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.[8] The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the local people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles.
In October 2002, the Combined Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier. The stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. Similar to OEF-P, the goal of humanitarian aid was emphasised, ostensibly to prevent militant organizations from being able to take hold amongst the population as well as reemerge after being removed.
The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training and equipment to the armed forces in the region. The humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people.
Since 2001, the cumulative expenditure by the U.S. government on Operation Enduring Freedom has exceeded $150 billion.
The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command.... More
Memories
Drug Wars of Colombia 96-97, many, many firefights and brothers lost.
Description Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful and destructive hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (290 km/h). The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful and destructive hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (290 km/h). The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch was the most notable hurricane in the season. At the time, Hurricane Mitch was the strongest Atlantic hurricane observed in the month of October, though it has since been surpassed by Hurricane Wilma of the 2005 season. The hurricane matched the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record (it has since dropped to seventh).
Mitch formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, 1998, and after drifting through extremely favorable conditions, it rapidly strengthened to peak at Category 5 status, the highest possible rating on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. After drifting southwestward and weakening, the hurricane hit Honduras as a minimal hurricane. It drifted through Central America, reformed in the Bay of Campeche, and ultimately struck Florida as a strong tropical storm.
Due to its slow motion from October 29 to November 3, Hurricane Mitch dropped historic amounts of rainfall in Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, with unofficial reports of up to 75 inches (1,900 mm). Deaths due to catastrophic flooding made it the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history after the Great Hurricane of 1780; nearly 11,000 people were killed with over 11,000 left missing by the end of 1998. Additionally, roughly 2.7 million were left homeless as a result of the hurricane. The flooding caused extreme damage, estimated at over $6 billion (1998 USD).... More
Memories Served in Haiti with US EMB & UN for DoS for Mitch and other QRF functions from 97-99, occasional shots fired in anger.Served in Haiti with US EMB & UN for DoS for Mitch and other QRF functions from 97-99, occasional shots fired in anger.... More
Description Operation Silver Anvil was a non-combatant evacuation operation carried out by United States armed forces in Sierra Leone in April–May 1992. The operation successfully evacuated more than 400 people fOperation Silver Anvil was a non-combatant evacuation operation carried out by United States armed forces in Sierra Leone in April–May 1992. The operation successfully evacuated more than 400 people from the country.
President Joseph Saidu Momoh was overthrown in a coup d'état on April 29, 1992. The evacuating force from Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR), a subcommand of United States European Command, was commanded by Brigadier General Richard W. Potter.[1] Elements from Company C, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) [1-10th SFG (A)], and the 39th Special Operations Wing (later re-designated the 352d Special Operations Group), along with communication specialists from the SOCEUR Signal Detachment, other SOCEUR staff, two MC-130 Combat Talons from the 7th Special Operations Squadron, two HC-130 tankers from the 67th Special Operations Squadron, aircrews, combat controllers, and maintenance personnel.
Company C was informed of the coup in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, on the night of April 29 while conducting an exercise in Stuttgart, Germany. Work immediately began on mission planning and within 15 hours had "performed mission analysis, configured the unit's equipment, wrote orders, issued war-stocks, loaded the aircraft, and deployed." Despite the widespread civil unrest, the special operations force, under the operational control of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), "developed a rapport with the local military" and over the next two days evacuated 438 people, including 42 third-country nationals and several United States Air Force Medical Civil Action Program (MEDCAP) personnel. Two C-141s flew 136 people from Freetown to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, while C-130 sorties carried another 302 to Dakar, Senegal.... More
Memories Was operating in Sierra Leone running combat aviation operations, CSAR, Recon, VIP, QRF, Resupply & MEDEVAC as well as Intel and Air Combat ops from 1998-1999. Conducted the NEO for US &UK Expats and was last US person to exit countryWas operating in Sierra Leone running combat aviation operations, CSAR, Recon, VIP, QRF, Resupply & MEDEVAC as well as Intel and Air Combat ops from 1998-1999. Conducted the NEO for US &UK Expats and was last US person to exit country... More
Description Operation Provide Comfort II began on 24 July 1991, the same day Provide Comfort ended. This operation was primarily military in nature, and its mission was to prevent Iraqi aggression against the KurOperation Provide Comfort II began on 24 July 1991, the same day Provide Comfort ended. This operation was primarily military in nature, and its mission was to prevent Iraqi aggression against the Kurds.
Partly as a result of Western commitment to the Kurds, Iraqi troops were withdrawn from the Kurdish regions in October 1991 and these areas assumed de facto independence.
On 5 April 1992, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force bombed bases in northern Iraq belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran. Iraqi jets were scrambled to intercept the intruders while Coalition aircraft did not interfere.
On 15 January 1993, Iraqi air defense sites opened fire on two USAF F-111 bombers. On 17 January, Iraqi Su-22s fired on two F-16 jets, and a U.S. F-4 Phantom destroyed an Iraqi radar which had been targeting French reconnaissance aircraft. Around a half-hour later, an American F-16 shot down an Iraqi MiG-23 Flogger which had crossed into the no-fly zone. The next day, American F-16s bombed Bashiqah Airfield and F-4 Phantoms attacked Iraqi air defense sites. Over the next few days and months, more Iraqi sites fired on the American patrols, and several were attacked. That August, the USAF deployed the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft to Turkey, and on 18 August, these aircraft dropped four laser-guided bombs on an Iraqi SA-3 site near Mosul.
On 14 April 1994, two USAF F-15 Eagle fighters on patrol mistakenly downed two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters carrying 26 Coalition citizens, killing all aboard.
On 9 December 1995, F-4 Phantom II aircraft of the Idaho Air National Guard finished their tour of duty with Combined Task Force Provide Comfort at Incirlik Air Base. This was the last operational use of the F-4 Phantom by the USAF.
In August 1996, Iraqi troops intervened in the Kurdish regions of Iraq, and the United States responded with Operation Desert Strike against targets in southern Iraq. As a result, some incidents occurred in northern Iraq, and the United States launched an operation to evacuate certain pro-American Kurds from northern Iraq.
The operation ended officially on 31 December 1996 at the request of the Government of Turkey who wanted to improve relations with Iran and Iraq. It was followed by Operation Northern Watch, which began on 1 January 1997 with the mission of enforcing the northern no-fly zone. France declined to participate in Operation Northern Watch.... More
Memories In Turkey with Turkish Special Forces as placation operation. Working on Kurd border areas. Rounds fIn Turkey with Turkish Special Forces as placation operation. Working on Kurd border areas. Rounds fired.... More
SF Ground Ops LNO to UN
Very good unit, with real "warfighter minded" leadership!