Multi-National Division – Baghdad “First TeamTeam First...
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Multi-National Division – Baghdad “First Team.....Team First” Saturday, April 18, 2009 See MENTOR, Pg 2 ‘Demon’ tankers mentor Iraqi counterparts By Sgt. Joshua Risner MND-B PAO BAGHDAD — The M1A1 Abrams tank is one of the new- est additions to the Iraqi Army’s arsenal. U.S. Army armor Sol- diers and contracted civilians are assisting the 9th IA Divi- sion with getting their armored crewmen trained on the new equipment at Forward Operat- ing Base Hammer. Soldiers with Company D “Demons,” 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, facilitated the training, according to 1st Lt. Michael Pesano, a platoon leader with Co. D. “We’re here basically to help with mentor- ing the Iraqis, with maintenance and with understanding of how a tank platoon is supposed to run on a day-to-day basis,” he said. While it is the contracted ci- vilians’ job to teach the Iraqis how the Abrams works, it fell on Demon Company to teach them how an Abrams crew op- erates, Pesano explained. “We start with the Iraqi leadership: the lieutenants; the captains … we try to get them to understand the American style of tanking, as opposed to the old Soviet style of tanking,” the native of Springfield, Va. said. “It’s not just one individual command- ing everything, it’s a team ef- fort. We’re trying to instill that in them. Everyone has to work together.” Basic operations in an Abrams tank contain a few major differences from the So- viet T-72 battle tank that the Iraqis are used to, according to Sgt. 1st Class John Hise, from Tishomingo, Okla., master gun- ner, 3rd Bn., 16th Cav. Regt. “In a T-72, you have a three- man crew: a driver, a gunner, and a tank commander,” he said. “An Abrams has a four- man crew, the addition being a physical loader, while the T-72 has an automatic loader. It takes them a little while to get used to that.” In addition to a four-man crew, a major hurdle for Iraqi tankers is abandoning previous concepts of how a tank crew operates. “In the days of the old Iraqi Army, if you were a driv- er, you could spend 20 years as a driver and never do anything else,” said Hise. “We’re teach- ing them how to be a tank crew- man: you know every job in the tank and you can do every job if need be.” At first, the Iraqis were re- sistant to these new ways of training and the Abrams itself, but they changed their way of thinking as the training pro- gressed, Hise added. “They thought the T-72 was a manly tank and the Abrams, not so much,” he quipped. “But once they got in it, started working Staff Sgt. Norbert Ferrell, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, explains the finer aspects of an M1A1 Abrams tank to Iraqi Army Soldiers with the 9th IA Divi- sion at Forward Operating Base Hammer April 11. Part of the Cav. Soldiers’ mission is providing maintenance support for the Abrams tanks as well as providing an example of how a tank platoon functions on a daily basis. They have graduated one class of Iraqis, who are now going back through to learn how to be instructors. By Sgt. Joshua Risner, MND-B PAO
Transcript of Multi-National Division – Baghdad “First TeamTeam First...
Multi-National Division – Baghdad “First Team.....Team First” Saturday, April 18, 2009
See MENTOR, Pg 2
‘Demon’ tankers mentor Iraqi counterpartsBy Sgt. Joshua RisnerMND-B PAO
BAGHDAD — The M1A1 Abrams tank is one of the new-est additions to the Iraqi Army’s arsenal. U.S. Army armor Sol-diers and contracted civilians are assisting the 9th IA Divi-sion with getting their armored crewmen trained on the new equipment at Forward Operat-ing Base Hammer.
Soldiers with Company D “Demons,” 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, facilitated the training, according to 1st Lt. Michael Pesano, a platoon leader with Co. D. “We’re here basically to help with mentor-ing the Iraqis, with maintenance and with understanding of how a tank platoon is supposed to run on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
While it is the contracted ci-vilians’ job to teach the Iraqis how the Abrams works, it fell on Demon Company to teach them how an Abrams crew op-erates, Pesano explained. “We start with the Iraqi leadership: the lieutenants; the captains … we try to get them to understand the American style of tanking, as opposed to the old Soviet style of tanking,” the native of Springfield, Va. said. “It’s not just one individual command-ing everything, it’s a team ef-fort. We’re trying to instill that in them. Everyone has to work together.”
Basic operations in an Abrams tank contain a few major differences from the So-
viet T-72 battle tank that the Iraqis are used to, according to Sgt. 1st Class John Hise, from Tishomingo, Okla., master gun-ner, 3rd Bn., 16th Cav. Regt. “In a T-72, you have a three-man crew: a driver, a gunner, and a tank commander,” he said. “An Abrams has a four-man crew, the addition being a physical loader, while the T-72 has an automatic loader. It takes them a little while to get used
to that.”In addition to a four-man
crew, a major hurdle for Iraqi tankers is abandoning previous concepts of how a tank crew operates. “In the days of the old Iraqi Army, if you were a driv-er, you could spend 20 years as a driver and never do anything else,” said Hise. “We’re teach-ing them how to be a tank crew-man: you know every job in the tank and you can do every job
if need be.”At first, the Iraqis were re-
sistant to these new ways of training and the Abrams itself, but they changed their way of thinking as the training pro-gressed, Hise added. “They thought the T-72 was a manly tank and the Abrams, not so much,” he quipped. “But once they got in it, started working
Staff Sgt. Norbert Ferrell, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, explains the finer aspects of an M1A1 Abrams tank to Iraqi Army Soldiers with the 9th IA Divi-sion at Forward Operating Base Hammer April 11. Part of the Cav. Soldiers’ mission is providing maintenance support for the Abrams tanks as well as providing an example of how a tank platoon functions on a daily basis. They have graduated one class of Iraqis, who are now going back through to learn how to be instructors.
By Sgt. Joshua Risner, MND-B PAO
PAGE 2 April 18, 2009
MENTOR , From Pg 1with it and saw the accuracy of the Abrams, they loved it.”
Maintenance of the tanks used for training is a task that 2-8 Cav. Soldiers take on ev-ery day. They are required to move the tanks to and from the training site, provide any repairs needed and assist the Iraqis with their understanding of the maintenance process, Pesano said. “The Iraqis do have a maintenance class and we’re working with them to show them how to actually do these tasks but this course is so condensed that they don’t have very much time to get into all the details and aspects of it,” he explained. “That’s why we’re out here every day so they can ask questions and we can pro-vide those answers.”
So far, one class of Iraqi tankers has graduated the course, with another class un-derway. The first set of gradu-ates are now going through the training again, this time learn-ing to be instructors so they can eventually teach the class themselves without the aid of U.S. troops and contractors, Pesano said. “Since they’re tak-ing the M1A1 battle tank, it’s important that they take a new doctrine with it,” he said.
The M1A1 tank is a valuable asset in the Iraqi Army’s battle against insurgency and in its se-curity operations. With proper training and a little help from Demon 2-8, the IA will have troops that can effectively use the Abrams to the full extent of its capabilities, as well as in-structors who can teach future Iraqi Army tankers.
The M1A1 tank is a valuable asset in the Iraqi Army’s battle against insurgency
A line of M1A1 Abrams tanks sit in the Iraqi sun as Sol-diers of the 9th Iraqi Army Division receive instruction on the basics of tank operation April 11 at Forward Operating Base Hammer. The Iraqi government has purchased 140 Abrams tanks and these Soldiers will be among the first to become certified Abrams tank crewmen.
By Sgt. Joshua Risner, MND-B PAO
BAGHDAD — Aurora, Ill. native, Maj. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger, commanding general, 1st Cavalry Division and Multi-National Division-Baghdad, expresses his appreciation to Medal of Honor recipients, retired Col. Robert L. Howard (center) and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gary L. Littrell who visited MND-B April 14 at Camp Liberty. Bolger explained to MND-B Soldiers present for the visit how special it is to get the oppor-tunity to meet Medal of Honor recipients. Howard and Littrell received the United States’ highest military honor for actions taken during the Vietnam War.
BAGHDAD — Afforded a rare opportunity, Multi-Na-tional Division-Baghdad Soldiers stand in line to meet and speak to Medal of Honor recipients, retired Col. Robert L. Howard (right) and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gary L. Littrell (left) April 14 at Camp Liberty. Since 1863, there have been 3,447 Medals of Honor awarded and there are currently only 97 recipients still living.
By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, MND-B PAO
Heroes’ welcome: Medal of Honor recipients visit MND-B troops
By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, MND-B PAO
PAGE 3 April 18, 2009
Cav Round-Up radio newscast availableMND-B PAO
BAGHDAD — The Cav Round-Up is a three-minute radio newscast from Baghdad covering military units and events across Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
Today’s Cav Round-Up No. 48 was produced by Sgt. Lisa Heise, MND-B Public Affairs Office.
The April 17th newscast includes the following stories:
1. Pfc. Mitch Taylor reports on why 82nd Airborne paratroopers use the Ra-ven, an unmanned air vehicle that pro-vides eye-in-the-sky reconnaissance on the ground.
2. Sgt. Lisa Heise reports on a non-descript truck that is much more than it seems. This mobile medical clinic is
helping Iraqis rely less on American Sol-diers and more on Iraqi doctors.
To hear the Cav Roun-Up, click on the following links:
NIPR LINK: Cav Round-UpSIPR LINK: Cav Round-UpCheck out more MND-B news at the
1st Cavalry Division’s homepage:www.cavcountry.net
Iraqi Army trains to detect deadly improvised explosive devices
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Sgt. David Denny of Ridge Crest, N.C., sets up a sandbag that is used to train Iraqi Army Soldiers on the Buffalo truck’s long arm at Al Rasheed. “They can sweep and clear IEDs by themselves without needing coalition help, so it’s really good,” said Denny, a member of the 515th Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, attached to the 225th Engineer Brigade, Multi-National Division — Baghdad.
By Maj. Pat Simon, 225 Eng. Bde. PAO, MND-B
BAGHDAD, Iraq — While being dragged, 225th Engi-neer Brigade Soldier Sgt. Kasandra Deutsch of Pinev-ille, La., demonstrates the power of the Talon robot April 15 during a training exercise with the 9th Iraqi Army En-gineer Regiment. The Talon robot system is used to help clear improvised explosive devices.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Army Jundee Aly Saleh learns how to use the joystick to operate the long arm of the armored Buffalo truck during training operations April 15 at Al Rasheed. “The training is good information that we never have used before,” said Saleh. Soldiers with the 515th Engineer Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, attached to the 225th Engineer Brigade, train Iraqi Sol-diers for up to a month on the Buffalo truck and arm which is used to track IEDs.
By Maj. Pat Simon, 225 Eng. Bde. PAO, MND-B
By Maj. Pat Simon, 225 Eng. Bde. PAO, MND-B
PAGE 4 April 18, 2009
BAGHDAD — Spc. Caleb Eckart, a combat medic from Morgantown, Ind., assigned to 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, visits a classroom in Boob al-Sham here, April 13. Throughout the day, the school is has two separate shifts of students — Abu Alkaseb Elementary School students and the Akdha High School students. The elementary school has about 400 students that attend and the high school has about 440 students.
BAGHDAD — Combat medic, Spc. Caleb Eckart, from Morgantown, Ind., assigned to 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, shakes hands with students from the Abu Alkaseb Elementary School here, April 13. “The teachers come to class and feel safe and children can walk to school and back again without any worries now. The Iraqi and American Soldiers are very good,” said Dhahi Ahmed, headmaster for the high school here.
1-7 Cav conducts school assessment
BAGHDAD — Staff Sgt. Daniel McHenry, a Zanes-ville, Ohio native and cavalry scout squad leader assigned to 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment stands near a window as an Iraqi student peers out at his classmates playing in the courtyard here, April 13. McHenry and his unit were visiting the school in Boob al-Sham to assess what supplies the school might need.
BAGHDAD — Staff Sgt. Tim Winn, a section sergeant cavalry scout from Anadarko, Okla., assigned to 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Com-bat Team, 1st Cav. Division, stands guard with an Iraqi National policeman at Akdha High School and Abu Alkaseb Elementary School in Boob al-Sham here, April 13. The school is divided into two separate shifts throughout the day — one shift for the elemen-tary school and the other for the high school.
By Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO
By Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO
By Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO
By Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO
PAGE 5 April 18, 2009
David Letterman’s Top Ten SignsThe Government Is Spying On You
10. Your kitty has a satellite dish on his head.9. At restaurant, waiter urges you to “Speak directly into the dinner roll.”8. Your car’s GPS unit has an awful lot of questions.7. “Girl Scout” delivering your thin mints is 6’4” and 270 pounds.6. Every morning at breakfast, your pancakes beep.5. Mailman warns you, “This conversation may be recorded for quality control purposes.4. You turn on “24” and see Jack Bauer outside your house.3. You were singing in the shower and the towels applauded.2. When you can’t find a babysitter, a voice from an air vent says, “It’s cool, we will watch the kids.”1. Severl times a week, you get chloroformed and stuffed into a trunk.
Iraq 3-Day
Weather Report Today
78° F | 59° FTomorrow 77° F | 57° F
Monday82° F | 59° F
On This Day In Military History On this day in 1942, an Army Air Corps officer’scourageousactionsearnedhimtheMedalofHonor. Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle ofAlameda, Calif.,earnedtheMedalofHonorforhisactionsduringWorldWarII.Lt.Col.Doolittle’scitationreads“hewasawardedforconspicuousleadership above the call of duty, involving personal valor andintrepidity at an extreme hazard to life. With the apparentcertaintyofbeingforcedtolandinenemyterritoryortoperishatsea,Gen.DoolittlepersonallyledasquadronofArmybombers,mannedbyvolunteercrews,inahighlydestructiveraidontheJapanesemainlaid.” ShortlyaftertheJapaneseattackonPearlHarboronDec.7,1941,Lt.Col.Doolittlewascalledtoactivedutyandpromotedtolieutenantcolonel.HewasassignedtoArmyAirForcesHeadquarterstoplanthefirstretaliatoryairraidontheJapanesehomeland. Lt. Col. Doolittle volunteered for and received Gen.H.H.Arnold’s approval to lead the top-secret attackagainst theJapanesetargetsofTokyo,Kobe,Yokohama,OsakaandNagoyawith16B-25mediumbombersfromtheNavyaircraftcarrierUSSHornet. Aftertheraidwasaccomplished,Lt.Col.Doolittle’screwbailedoutoftheplaneasitranoutoffuel,andLt.Col.Doolittlesafely landed the plane and linked up with Chinese guerillas.Unfortunately, some of the Soldiers in the raid were killed byJapanesesoldiersoccupyingpartsofChina. TheDoolittleRaid is viewed by historians as amajormorale-buildingvictoryforAmericainWorldWarII,asitshowedtheAmericanmilitary’sabilitytostriketheJapanesehomeland. Lt.Col.Doolittlewaseventuallypromotedtolieutenantgeneral,makinghimthehighest-rankingReserveofficertoserveinWorldWarII.WhentheArmyAirCorpsbecametheAirForce,he continued to serve as a Reserve officer until 1959. In 1985,CongresspromotedDoolittle to the rankof four-stargeneralontheAirForceretiredlist. Gen.DoolittlediedonSept.27,1993.InHollywoodfilmsdepictingtheDoolittleRaid,Gen.DoolittlehasbeenportrayedbyactorsSpencerTracyandAlecBaldwin.
Doolittle
PAGE 6 April 18, 2009
Multi-National Division - BaghdadPublic Affairs Office
Commanding General:Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger
Public Affairs Officer:Lt. Col. Philip Smith
Public Affairs Chief:Master Sgt. Nicholas Conner
Editor:Spc. Jon Soles
Staff Writers:Sgt. 1st Class Ron Burke
Sgt. 1st Class Joel QuebecStaff Sgt. Mark BurrellStaff Sgt. Jon CuppStaff Sgt. Peter Ford Sgt. Joshua Risner
Spc. Howard AlperinSpc. Laura Johnson
Spc. Phillip Adam Turner
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Pvt. Murphy by Mark Baker
PEGASUS OASIS DFAC HOURSBREAKFAST 0530 TO 0830
LUNCH 1130 TO 1330DINNER 1700 TO 2000
MIDNIGHT CHOW 2300 TO 0100SUNDAYONLYBRUNCH 0730 to 1330DINNER 1700 to 2000
MIDNIGHT CHOW 2300 to 0100
“The great danger for family life, in the midst of any society whose idols are pleasure, comfort and independence, lies in the fact that people close their hearts and become selfish.”
— Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005Pope and Sovereign of Vatican City, 1978-2005
Quote For Today
Trigger’s TeasersThe objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow: Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.
Every Sudoku game begins with a number of squares already filled in, and the difficulty of each game is largely a function of how many squares are filled in. The more squares that are known, the easier it is to figure out which numbers go in the open squares. As you fill in squares correctly, options for the remaining squares are narrowed and it becomes easier to fill them in.
Yesterday’s Answers
