Headquarters Company, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard left family and friends on October 22, 2007, for post mobilization training near Fort Bliss, Texas. The morning we boarded the air plane the sky was overcast with a light mist and a tem­perature near 60 degrees. The mission ahead was about as clear as that fall Okla­homa sky. Many of us didn’t know what a Joint Area Support Group was not to mention what role each of us would play in it.

During the three month mobilization at Camp Mc­Gregor, N.M., a remote desert camp north of Fort Bliss the Soldiers of the 45th trained rigorously for our mysterious mission. The future mission in Baghdad remained largely shrouded in mystery until the Army Readiness Train­ing Program or ARTEP as it is commonly known.

As the picture of what we were responsible for became clearer, many of us asked our­selves “why”. Why are we hav­ing a fake concert? Yes, everyone remembers the 80’s cover band night that was officially part of our ARTEP. Brig. Gen. Myles Deering notionally cancelled the concert due to the evolving security situation in the notional International Zone. How­ever, we were still respon­sible for every aspect of the show except for the music and the question­able appropriateness of the stand up comedians.

What we should have learned was that we may not have an 80’s cover band night in the real world International Zone; but we would have equally strange situations that tend to occur with some regu­larity.

Early on January 23, 2008, the last of Headquar­ters Company left Fort Bliss’ Biggs Army Airfield for Southwest Asia. In route we were pampered by highly trained flight at­tends catering to our every need. Many of us used the time to get some sleep oth­ers read or watched the in flight movies. Many Sol­diers were very apprehen­sive as they thought about the inevitability of entering a combat zone. For more seasoned Soldiers know­ing exactly what to expect was causing scenarios of past combat operations to play endlessly in their minds. Everyone was wonder­ing what the next nine months would be like.

We soon found out that life in the IZ was certainly unique and not at all similar to previous deployments. We may not have been out in the “Red Zone” like our brothers who conduct security opera­tions throughout the city of Baghdad. This doesn’t mean we didn’t take risks. Starting on Easter and continuing for the next six weeks we were under con­stant bombardment from insurgent rocket attacks.

As one of our civilian counter­parts said “It is like playing Russian roulette every night when I go back to my room.” Unlike that civilian, the Soldiers of the 45th have been trained on the proper way to react to indirect fire. In a few incidents throughout the Embassy Compound, 45th Soldiers were responsible for caring for injured personnel and providing assistance to the IZ Police in the aftermath of rocket attacks. The residents of the U.S. Embassy could always count on Soldiers to remain calm and perform our duties to the best of our ability.

In addition to being good Soldiers we have learned to be good humani­tarians. There are many families throughout the IZ in need of as­sistance. Various Servicemembers throughout the JASG-C have taken it upon themselves to care for local Iraqi families.

Brig. Gen. Myles Deering, com­mander of the JASG-C and the 45th said, “If you are not here to make a difference then you are wasting your time.” This is certainly a statement his troops have not taken lightly. We have received countless care packages from home with school supplies, toys, clothes, food and personal hygiene items. We have relentlessly distributed these items to deserving families in the IZ.

Well, our time in the spotlight is nearly up. If not for the mission we were given in the IZ we would not have been able to be such influential players in world events. We have had the opportunity to meet impor­tant people such as Oklahoma Con­gressman Tom Coburn; U.S. Sec­retary of State Condoleezza Rice; Vice President Dick Cheney; U.S. Senator, and presidential hopeful, Barak Obama and who could forget Angelina Jolie.

We have also been fortunate to have served in such an important place and time. We had the privi­lege to work in the same building with Gen. David Petraeus. We wit­nessed what may have been the last attempts of the insurgency to assert its influence over the developing Iraqi Government.

As we are leaving a new era for Iraq is beginning. The IZ will con­tinue to consolidate and Iraq will continue to prosper and grow. The citizens of Iraq are just learning the hazards and benefits of having free­dom. In the coming years as Iraq matures; we can look back and be proud the Soldiers from Oklahoma actually made a difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sanchez

The IZ Badge Office is one of the Joint Area Support Group-Central’s most challenging work environments.  This office has many people working together to accomplish their mission.  However, there is one person in particular that manages many of the situations that arise and helps to ensure that customers are serviced in a timely manner. 

When visiting the Badge Office at Ocean Cliffs it is likely the first person to greet you will be Staff Sgt. Axel Sanchez.   He is the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of the waiting room.    Sanchez says, “I make sure applications are properly filed out; customers have the correct documentation, identification and passports.” 

Sanchez, a native Spanish speaker, quickly developed a report with the Peruvian Triple-Canopy security force whose job it is to ensure the safety of everyone attempting to acquire an International Zone badge.   This report helps him to manage the controlled chaos that is a constant at Ocean Cliffs.

This isn’t Sanchez’s first opportunity to manage stressful situations. During his first deployment he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in the spring and summer of 2003. Back then his mission was recovering disabled vehicles on the road to Baghdad during the initial invasion.  He personally recovered over 150 vehicles on his way north. 

Sanchez began his Army career as an active duty Soldier in 1999. He spent five years as a diesel mechanic and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas; Korea and finally he finished his active duty enlistment at Ft. Sill, Okla.  Sanchez currently serves as a mechanic in Maintenance Platoon, Headquarters Company 45^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.  He has been a member of the Oklahoma Army National Guard since 2006. 

Sanchez was born and raised in the village of Bananera, Izabal, Guatemala.   As a child he attended school there and enjoyed playing soccer in his spare time.  His father worked in the local banana plantation to earn a living for the family.   In 1985 the Sanchez family decided to move to America in search of a better life.  There were already Guatemalans living in Norman so they settled there.  When he arrived in Norman Sanchez was 15 and spoke very little English. 

“It was a challenge attending school; it took me about a year to learn English through communicating with others and watching movies,” said Sanchez. Even with the adversity of not being a native English speaker he still managed to graduate on time from Norman High School in 1990.  After living in the U.S. for 18 years and serving his adopted country he finally earned his American citizenship.   The process of becoming a citizen is tedious.  Sanchez had to pass the application and approval steps of the process to reach the interview.  During the interview Sanchez was screened for his English speaking and writing abilities.   This step also includes answering American History Questions.  Finally, he took his oath to become an American citizen in 2002.

After high school Sanchez majored in aviation for two years at Rose State.  His goal was to become a pilot.  However, after his second year of college Sanchez started a family. He and his wife Maria have two children Emily, 14, and Alex, 5.  They live in a of suburb Oklahoma City.

In his civilian career Sanchez is a mail carrier for The U.S. Postal Service in Edmond.  Sanchez says “I walk about four miles a day, making more than 200 deliveries.”  He began his postal career in 2003 after he completed his active duty military service.  

Regardless of the mission that Sanchez is given, those around him can always count on him to perform it to the best of his ability.  He never compromises his values and tries to treat his soldiers with fairness and respect.  His adaptability to changing situations is an asset to the JASG-C and the 45^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.  America is fortunate to have Staff Sgt. Axel Sanchez.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, Don't Do It"

If you have spent any time in the Joint Area Support Group-Central you know that humor is a necessity in the office.  The Command Directorate has its own comic relief, 1^st Lt Brent Weece.  He is extremely skilled at keeping the laughs coming with his highly comedic since of humor and endless references to The Office, a television show on NBC staring Steve Carell as Michael. Weece says “I really look up to Michael; I try to model my own leadership style after his.” Keeping the moral high in the workplace isn’t the only thing he is having success with.  Weece is undoubtedly excelling at being Brig. Gen. Deering’s Aide-de-Camp.  He is responsible for maintaining many aspects of the general’s day to include everything from maintaining the general’s schedule to his transportation.  Weece works diligently behind the scene to insure that the day to day operations of the JASG-C and its leader functions with minimal delay.  When asked about his recent success Weece says “We haven’t lost any of his (Deering) socks or T-shirts yet and that is really important.”

 

 

 

Weece is originally from Miami Okla. completed his first two years of college at Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College.  After finishing his sophomore year he transferred to Oklahoma State University. While in college Weece was a cadet in ROTC. Even then Weece showed an aptitude for leadership and as a senior he was part of the Battalion Staff in the S-4. Weece started his military career in 2005 when he was commissioned after graduating from Oklahoma State University.   He earned his Bachelors Degree in Marketing but he wasn’t quite finished yet.  He is a graduate student working towards a Masters in Business Administration. 

 Weece is one of four children in his family he has two older brothers also serving in the military. Weece’s says “my most rewarding moment in the military was when I was sworn into my commission by my brother who was in Iraq serving on his second tour.”

After graduation he was assigned to E Troop 145^th Cavalry as a Scout Platoon Leader in McAlester.  Weece is a highly goal oriented soldier “I hope to be a company commander one day”, he says. 

 Like anyone else the highly talented aid has to take some down time.  He enjoys reading military history books.  Books aren’t his only stress relieving outlet “Most of my free time here is spent watching M*A*S*H with my roommate we just finished up season four last night, I hated to see Henry Blake go.”  While not deployed to Iraq Weece likes to travel with his wife Emily.  He has visited quite a few different countries, destinations in South America and Europe. Weece says “I visited 14 countries in 14 years; It was part of my plan.”   When asked what plan he was referring to he just shrugged his shoulders with a quizzical look on his face.

 All joking aside Weece is extremely proficient at his job.  He is a valued asset to the JASG-C and the 45^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. 

 

Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra

On July 26, 2008 the Iraqi National Symphony entertained an audience of Coalition personnel and Iraqis at the Al Rasheed Hotel.  The concert was hosted by Ambassador Ryan Crocker in order to mark a new era of cultural exchange for Iraq and its allies.  The orchestra performed eight songs.  Four of the songs were written by the Iraqi composers Husam Al Ansari, Jameel Bashir, Ali Khassaf, and Hanz Momer.  The remaining four songs were the American composers Duke Ellington, Charles Cadman, George Gershwin, and Aaron Copland.

There were approximately 700 in attendance for the standing room only performance. Servicemember and civilians of the Joint Area Support Group- Central attended the concert.  Sgt. Leigh Airey who was there for the Saturday afternoon performance said “I really enjoyed the concert; it was the perfect break from being here. It was nice to close my eyes and feel like I was anywhere but here. I couldn’t help but think of a few movie scenes…one from “Shawshank Redemption” and the other from “Saving Private Ryan” where the characters stumble across, to them, foreign music. Both scenes alike have them admitting to not having any idea what either woman was singing about, but how completely swept away and removed they felt from their current situation. The truth is I don’t know the first thing about Symphonies or orchestrated music, but I do know that yesterday’s concert was an incredibly enjoyable event that made me feel as if I was a tourist taking in a local attraction and spending the afternoon at my leisure.”

The concert was concluded with the orchestra performing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Following the performance the audience gave the musician a standing ovation that lasted nearly two minutes. Commenting on how he enjoyed the concert Staff Sgt. Brian Enright said “I really liked the traditional Iraqi music, and my favorite part of the concert was the Lincoln narrative.”  With increased safety in Iraq it is likely these events will occur with more frequency.  

 

As soldiers we are trained to always be vigilant about the safety of ourselves and our battle buddies.  We ensure our own safety by wearing the personal protective equipment, having adequate training for the task and discussing different ways to be safe.  Needless to say there are many ways to prevent accidents.  A commander may consider giving his troops a well needed break from a strenuous work day. He may do this by organizing a cookout and emphasize how important safety is to every soldier. The local culture prevents accidents with many of the same methods that soldiers use.  This time the method of accident prevention had a very regional twist to it.

 

Construction of villas in a camp is being conducted by a local Iraqi construction company and overseen by the Department of Public Works.  Workers there have experienced two accidents in recent day. The accidents were minor lacerations, resulting in emergency room visits to receive sutures.  The Iraqi supervisor realized the answer to the safety problem, he and his crew was experiencing.  They had not yet scarified an animal onsite for the blessings of Allah.  He quickly remedied the situation and supplied two goats for his crew to sacrifice one for each employee hurt.  Engineer Furat a local working in DPW says “They sacrifice the goats for good luck. The person making the sacrifice must say; In the name of God while killing the animal to bless the sacrifice” Furat and servicemembers from the Joint Area Support Group witnessed the sacrifice. 

 

On June 15, 2008 the onsite plumber who is also a butcher; took control of the sacrifice. The construction crew led the goats into the villa.  The butcher laid the first goat on his side.  Put his foot on the back of the goat’s neck and slit his throat with a six inch blade.  Meanwhile the second goat stood nearby and watched the scene.  Seeing the fate of his friend the second goat put up some minor resistance to his own death.  Within a few minutes of the initial slicing of the major arteries and airway in the neck, both goats stopped trying to get up.  Most of the blood that pooled around the area of sacrifice was washed away with water.  However, some of the goat’s blood was stamped with hand prints on the walls of the construction site in hopes it would help ensure a safe work environment.  The goats then were cooked in traditional Iraqi dishes for all to enjoy.

 

When all the sacrificing and preparing was finished the construction crew and their guests took part in a feast.  They took time out of there busy construction schedule to bless the site with a sacrifice ensuring the safety of all employees.  CW2 Douglas Izer present at the sacrifice says “We were invited to attend, back home my family butchers’ animals every fall so this didn’t bother me.  It was a neat experience, I’m glad they invited us.” It appears the blessing has served its purpose; the work site has been accident free ever since. 

In one of my previous posts I told you about trying to help an Iraqi family that has three disabled children.  Well, I have an update for you. The three children have forms of dwarfism and skeletal deformities.  Somehow word traveled through the “little people” community and a very influential little person found out.  Matt Roloff from the TLC show Little People Big World came to offer his assistance with the help of the very the generous American people backing him up. 

 

I spent a whole day escorting Matt and his film crew around Baghdad.  It was pretty tough work making a television show.  The episode should be the season premier set to air sometime in September.  I would tell you more but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Watch it for yourself.

The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has many tal­ented Soldiers with diverse back­grounds. Among those Soldiers is one exceptionally gifted in modern Army combatives who hopes to one day fight in the Ultimate Fighting Champion­ship, better known as the UFC.

Sgt. Robert Pineiro, of Chou­teau, Okla., was introduced to de­fensive tactics by a fellow Thun­derbird during his first tour to Iraq in 2004. During that deployment, he was with Headquarters Com­pany, 120th Engineers, Oklahoma Army National Guard, as a signal support system specialist. Pineiro says “I started training in Iraq and I fell in love with the sport, it re­ally is easy to learn, anyone can do it.” Pineiro began his training by practicing three to four hours a night for three months. He is such a good fighter that he was recently featured on the Military Channel in a program high­lighting modern Army combatives.

As he continued to make improvements and developed his fighting skills he be­gan to look for a new gym. “I was looking for a place I could learn.” He finally made his decision to train with Tulsa’s Top Team owned by Josh Clopton. “If you want to get better you train with people better than you.” Before his first fight he trained for six months with Matt Wiman an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter.

Pineiro’s first professional fight ended in 20 seconds when he dis­located his opponent’s shoulder as he slammed him to the mat. Pin­eiro says “I have such great corner guys all experienced in fighting, they calmed me down and I was ready to go.” In pro­fessional mixed martial arts competition Pineiro has three wins and zero losses.

Pineiro decided to partic­ipate in the Modern Army Combatives course held at the Oklahoma National Guard’s Regional Training Institute in Oklahoma City. He excelled in his training finishing the course as a level two honor graduate. His military instructor told him about a tournament held at Ft. Benning, GA. The fighters in the compe­tition included active duty, reserve and National Guard Soldiers. Pi­neiro and his instructor decided to organize a team and compete.

When Pineiro arrived at the competition he had seven fights in a two day period. Pineiro says “It was an extremely good experience; I had a lot of fun there.” Pineiro finished fourth in his weight class. The Soldier who defeated him ac­tually did so twice during the tour­nament. “He was a great fighter but I honestly think I can beat the guy, it just wasn’t my day,” said Pineiro.

Pineiro is currently deployed to the International Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, with Headquarters Company, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, as a member of Brig. Gen. Myles Deering’s personal security detail. In the evenings, while off duty, he is the instructor of a mixed martial arts class four days a week and participates in a Muay Thai class three nights a week. Pineiro says “I get better everyday.” For anyone thinking of facing him in the ring that is cause for concern.

 

I am pretty excited today.  A couple of days ago I was instrumental in arranging a meeting between Brad Brooks of the Associated Press and an officer in my company.  I received a call on Thursday of last week from Brooks requesting an interview with one of our very influential officers.  Well, I worked about half a day on it and I was able to arrange the appointment.  Not only did I get him the appointment with the guy he wanted to talk to but I also was able to set up an appointment with an even more important player in our company.  The following day I met him outside the gate to bring him inside for his interview.  Brooks is a very nice guy, likes to write about cats.  We went to the interview it lasted nearly two hours.  Well, Brooks got a lot of good information and was even treated to lunch.  His story came out today.  I didn’t think it was too bad but apparently someone does. It is all over the internet.  He may have misrepresented the facts a little.  The tone of the story may have been a little negative.  Here is the site you can go read it for yourself.  Please, I would love to hear what you think.

 

US-backed plan sees shiny future for Green Zone in Iraq

 

In 2003 when Operation Iraqi Freedom started our country was new to the war on terrorism and there were a lot of lessons to be learned. One of those lessons was how to win the war. Some may say that the past five years have worn down our army that we’re tired and ready to quit.  There is no doubt our army is under some strain.  However, under the strain we have adapted and overcame a multitude of obstacles.  We since have acquired an array of skills, armor, equipment in which a lot of people have no idea.  We have adapted our fighting techniques frequently to fit the every changing battlefield.  I just thought that I would tell you a few of the missions I have participated in to win this war on terror in the last couple of weeks.

 

April 13, 2008 I went on a mission to give clothing to poor Iraqis.  The clothing donated was requested by a soldier serving in my unit.  His request went out to his wife in Oklahoma; she then took it upon herself to collect them.  She was able to network with her neighbors and they collected a number of boxes filled with clothing.   She washed, packed and mailed them.  When they arrived in Baghdad we took them out to a housing area and distributed the clothing to a very appreciative neighborhood.  Take a minute to think about what took place and the implication.  A neighborhood in Oklahoma without hesitation came together collected a wide range of needed items and sent them to a group of people they will never meet all because of one soldier.  This is a weapon in America’s arsenal that can never be defeated.  This event may seem unimportant or isolated but the effects from this act of kindness will undoubtedly influence those Iraqis’ opinions of America.

 

April 21, 2008 I visited an Iraqi families home here in Baghdad.  The family of seven with one on the way has three disabled children. The father of the family is unemployed and they may soon be evicted from their home.  They are squatters that moved into their current living condition shortly after we moved into Baghdad.  Their home has a sheet for a front door no furniture except for a desk to put there satellite television on and a couple of rooms.  Word of the family traveled through local military personnel until it reach one soldier who himself has a disabled daughter at home.  Moved by the family’s unfortunate situation he began the process of getting the family medical care in the U.S.  Although, the chance of the children actually making it to the states is small, the care and intention given to them as made a difference.  The mother brought to tears thanked us for caring enough about them to come by to see if there was anything we could do.  She said “in all the years that the U.S. has been here no one cared enough to try to help.” 

 

April 29, 2008 I attended a feast, no literally, a feast at the Iraqi Fire Department in the International Zone (IZ).  The feast sponsored by the Iraqi fire Department was in honor of the Americans helping them get fire assets up and running in addition to the department going on their first mission in the International Zone.  Our guys helped to facilitate communication, identification badges for firefighters and bringing fire trucks into the IZ. These are just a few of the issues being face by the local firefighter that American soldiers are helping to solve.

 

None of these missions involved weapons or military tactics. There weren’t any Iraqis or Americans harmed.  Some may not even consider these events news worthy.  Everyday in Iraq these scenarios play out countless times helping us get even closer to a free and peaceful Iraq.  The U.S Army is a stronger and more versatile fighting force than it was five years ago.  Our soldiers are developing interpersonal relationships and learning how to lead and run communities in a combat zone.  These are powerful skills for any organization. America should be proud.

 

If you have ever visited a desert for any length of time you know that sandstorms are an unpleasant part of life. In the past days a cool front moved into the Baghdad area and it brought a huge cloud of dust with it.  Many of the locals wear face masks to prevent breathing in the bacteria laden sand particle that infiltrate everything.  I have always noticed that many soldiers including myself don’t take the precaution of covering our faces while outside.  I’m not sure why this is, maybe we don’t care or we don’t want the nuisance of having something on our face.  Needless to say there is dirt everywhere.

 

 In the years I have spent here in the middle-east I have experienced many sandstorms. A few of them stand out in my mind as events to remember but one storm beats them all.  The storm marked the end of a time in my life.  Prior to that four day storm I was young with typical idealistic views of the world.  Concepts like right from wrong, freedom, and religion were clear to me. On March 24, 2003 as the sun went down over the desert of southern Iraq I was moving north to a bridge over the Euphrates River.  My squadron’s mission was to secure the bridge move across and engage the Republican Guard on the other side.  As you may know I am a medic and being a part of supporting elements we are not always directly in the fight.  However, we were in the front of the support convoy just behind the troops actively engaging the enemy.  I was driving in the dark with night vision goggles that had a view coming through them like a fuzzy television screen in a shade of green.  I tried my best to follow the two little dots of light coming from the blackout markers on the vehicle in front of me. They kept disappearing in the trail of dust from the convoy.  This is fairly stressful because if I lose those lights I could lose the convoy if they make a turn or I could drive off a steep embankment on the side of the road and roll my truck.  As my convoy neared the location of the fight we began to receive some mortar fire, I was surprised and completely terrified.  Within seconds the indirect fire from mortars wasn’t our only problem the sky lit up with all kinds of tracer rounds.  Now not only was I trying to follow those very elusive dots of light in front of me but I also had bullets flying through my convoy.  At that time our trucks were not armored so bullets coming at us were kind of a big deal. The fighting went on all night as we drove on.  Before it was over my truck was disabled and I had to leave it behind.  Eventually the convoy stopped and we fought just on the edge of a village. All the time I have spent in this country that was the one night I fired weapon.  That morning we set up our aid station and treated a young Iraqi family.  They suffered wounds while trying to escape the fighting.  It was hard dealing with the fact that these people were hurt because of us, because of me.  After things had settled down I found a comfortable place to rest in someone else’s vehicle.  I stayed in there for hours contemplating my life.  The questions “how and why did I get myself into this?” went through my mind about a thousand times, I felt horrible. By the time I finally came out later in the day the sandstorm had moved in on us. During daylight visibility was about fifty meters, at night not even six inches.   The clear blue world I grew up in was gone and replaced with a strange new orange haze of my adult life. Those four days were some of the most challenging of my life but the dust eventually settled and my new life as a soldier was just beginning.  Those ideals like that vehicle I labored to follow that night are still out there. I must continue to follow them through the haze.