Air expeditionary units inactivate after last Airmen leave Iraq

by Master Sgt. Kerry Jackson, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHEAST ASIA (AFNS) -- Four air expeditionary units that were the air and space components to U.S. Forces-Iraq inactivated during a flag-casing ceremony Dec. 18 here.

The 467th Air Expeditionary Group, 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing and 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq stood down following the conclusion of Operation New Dawn.

"For many of us here today we have spent most of our adult lives engaged in the battle to free first Kuwait and then Iraq," said Lt. Gen. David Goldfein, the U.S. Air Forces Central Command commander, who presided over the ceremony. "Today is a day full of emotions, a day of reflection, and a day to remember -- it's also a day to remember all those who died in Iraq for our country, for Iraq, for this region . . . for their brothers and sisters in arms."

The ceremony was held hours after the last U.S. military convoy departed Iraq and crossed into Kuwait, punctuating the end of a nearly nine-year war. It also afforded senior leaders an opportunity to reflect over the many accomplishments and sacrifices of service members.

"Because of you, and those like you, a nation is free, full of people who can go to the polls, elect the leaders of their choosing, without risk of being persecuted or struck down by a brutal regime," said Maj. Gen. Russ Handy, the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq commander. "Through your sacrifices, you have provided immense opportunity (to the Iraqi people) with the potential (for them) to do great things."

During Operation New Dawn, the U.S. Air Force helped advance the Iraqi air force through mentoring, training and advising Iraqi airmen on everything from support functions to operations while they steadily modernized and rebuilt.

At the end of 2006, the Iraqi air force had only 748 airmen and 28 aircraft. Now, the force has more than 6,000 airmen and 72 aircraft in its inventory, including the T-6 and C-130E Hercules.

In September, through the Foreign Military Sales program, the government of Iraq made its first payment for 18 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft. The FMS program is the government-to-government method for selling U.S. defense equipment, services and training.

With this F-16 package, Iraq purchased logistical support as well as pilot and maintenance training. When the aircraft are delivered, sometime in late 2014 or 2015, Iraq will have one of the most advanced multi-role fighter aircraft in the world in its inventory.

"We have enabled the Iraqis to prepare for their own future," Gen. Norman Schwartz, the Air Force Chief of Staff, said during his recent visit to Iraq. "We will certainly continue to have a relationship and will continue to work with them."

Quoting President John F. Kennedy, Handy spoke about the great responsibility those that have supported the Iraq mission have accepted.

"'In the long history of time, only a few generations have been called upon to defend freedom in its hour of maximum danger. We do not shrink from this responsibility, we welcome it -- this is our time -- the baton has been passed to us. The young men and women assembled here, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians represent the great treasure in our nation's arsenal.'"

'New Dawn' Soldiers Arrive in Iraq

WASHINGTON - As the first U.S. soldiers to deploy exclusively for Operation New Dawn have arrived in southern Iraq, officials are investigating a shooting incident that left two American soldiers dead and nine others wounded in Iraq's Salahuddin province yesterday.

The lead elements of 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas, have arrived in Iraq and are preparing for their new mission. The regiment previously deployed three times during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Known as the "Brave Rifles," the combat-capable, brigade-sized unit will continue the mission of advising and assisting Iraqi security forces in five southern provinces. The unit replaces the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, one of the first heavy brigade combat teams configured for an advise-and-assist role. The 3rd Brigade deployed from Fort Benning, Ga., a year ago under Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Brave Rifles will operate under the 1st Infantry Division headquarters as part of U.S. Division South. The unit will advise and assist Iraqi army, federal police and border guard units, as well as State Department-led teams.

Operation New Dawn represents a change in the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq from combat missions conducted by U.S. forces to stability operations conducted by Iraqi security forces with U.S. advice and assistance.

Meanwhile, U.S. Forces Iraq officials have begun an investigation into the Salahuddin shooting, in which an Iraqi soldier also was killed.

A preliminary review of reports from the scene indicates the attack was deliberate, officials said, adding that the detailed investigation will clarify the facts and actions of all involved.

Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, a U.S. Forces Iraq spokesman, expressed condolences to the families of the soldiers killed or wounded.

"Though this incident is tragic and our first concern is for our comrades and their families," he added, "it doesn't affect our strong commitment to the mission of advising and assisting the Iraqi security forces as they continue to sacrifice each day for security and stability in their nation. We stand firmly beside them."

DoD Announces Replacement Unit for Iraq Rotation

The Department of Defense announced today the alert for mobilization of a replacement unit scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Approximately 2,600 soldiers from the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered at Edgewood, Md., will begin deploying in the summer of 2011.

This rotation announcement reflects the continued commitment of the United States to the security of the Iraqi people.

Army Cancels Brigade's Iraq Deployment

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - An Army brigade slated to deploy to Iraq in January was relieved of its deployment orders this weekend without current plans for a new mission, Pentagon and Army officials said here today.

The 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team was off-ramped by Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, because of the improved security situation there, and not to bolster forces in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters.

"This [decision] is based on General Odierno's assessment of the security environment in Iraq," Whitman explained. "It reflects the continuing improvements in the ability of the Iraqi security forces to be able to safeguard their people as well as their institutions."

The 3,500 soldiers who make up the brigade will continue training and honing their skills, awaiting a new mission, which is the normal posture for troops in garrison. Pentagon officials have no plans, as of yet, to deploy the brigade to Afghanistan, Whitman said.

The strategy assessment involving Pentagon and White House officials and commanders in Afghanistan still is ongoing, and no decisions for additional troops have been made, he added. Cancellation of the brigade's deployment was a decision about Iraq, the Iraqi security environment and the Iraqi security forces that was "based on the situation in Iraq, not Afghanistan," Whitman said.

The brigade was intended to replace the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, an Army National Guard unit from Clinton, N.C. The North Carolina Guard unit still is expected to return from its 12-month deployment on time in February, which will bring the number of brigade-size units in Iraq to 10. That statistic is subject to any future decisions that could be made about forces needed in Iraq, Whitman said.

About 117,000 U.S. servicemembers are now in Iraq.

DoD Announces Units for Next Iraq Rotation and Extension

The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next force rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The announcement involves three brigade combat teams, and one armored cavalry regiment totaling approximately 15,000 personnel. The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the summer of 2010.

These units will serve as advise and assist brigades and will replace redeploying units, with no increase in overall force levels.

Specific units receiving deployment orders include:

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Wahiawa, Hawaii

3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas

Additionally, the secretary of defense approved a request by the commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I) to extend the deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters for up to an additional 23 days, and elements of the II Marine Expeditionary Force for up to an additional 79 days.

The extensions will ensure that key capabilities are maintained during the critical period following the January elections, and provide additional support for the orderly redeployment of the remaining Marine Corps forces and equipment.

New Brigades Represent New Iraq Mission, Commander Says

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - The new advisory and assistance brigades to flow into Iraq in the coming months will bring important new capability as they focus on building the Iraqi security forces, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said yesterday.

Army Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby Jr. called the so-called AABs – reconfigured brigade combat teams that focus on advising, assisting and developing Iraqi security forces – "a concept we believe in" for moving forward in Iraq.

"We think it's the right way to go as we move from counterinsurgency and full-spectrum ops to our strategy of being done with combat operations for U.S. forces in August 2010," he told Pentagon reporters via videoconference from Camp Victory, Iraq.

The Pentagon announced the new brigades in July.

The first four brigade combat teams to be assigned the mission are the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st and 2nd Brigade Combat Teams based at Fort Stewart, Ga., and its 3rd BCT at Fort Benning, Ga.; and the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd BCT at Fort Carson, Colo.

They will deploy beginning this fall, and be dispersed throughout Iraq in areas where they can best support provincial reconstruction teams and the training of Iraqi forces, Jacoby said. "We've done a fair amount of work studying where we think the advisory assistance brigades can best serve that mission," he said.

The AABs represent a mindset as well as a mission, Jacoby said, as they operate within the stability operations realm to improve the Iraqi security forces' ability to conduct combat operations and take the lead in other security operations.

For now, traditional brigade combat teams deployed to Iraq are passing back lessons learned and observations being made to help prepare the AABs for their new mission. Jacoby lauded the "great exchange of information between the theater and back home in the training base."

AABs will be about the size of a standard brigade combat team, but will include more field-grade officers serving as advisors, and more engineering, military police, civil affairs, transportation and other capabilities to support the training and mentoring mission, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman explained when announcing the new teams in July.

Their pre-deployment training is expected to differ considerably from that of standard brigades, Whitman said. In addition to standard combat training, they will undergo scenario-based training and mission-readiness exercises designed to prepare them for the complex challenges they will encounter in Iraq.

Army Deployment Changes and Updates

U.S. Army Forces Command is correcting an earlier Defense Department release regarding future troop rotations to Afghanistan.

Minnesota Guard Deploys to Iraq

Close to 100 Minnesota National Guardsmen will be in Iraq soon.

New Mexico Troops Deploy

A bittersweet ceremony last weekend brought hundreds of friends and family to Albuquerque, New Mexico to say goodbye to nearly 100 members of the state's National Guard.

One of the Nation's oldest Army units deploys to Iraq.

One of the Nation's oldest Army units left for a year-long deployment June 13 to Iraq.

New Jersey Troops Return

The last group of Soldiers with New Jersey's 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is safely home from Iraq.

HS-15 To Support Special Warfare In Iraq

By Clark Pierce, Jax Air News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The commanding officer of Helicopter Squadron (HS) 15 addressed the unconventional, land-based deployment of HS-15 in support of joint special operations units in Iraq.

The six-month mission involves 70 aircrew and maintainers who will operate four HH-60H Seahawk helicopters from a combined special forces base in the vicinity of Baghdad.

"Regardless of our assigned mission, the Red Lions are trained to provide the right aircraft, in the right configuration, with the right crews – at right-on readiness," said HS-15 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Chris Misner in an interview Feb. 25 at his hangar office at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

"In 2008, our squadron leaders saw potential to deploy outside of the traditional FRTP (Fleet Readiness Training Plan) deployment cycle and utilize our assets to support NSW (Navy Special Warfare) in an innovative manner," said Misner. "We consulted with our brethren, the 'Red Wolves' of HSC-84 at NS (Naval Station) Norfolk, Va. They are a Naval Reserve Helicopter Sea Combat squadron and the only one dedicated to NSW support. As a result, we mapped out our training plan that involved exercises with a number of Navy SEAL teams based on both the East and West coasts."

Misner explained that no new mission skillsets were required.

"Our aircrews are well-versed in the HH-60H's primary mission of combat search and rescue, NSW support, anti-surface warfare, medical evacuation and logistics support. For this deployment, we naturally concentrated our training on NSW support, which includes clandestine missions against high-value targets utilizing night-vision devices. In fact, our people will rarely see the light of day. Every mission will take place under the cover of darkness."

Last fall, the Red Lions conducted insert-and-extract operations in Virginia with SEAL Team 10. At Fort Knox, Ky., they conducted intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance and call-for-fire missions with SEAL Team 2.

In 2009, the squadron flew four Seahawks across the country to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. for counterinsurgency training missions in the Mojave Desert. The detachment also supported SEAL Team 7 in its pre-deployment certification exercise. From Fort Irwin, the detachment flew to Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., to support SEAL Team 1 in low-light missions. Red Lion pilots also experienced desert brownout conditions similar to those they'll encounter in the deserts of Iraq.

One new requirement for maintainers was small-arms weaponry school and certification at the Florida National Guard's Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Starke, Fla.

Two C-5 Galaxy transports - the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory - will fly the Red Lions' helicopters, equipment, parts and personnel from NAS Jax to Iraq. HS-15 Executive Officer Cmdr. Larry Getz is officer in charge of the detachment.

In Iraq, the Red Lions will report to Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component Commander. They will share the flight line with four HH-60Hs of HSC-84, as well as Army units flying the UH-60 Blackhawk.

First Corps Units Deploying to Iraq

U.S. Army First Corps held a traditional deployment and colors casing ceremony February 24 at Fort Lewis, Washington.

Wisconsin Soldiers Deploy to Iraq

It's the largest deployment of National Guard forces in Wisconsin since World War II.

Marines Return Home to Camp Lejuene

It was an afternoon full of emotions February 17, as about 500 Marines returned from Iraq to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Minnesota Troops Deploy to Iraq

More than 1,000 Minnesota National Guard members will deploy next week for a year-long mission in Iraq.

JASDF redeployment group bids final farewell

by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Jeff Schiebout guides a Japanese Air Self Defense Force C-130 as they taxi to the runway for their flight home at an air base in Southwest Asia, Feb. 10. Since 2004 the JASDF have been providing airlift for the coalition forces and United Nations in support of Iraqi reconstruction efforts. Mr. Schiebout is assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Transient Alert. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Courtney Richardson)

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- The last of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force redeployment group members lowered their colors for the last time before departing for Japan Feb. 10, bringing an end to the final chapter of the JASDF's Iraq Reconstruction Support Airlift Wing mission after almost five years.

More than a hundred JASDF members had remained behind after the IRSAW mission formally ended in order to restore the facilities they used and ship equipment back to Japan.

"As the commander, I've always told my airmen, 'Leave everything neat and clean behind you,'" JASDF Col. Isami Sagae, JASDF Redeployment Group commander said, summing up the redeployment group's mission. "This is one of the most important values for Japanese. I believe we leave a good reputation behind us."

The JASDF worked alongside coalition forces since 2004, providing airlift for the coalition and United Nations and supporting Iraqi reconstruction efforts. More than 3,600 Japanese airmen have been part of the JASDF contingent here, and it was the first time that the JASDF had deployed overseas for such a long period of time.

Colonel Sagae said the airmen of the IRSAW and the redeployment group completed their mission perfectly.

"Besides the success of airlift operations, redeployment, which is also a first experience for JASDF, has been completed perfectly," he said. "It shows an aspect of our mission capability. I'm proud of our airmen to conclude this historical operation of JASDF."

Col. Paul Feather, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander, praised the accomplishments of the JASDF here and said the Japanese people should be proud of their airmen.

"They should be leaving here with a great sense of pride and satisfaction of a job well done," Colonel Feather said. "They have done a meticulous job of standing down this operation."

The Japanese played an indispensable role in airlift operations, Colonel Feather added.

"These guys have played a huge role in what we've done up here," he said. "It was their first big deployment away from home, and it was the first time they could really stretch out their wings and get out there and go, and they've just done an outstanding job."

Both commanders said their units learned important lessons from working together, lessons that will help the U.S. and Japanese forces work better together in the future.

"The way they have conducted themselves has caused us to look at ourselves and how we do business a little closer," Colonel Feather said. "You have to examine yourself when you're watching other pros out there. It allowed us to exchange ideas on how we conduct maintenance, how we fly the missions, how we distribute and collect our intelligence. It allowed us to do an awful lot of training with them and make ourselves more interoperable with them."

Colonel Sagae said his airmen will take not only the lessons they've learned home with them, but the mindset of cooperation.

"You can see the fruits of years of cooperation in here," he said. "'Sessa takuma' is a Japanese expression that means 'learn and improve yourselves by competing positively between good rivals.' JASDF is leaving here before you, but still I'll maintain our readiness for deployments in the future with a 'sessa takuma' mindset between U.S. Forces Japan and the JASDF."

Face of Defense: Mechanic Switches to Security Duty

By Army Sgt. Brian Tierce, Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD - Since the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team assumed control of its Multinational Division Baghdad operational area in November, soldiers of the "Dagger" brigade have performed a multitude of missions.

For Army Sgt. Patrick Chambers, a recent change in jobs took him from vehicle maintenance to brigade leadership protection.

Chambers, a native of Denton, Texas, recently volunteered to serve as a member of the brigade's personal security detachment. It is a dramatic change from working in the motor pool, Chambers said, but it is a switch he was more than ready to make.

"Being in the motor pool is the same thing every day," he said. "Once you fix something, you have more things rolling in. I just wanted a change. I wanted to try something new."

The PSD section needed a noncommissioned officer to serve as team leader. Leaders noted that other PSDs in the brigade had the advantage of internal maintenance support.

"The brigade PSDs didn't have any maintenance personnel, Chambers explained, "and one of the squad leaders had been working to get me into the platoon for a while."

Army Staff Sgt. Galo Roman, of New York City, routinely encountered Chambers at the battalion motor pool. Roman was well aware of the advantages of having a trained mechanic as a part of the platoon.

"I was very excited when it was brought to my attention that Sergeant Chambers was going to join the PSD platoon," Roman said. "Furthermore, I was excited when I learned he was going to come to my squad. He is an outstanding NCO with multiple deployments under his belt, and he will be a vital asset to our PSD section."

Once the transition to the PSD was complete, it was time for Chambers to find his place on the team. This meant learning the role of a team leader in the squad.

"The biggest thing is learning how the team does things," he said, "so I can slide into the team leader position and fit well with the team."

As Chambers learns his new position, his experience as a mechanic makes his arrival on the team stand out to the PSD section.

"He knows the ins and outs of the motor pool, and he knows the key personnel in the maintenance section," Roman said. "Now, instead of spending six hours in the motor pool, he will be able to facilitate a new standard for the section to uphold with the maintenance of our vehicles."

As he prepares to spend the remaining months of the brigade's deployment supporting the PSD's mission, Chambers said, the operational tempo the soldiers maintain is the change he was looking for when he took the job.

"My favorite part of the new job is just getting out," he said. "Just being able to get out there, get on the roads and see what's going on in Baghdad, rather than always being on the [base]."

Marines Deploy - Pentagon Channel Report

Hundreds of North Carolina-based Marines are heading to Iraq's Anbar Province.

Minnesota National Guard to Command Active-Duty Forces in Iraq

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden, American Forces Press Service

For only the second time since 9/11, a U.S. Army National Guard division headquarters will deploy to command active-duty forces in combat.

The Defense Department and Minnesota National Guard today announced that more than 1,000 soldiers from the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division will mobilize for training in February for a yearlong deployment to Iraq that will begin in April.

"Minnesotans have grown accustomed to our National Guard forces leaving their families, employers, farms and communities in order to carry out vital missions in harm's way," Army Maj. Gen. Larry W. Shellito, the state's adjutant general, said during a press conference today at the Rosemont National Guard Armory in Rosemont, Minn.

More than 17,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen from Minnesota units have deployed since 9/11, but this particular mission is different, Shellito said.

"The scope of this mission is unprecedented for the modern Minnesota National Guard," he said.

The division headquarters will provide leadership, command and control, and in-depth staff analysis for more than 16,000 U.S., Salvadoran, Lithuanian and Romanian coalition troops in the southern third of the country.

The "Red Bulls" also will have direct partnership with more than 40,000 Iraqi soldiers and policemen across eight of Iraq's 18 provinces, all of which have been transitioned to provincial Iraqi control. Coalition troops in the region are employed in a supporting role to Iraqi security forces, Shellito said.

"The images of U.S. troops fighting at close quarters in intense street battles are images of the past," he said. "In order to make this transition happen we now need troops who are not only proficient in military skills, but are adept in assisting civil authorities as well."

Security responsibilities in the region "rest with professional and capable Iraqi security forces," Army Maj. Gen. Richard C. Nash, commander of the 34th Infantry Division, said during the press conference. He added that the days of "U.S.-only operations" in Iraq are mostly over.

"Our mission will be grounded with our relationship with the Iraqis," Nash said. "We will conduct all operations by, with and through Iraqi security forces. The measure of success for the 34th [Infantry] Division will be to what extent the government of Iraq is capable of providing for its own population."

The division primarily will focus on working with embedded provincial reconstruction teams from the U.S. State Department to improve infrastructure and essential services as well as help the local governments stimulate the economy and job opportunities.

"This is where our citizen-soldiers will distinguish themselves," Nash said, citing that his unit includes soldiers with years of experience in business, agriculture, law enforcement, law, medicine and other city services. "We are committed to applying our civilian- and military-acquired skills to enabling Iraqi institutions to provide for their own people."

The division's headquarters, special troops battalion, division band and 34th Military Police Company will receive pre-deployment training at Fort Lewis, Wash. In Iraq, they will relieve the 10th Mountain Division headquarters as Multinational Division Center.