APRIL 27, 2005

Kings of the hill page 6

2 Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Volume 26, Issue 37The Desert Voice is an authorized publication for members of theDepartment of Defense. Contents of the Desert Voice are notnecessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S.Government or Department of the Army. The editorial content ofthis publication is the responsibility of the Coalition Forces LandComponent Command Public Affairs Office. This newspaper ispublished by Al-Qabandi United, a private firm, which is not affiliated with CFLCC. All copy will be edited. The Desert Voice isproduced weekly by the Public Affairs Office.

Page 3 Navy’s top enlisted visits

Page 9 Pack it up or blow it up

Pages 6&7 RC cars in Kuwait

Page 8 Aussies deploy 1,400

Page 4 Learn your patch history

Page 5 The job of a deplyed cook

Page 11 Community Events

Back page Soldier submissions

Promotions, physical fitness and a messageof hope from home were Master Chief PettyOfficer of the Navy Terry Scott’s main topicswhen he visited Camp Arifjan April 21 andaddressed Sailors at an all-hands call.

A 1,400 Australian troop contingent willreplace the former Dutch mission in Iraq.Australia’s troop contribution will put themamong the top five troop contributors in thecoalition.

80th Ordnance Battalion, 295th OrdnanceCompany Soldiers inspect, pack and distrib-ute thousands of ammunition.

A competitive and growing hobby, radio con-tolled car racing serves as team buildingentertaninment for some deployed troops andcivilians in Kuwait.

While back home they’d be serving andpreparing food, deployed cooks here watchthird country nationals do their job.

Comics by Lt. Col. Michael Verrett andCapt. Paul Nichols. Poem by Sgt. 1st ClassPhyllis M. Brown.

On the Cover Sgt. RobertSchaubschlager’s Team Losi radio con-trolled truck jumps a hill at CampArifjan’s Camden Yards. The truck hasbeen clocked at 38 miles per hour.Photo by Spc. Curt Cashour

CONTENTS 37CFLCC Commanding GeneralLt. Gen. R. Steven WhitcombCFLCC Command Sergeant MajorCommand Sgt. Maj. Julian KellmanCFLCC Public Affairs OfficerCol. Michael PhillipsCommander 14th PADMaj. Thomas E. JohnsonNCOIC 14th PADStaff Sgt. Sheryl LawryDesert Voice Editor Sgt. Matt MillhamDesert Voice Assistant EditorSpc. Aimee FelixDesert Voice Staff WritersSpc. Curt CashourSpc. Brian TrappCFLCC PAO WritersSpc. Jonathan MontgomerySpc. Alex Licea14th PAD BroadcastersSgt. Scott WhiteSpc. Charles Spears

Page 10 Memorial ServiceChaplain (Maj.) Steven W. Thornton isremembered. Also, adopted by the Army inJanuary, the Single Ticket Program will getSoldiers to their destination within two days.

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Considering the many patch designs in theArmy today, it’s hard to imagine they startedas a round piece of red cloth and because ofa mistake in identity.

Olympics Week, Tae Kwon Do, KaraokeNight, Chess Tournament, Voleyball.

3Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Story by Spc. Brian Trapp

The Navy’s top enlisted Sailor visitedKuwait and told his Sailors the Navy hassome things to work on.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the NavyTerry Scott came from a visit at the USSCarl Vinson and took time to visit patients atU.S. Military Hospital Kuwait, eat lunch withsome Sailors, and then he addressed acrowded community center theater in atown hall-type meeting April 21 at CampArifjan.

Scott covered three main topics at theall-hands call: revising the Navy advance-ment system, putting stricter consequenceson physical fitness test failures, and hebrought a message of support from CapitolHill.

“I’d love to be able to stand up here andsay one day that everything is perfect, butit’s not. We have some things to improve,”Scott said.

One of the first subjects Scott addressedwas the Navy’s advancement exams, andthe need to improve the exams to putSailors with better leadership abilities intoleadership positions, rather than those whoare just good at taking tests.

The current Navy Enlisted AdvancementSystem relies on point ratings. Points areawarded for time in service, awards, a com-mander’s performance assessment andscores from the Navy advancement exam,a written test that covers general Navyknowledge and job-specific knowledge.

“I think the current system could beimproved dramatically,” Scott said. For theSailors who shouldn’t be put into higherpositions, “I hold leadership responsible.”Sailors are being recommended for promo-tion by their command on their performancereviews when they shouldn’t be, he said.

The current exam has been described asa Jeopardy quiz. The Navy is reviewing twonew advancement exams that focus moreon testing leadership skills and job-specifictopics than the current exam does. This isto meet the goal of promoting more compe-tent leaders.

One exam is the five-vector model, whichis already in use by the Navy but still evolv-ing. The model is a method of assessmentthat breaks down in five categories whatSailors need to do to advance. The cate-gories are professional development, per-sonal development, military education andleadership, certifications and qualifications,and performance. This method shows theactual skills of the Sailor taking the test, so

Sailors get promoted based on their level ofcompetence.

The other option being reviewed is arevised assessment test that focuses moreheavily on Sailors’ knowledge of their ownjob field and on their leadership abilities.Both the new advancement systems arebeing reviewed for accuracy and effective-ness.

Not only is the Navy reassessing theadvancement system, but Scott also talkedat length about the Navy’s need to reinforcethe importance of physical fitness for allSailors. To drive home the importance ofphysical fitness, a reinstituted policy ofthree physical readiness test failures in afour-year period will now result in a separa-tion from the Navy.

“Since the year 2000, we’ve done noth-ing but get progressively worse,” Scott said.“It’s getting worse, not better and our com-mands aren’t reporting it.”

The number of Sailors failing three ormore PRTs is estimated between 9,000 and11,000 Sailors. Exact numbers are notknown because some commands aren’treporting failures, Scott said. Included in thePRT problem is the fact that too manySailors are overweight and, for the first timein 20 years, the percentage of Sailorssmoking went up.

In response to the news of the crack-down on PRT failures, Petty Officer 2ndClass Jose Soto, an engineering aide withNaval Mobilization Construction Battalion 5,said he was going to take the news back tohis Sailors.

“We have to promote PRT, watch thesmoking and what we eat, and prepare our-selves to be more motivated to be con-cerned about our health,” Soto said.

The policy for separating Sailors will notcome out tomorrow, Scott said. Sailors willhave time to get ready to meet the stan-dard, but the policy phase-in will be quick.“The time to start, if you haven’t already, isnow,” he said.

Scott has talked about the importance ofphysical readiness for the Navy on severaloccasions, citing the need for healthy andstronger Sailors at all times, not just whengetting in shape for deployments. Scott hastraveled to talk with Sailors all over theworld, gathering the concerns of the for-ward troops.

“These are significant issues that faceall services,” said Chief Petty OfficerMyland Lewis, a day shift supervisor withNavy customs. “[The meeting] allows us tofeed him the information from the front lines

and to have the opportunity to listen to himin person, rather than seeing him on AFN.[It’s] kind of neat.”

Scott brought more than just news offuture plans for the Navy, he also brought amessage of strong support from the UnitedStates.

“I was on Capitol Hill last week and [thepoliticians], they practically grab me by thearm and say ‘make sure they know theirinterests and our commitment to them isunwavering,’” Scott said. The supportcomes from all over, like when he has thechance to walk through the airport in hisuniform. “Some people have no idea whatmy rank is; they come up to me justbecause my uniform says U.S. Navy, andthey say ‘thank you for your service.’”

The visit from Scott was the first timemany of the Sailors had an opportunity tosee the Master Chief Petty Officer of theNavy, and his interest in their concerns vali-dated the effort some troops made to getthere.

“I like that he showed up here,” saidSoto, who drove about an hour from Ali AlSalem Air Base just to listen to him. “It wasvery interesting and worth the drive. He’sour senior enlisted; he has a hell of a job onhis shoulders,” Lewis said.

On deck for straight talk

Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class James E. Finnigan

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy TerryScott addresses Sailors at an all-hhands callApril 21.

4 Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Story by Spc. Jonathan Montgomery

Before reading this little piece of anecdotal histo-ry, look at what’s sewn on your left shoulder.

A mistake in identification by a general, early inthe Civil War, started the system of shoulder patch-es now used by the U.S. Army.

The use of distinctive unit emblems to identifySoldiers as members of organizations began in thesummer of 1862 when Union Gen. Philip Kearnymistook some officers for stragglers from his owncommand.

“The officers listened in silence, respectfullystanding in the position of a Soldier until [Kearny]had finished, when one of them, raising his hand tohis cap, quietly suggested that the general had pos-sibly made a mistake, as none of them belonged tohis command,” said Col. Ralph Burr, author of Thebeginnings of heraldry in the Civil War – SymbolsRally the Spirit.

“With his usual courtesy, Kearny exclaimed,‘Pardon me, I will take steps to know how to recog-nize my own men hereafter.” The result was anorder that officers of his command should thereafterwear on the front of their caps a round piece of redcloth to designate them. Enlisted men of his com-mand also adopted the red patch, which becameknown as the famed “Kearny Patch.”

The idea of shoulder patches soon spread toother divisions and corps. By March 1863, Maj.Gen. Joseph Hooker had provided the first system-atic plan for the entire Army of the Potomac, order-ing that the First Corps should wear a sphere, theSecond Corps a trefoil, Third Corps a crescent andTwelfth Corps a star.

A general rule was that within each corps, thefirst division patch would be red, the second white,and the third blue. When a corps had a fourth divi-sion, another color would be designated. In theNinth Corps, it was green; in the Fifteenth, it wasyellow.

“To a considerable extent, the adoption of thesecorps badges was a morale building factor, andoften enlisted ranks contributed materially to thedesign,” said Burr.

The shoulder patch as it is worn today was offi-cially introduced into the U.S. Army in 1918. Thatsummer, Soldiers from the 81st Infantry Divisionwore a hand-embroidered wild cat badge on the

upper left arm. When they arrived in France, otherU.S. Army units adopted the idea. By 1924, theHeraldic Section of the Office of the QuartermasterGeneral was responsible for the research, designand development of distinctive unit insignia andshoulder sleeve patches.

The Department of the Army has since continuedthe time-honored tradition of shoulder sleeveinsignia. The head of a fierce blue dragon, forinstance, distinguishes troops assigned to the 18thAirborne Corps, from Fort Bragg, N.C. “The patchesmake us feel like part of a team,” said Capt. BradFellers of the 18th Airborne Soldier Support Groupcurrently deployed to Camp Arifjan. “Instead ofbeing individuals, we’re assigned to a larger,greater entity.”

In lieu of dragons, members of the Washingtonstate-based 81st Brigade Combat Team opted foranother legendary clawed creature: a raven. Part ofthe family crest of George Washington – a raven ona gold coronet – the glossy black corvine bird isused to form the crest of the unit’s insignia. Thedesign also symbolizes a combination of threeNorthwest Indian tribes: the head portion is from theHaida tribe; the lower portion is from the Kwakiutl;and the beak, eyes and mouth are from the Nootka.

Third Army, however, has chosen to work withletters not animals. The unit’s insignia, made popu-lar by Gen. George Patton in World War II, containsa white letter “A” within a red circle and shielded ona blue disc. The disc with two borders alludes to thedesignation of the unit. The white letter “A” standsfor “army,” whereas the “A” inside the “O” stands foran “army of occupation” in reference to World War I.

It was also during World War I when the 42ndInfantry Division received the name “RainbowDivision.” During a 1917 organization meeting atCamp Mills, Long Island, N.Y. Col. DouglasMacArthur, then the division’s chief of staff, was dis-cussing the organization of the division and review-ing the National Guard units from 26 states it wouldinclude. MacArthur commented that “the 42ndDivision stretches like a Rainbow from one end ofAmerica to the other.” The comment caught theinterest of those present and they decided to call itthe Rainbow Division.

Just like the many colors of a rainbow, there aremany patches of the Army, each containing its ownrich tapestry of spirit and symbolism. What’s yours?

Ravens, rainbows and dragons; oh my!

They were bornin the Civil Warin the form of around piece ofred cloth. Now,in many morecolors anddesigns, patchesnot only identifyus, they inspirethe kind ofesprit de corpsthat remindssome of us whywe joined.

5Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Story and photo by Spc. Curt Cashour

It sounds like the ideal occupation. Showup to work everyday and watch other peo-ple do your job. For some troops in Kuwait,it’s a reality.

In U.S. military dining facilities across thecountry, junior enlisted Soldiers, who nor-mally serve up food or labor over the grill intheir garrison jobs, supervise the third country nationals who perform most of thefood preparation, serving and sanitationduties.

According to military food service offi-cials, the change in roles for the Soldier isnecessary to ensure quality, uniformity andsafety in all of Kuwait’s DFACs, and thesupervisory experience grooms the Soldiersfor leadership roles they will eventually fillwhen they move into the noncommissionedofficer ranks.

Contracted foreign workers from theTamimi Global Company perform about 95percent of the food service operations inKuwait, said Master Sgt. Roaul Smith, thefood service liaison for 10 of the country’sU.S. military DFACs.

Soldiers are present to make sure the jobis done according to military food servicespecifications and to ensure only the properpersonnel enter the DFAC.

DFAC operations are much different inthe United States. Facilities there typicallyhave some support from civilian workers,but Soldiers often take on most of thepreparation and serving duties, said Sgt. 1stClass Jeffrey Jackson, noncommissionedofficer in charge of Camp Arifjan’s Zone 6DFAC.

Using contractors for the bulk of DFACwork saves the Army money due to the vari-ances in the skill sets and backgrounds offood service Soldiers.

Many cooks in theater belong to NationalGuard and Reserve units. When not

deployed, these troops prepare and servemeals, but on a much smaller scale thanthe DFACs in Kuwait. It’s more cost effec-tive for the Army to put these Soldiers insupervisory roles, where they can focus onthe skills they already possess, rather thantrain them in the art of large DFAC opera-tions, Smith said.

From the serving line to the supply room,Soldiers supervise TCNs and offer tips onhow to properly prepare food, serve it andclean up when the job is done. It’s not thatthe TCNs don’t know how to do these tasks.In fact, many of them have backgrounds inthe food service industry, according toAmeen Noon, a Tamimi project manager forArifjan’s Zone 6 and Zone 2 DFACs.

But, the advice Soldiers provide theTCN’s, who hail from countries such asIndia, Nepal and Pakistan, helps to bridgethe culture gap between the foreign workersand American troops, said Sgt. 1st ClassDelma Carrasquillo, NCOIC of the CampBuehring DFAC.

“The TCNs have their own way of cook-ing. Most of the time, they use spice likethere’s no tomorrow,” she said. Soldiershelp the TCNs prepare meals that are moresuitable for American taste buds.

But the cultural differences offer benefitsas well. Because they come from a widerange of countries, TCNs possess a broadknowledge of food preparation techniquesand can offer recipes that go beyond typicalAmerican fare, Noon said.

Contrary to what some may think, watch-ing the TCNs work and providing an occa-sional correction isn’t a sham job. Thesupervisory tasks junior enlisted DFACSoldiers perform in Kuwait are the sameduties that an E-5 or E-6 food service

How do I get that job?

Soldier would perform back in the UnitedStates, Jackson said.

According to Carrasquillo, watching theTCNs as they work can also help Soldiersbrush up on their own job skills.

A cook with the 295th OrdnanceCompany, a Reserve unit from Hastings,Neb., Spc. Marie Green prepares meals inboth field and kitchen environments whenstateside. At Arifjan’s Zone 2 DFAC, shewatches over TCNs to make sure they per-form their jobs up to military standards.When she gets back to the United States,Green said she plans on putting her newknowledge to use in her unit and her civilianjob at Wendy’s.

Another Zone 2 worker, Spc. TheotisStrawter, said he sometimes gets bored withsupervising and wants to do the cookinghimself.

“It’s all right, but I’m not doing my [mili-tary occupational specialty],” he said.

Nevertheless, the skills he’s gainedwatching over TCNs in Kuwait will sooncome in handy. The reservist with the SouthCarolina-based 942nd TransportationCompany is awaiting the results of an E-5promotion packet he submitted April 20, hesaid.

Aside from gaining valuable job skills,deployed food-service Soldiers also havethe opportunity to share experiences andswap stories with TCNs from exotic loca-tions.

Strawter said that TCNs and Soldiers getalong great and often joke with one anotherlike coworkers in any other workplace. Andafter working side by side with servicemem-bers, the TCNs begin to take pride in theU.S. military and the job it’s doing.

“We’re all like one big family,” he said.

For some Soldiers sta-tioned in Kuwait, deploy-

ment orders come with anadded bonus: a promotion.

Ali Ahmed, chief cook at the Camp Arifjan Zone 2 DFAC stirs 250 gallons of spaghetti sauce.For the last 15 years Ahmed has worked alongside Soldiers in U.S. military dining facilities inKuwait. Ahmed says he’s used the experience to perfect his English speaking skills.

6 Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Radio controlled fun in KuwaitStory by Spc. Curt Cashour

Sgt. Wes Myers is proud of his truck, andhe should be. He’s spent countless hoursoutfitting it with a new engine, tweaking thegear ratio and replacing worn parts with

new ones. But Myers doesn’t have to put in long

days in a sweaty garage to perform themodifications. He’s got a much more con-venient place to work: his barracks at CampArifjan.

Myers’ truck is 1/8th the size of a normalpickup. But it’s not an ordinary toy. It has anitro-fuel powered engine and can reach atop speed of nearly 40 miles per hour.

An aircraft electrician with the 1106thAviation Classification Repair Activity Depot,a National Guard unit from Fresno Calif.,Myers, 38, is part of a growing communityof servicemembers and contractors inKuwait who have made a hobby out of rac-ing and modifying radio controlled vehicles.Racers in Kuwait say the cars are a greatdeployment pastime and a source of friendly

competition and camaraderie. A fraction of the size of their real-life

counterparts, RC vehicles are small enoughto fit inside a wall locker and light enough tocarry around by hand. Despite their smallstature, some cars can reach speeds of upto 70 mph.

While RC racing has been around foryears, the current trend among Kuwait’sU.S. military camps dates back to August2004. That’s when a group of contractorscompleted work on Camden Speedway, anRC track at Camp Arifjan’s Zone 6.

“We saw people with the [RC] trucks sowe decided, ‘let’s build a track so we can allget together and race,’” said KBR’s BrianHolcombe, a 37-year-old water purificationand distribution worker who helped buildthe track.

Sgt. Wes Myers outfits his RC truck with new suspen-sion parts at his barracks at Camp Arifjan April 20.

Photo by Spc. Curt Cashour

Start your engines

Photo by Spc. Curt Cashour

7Desert Voice April 27, 2005

As word spread, the popularity of thetrack grew, but months of racing andKuwaiti weather took a toll on the course. InMarch 2005 Chris Theriot, a 31-year-oldKBR carpenter superintendent based atArifjan, led an effort to modify and refurbishthe track.

Larger than its predecessor, with longerstraight-aways and softer sand, the tracksits in the eastern corner of Arifjan’s Zone6. The course is open throughout the weekto anyone who wants to race, but the realaction takes place Saturday nights. That’swhen Arifjan’s RC enthusiasts meet to testtheir skills.

Though the number of racers varies fromweek to week, a typical night sees 15 to 20competitors. Crowds of up to 100 peoplehave even shown up just to watch theaction, Holcombe said.

According to Moore, the mood at theraces is more carefree than competitive.“We don’t go out for the competition, we goout to have a blast with it,” he said.

The competition is a bit thicker at CampBuehring, which also has its own track.Dubbed Udairi Speedway, the course playshost to races every Sunday night. Basedloosely on the NASCAR racing circuit, driv-ers at Udairi compete for points in a seriesof seven races, with each event taking onthe name of a NASCAR competition.

The track even has its own marshall,contractor Pete Murphy, who schedulesraces and makes sure the racers’ radio fre-quencies don’t interfere with one another.

In the past, local hobby shop HobbyTime has donated trophies, but most of thetime winners compete for friendly bragging

rights, said Chief Warrant Officer ScottDavis, Buehring’s assistant contract officerand an RC racer for the last 20 years.

Despite the competitive atmosphere,Davis said the races have served as a teambuilder for the 30-or-so RC buffs atBuehring. For instance, if a racer needs acertain piece of equipment to compete,other folks will offer up their own spare partsfor a quick fix.

Davis led a team of about 15 contractorsand servicemembers in the construction ofthe speedway in February 2005. Since itscompletion, the popularity of the races hasgrown steadily, and Davis and the other rac-

Capt. Stuart Wolfer’s RC truck catches some air at Camp Buehring’s Udairi Speedway April 17.The track was built in February 2005 by a goup of civilians and servicemembers.

Lt. Col. Phillip R. Lamborn, commander of Camp Buehring, power slides his RC truck around acorner at Camp Buehring’s Udairi Speedway April 17.

Photo by Chief Petty Officer James vanderDonck

Photo by Chief Petty Officer James vanderDonck

ers have found themselves fielding thequestions of curious crowd members.

“People come up, they want to know howthey get the trucks, where they get the fuel,”Davis said. It’s nearly the same positionDavis was in when he got to Buehring.

Davis arrived in Kuwait Oct. 12 – withouthis 40-mph Trinity Spider truck he usuallyraces with. It’s not that Davis wanted toleave his car at home, he just thought thespecial nitro fuel needed to keep his truckrunning would be hard to find in Kuwait, hesaid.

Soon after his arrival, however, Davismet a group of contractors who agreed topurchase fuel for him on the local economy,he said. Racers at Arifjan have a similararrangement with contractors working atthat camp. “We get them gas, batteries,parts – whatever they need. If the hobbystore has it, we’ll pick it up,” Holcombe said.

With the help of contractors and theInternet, it’s entirely possible to start an RChobby in Kuwait. But to compete with theracers at Arifjan and Buehring it will cost atleast $400 to $500, Davis said.

That much will buy a nitro-powered truck,controller and a basic kit of tools and extraparts. The extra parts are a necessity forbeginners, Davis said.

“Initially you break stuff because youcrash. After the learning curve is over, a lotof these guys go week in and week outwithout breaking stuff,” he said.

While the $500 may seem like a lot tosome, the amount pales in comparison tothe $1200 many racers have tied up inmodifications and improvements for theirvehicles.

“It’s a lot like real racing. There’s alwaysthat other part that will make you go faster.But it still comes down to the driver,” Davissaid.

8 Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Story and photo by Spc. Brian Trapp

In their steadfastness to see a free-standing Iraqi government, Australian sol-diers are filling the void left by countriespulling their troops out of Irag, and theirnumbers will put them in the top five troopcontributors in the coalition.

The Aussies are committing 450 moretroops. Their 43-member forward party land-ed in Kuwait April 17. They off loaded vehi-cles and equipment, then made their way toCamp Virginia where the Australians willprepare for the rest of the party to arrive.

Once they are all there, the Australianswill move forward to Iraq to fulfill their newmission at Al Muthanna and Camp Smitty.

“We’ve had a long flight; we’re very tiredand ready to get to Camp Virginia, get ourfeet on the ground and get rested,” saidAustralian Maj. Gary Stone, executive offi-cer for the Al Muthanna Task Group, in ashort statement he made to the press whenhe arrived at Kuwait.

The Al Muthanna mission the Australiansare taking on was previously manned byapproximately 1,400 Dutch troops. Nowafter two years on the mission, the Dutchgovernment chose to pull out of the coali-

tion. A mixture of the incoming Australian

troops and British troops are taking the reinsfor the mission. The Al Muthanna region ofIraq is considered relatively quiet, but duringthe two-year period the Dutch were in thearea, two were killed.

The mission is not only to protect theregion but to protect Japanese engineersworking in the area to rebuild utilities andinfrastructure for the province. The Aussieswill also be training Iraqi police forces in thearea. Some of the more broad patrollingand force protection aspects of the missionare slated to be taken over by the Brits.

As the Dutch left Al Muthanna in March,British forces came in to protect theJapanese engineers on a humanitarian mis-sion in the area. The Japanese constitutionbars the military from using force in interna-tional conflicts and allows them to operateonly in non-combat zones. Japan has beeninvolved in humanitarian and reconstructionactivities in support of Operation IraqiFreedom since January 2004 and withoutthe protection of other forces may have hadto leave the coalition.

The Aussie task group’s role in trainingthe Iraqi police is vital for achieving the ulti-mate goal of withdrawing all foreign forcesfrom Iraq, according to a transcript ofAustralian Prime Minister John Howard at apress conference when he announced thecommitment of more troops Feb. 22.

The Australians are there to support theIraqis and help them build their country up,

said Lt. Col. Mark Elliott, deputy directorgeneral of public affairs for the AustralianDefense Force. The Iraqis need to be ableto defend themselves and they need thissupport, so “we are glad to contribute any-way that we can.”

These additional soldiers will raise thenumber of Australian troops deployed forOperation Iraqi Freedom – known asOperation Catalyst to the Australians – fromabout 900 troops to almost 1,400 once theAl Muthanna Task Group deploys to Iraq.The number is down from the nearly 2,000Australian soldiers who were with the coali-tion during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

This is the second deployment to Iraq fora few of the troops in the task group andElliott said that experience pays off, experi-ence that plays into the smaller, moredetailed aspects. Like the troops understandthe rank structure of their coalition allies andknow they need to go to the top enlistedtroops to get things done, he said.

The Australian public doesn’t entirelysupport the decision to send the additionalsoldiers for the Al Muthanna Task Group,said Elliott. But, the public’s support is onlydivided as far as the government’s decisionto deploy more soldiers, not as far as sup-porting the soldiers.

“They know they have very well-trainedpersonnel,” he said. “There’s a hugeamount of pride with Australians. We thinkwe can match up with the best in the world,and that’s what we’ve shown in Afghanistanand Iraq.”

The Australian lead party unloaded light equipment then moved to Camp Victory to prepare forthe rest of the task group. The Australian contingent is later slated to move into Iraq.

A species of earthworm in Australiagrows up to 10 feet in length.The sting of the sea-wasp jelly-fish foundoff the coasts of Australia causes deathwithin minutes. About 60 people havedied from it in the past 25 years.The most poisonous sea and land snakescome from Australia.The Little River Band, The Bee Gees,Nick Cave, INXS, AC/DC, Midnight Oil,Silverchair, and, Kylie Minogue all haveAustralian origins.In Australia, fanny is slang for vagina. The feral camel population in Australia isestimated at around 400,000 to 500,000and growing by nearly 10 percent a year.If those numbers continue, the populationmay double in about 8 years.Australia has one of the highest rates ofskin cancer in the world.In World War II Japan bombed theAustralian towns of Darwin – headquar-ters of the unit where many of the taskgroup’s soldiers are from – Broome, andthe New Guinean town of Port Moresby.The United States and Australia joinedforces to fight back the Japanese threatin the Pacific.

Australian facts

Aussies hit top five in coalition

up more than 650 containers express full ofammunition over the past two months. Theammo containers, which are scheduled tobe shipped in May, are either reused fortraining or distributed to deploying units.

There were so many moving cranes andvehicles all around the TSA during the lastfew weeks it was unbelievable to see, saidZastrow.

In the last month alone, the battalion hasbeen able to finish more than 120 contain-ers, said Chief Warrant Officer Aaron Donat,295th ordnance ammunition technician. “Itall depends on what our mission dictates,”he said. Some ammo, such as rifle rounds,is kept at the ammunition supply point anddistributed to units that are coming throughArifjan on the way to Iraq.

“After we service each piece of ammo,we place the ammo back in the container orin the magazines,” said Zastrow. “We try toreuse our resources as best we can, plus itsaves the Army some money.”

Troops like 295th member Spc. ShawnGray inspect hundreds of 5.56 millimeterrounds on a daily basis. For him, the job isjust as important as if he were an infantry-man catching a group of insurgents.

“My job is to make sure each piece ofammo is ready for combat,” said Gray, ashe picked up a set of rifle rounds from atable full of linked, unused bullets. “We haveto make sure they work.”

“These [Soldiers] work many hours tomake sure the job gets done right,” Zastrowsaid. “Once those containers are on theship, we know we did our job.”

These troops [295th] look for dents,scratches, cracks and other imperfectionsthat may hinder the item’s performance,said Zastrow. “We have to make sure eachpiece of equipment is serviceable for ourtroops on the ground.”

However, if the ammo is unserviceable, itis destroyed, Zastrow said. RecentlySoldiers of the 295th, along with membersof the 319th Ordnance Company, gottogether at Udairi Range and destroyedabout 100,000 net-weight pounds of explo-sives. The deficient ammo is destroyed withC-4 explosives and is taken to a self-con-taining area, like Udairi, in order to preventinjuries to the country’s wildlife and local cit-izens, said Chief Warrant Officer JanCoons, ammunition technician for the295th.

Since the conclusion of the recent rota-tion of forces, members of the 295th havebeen busy loading many unused munitionsto be shipped back to the United States.

Despite operations in Iraq, the use ofartillery and tank rounds have not met thetraditional demands of previous wars. Thisis mostly due to the urban battlefield envi-ronment of the Iraqi conflict, said Zastrow.

The use of these rounds does not fit thecurrent operations in places such asBaghdad, said Zastrow. It is not that kind offorce-on-force war.

“Everything from [Iraq] that is not usedwill come back to us so we can inspect it,pack it and ship it out.”

Soldiers of the 295th, along with the 24thOrdnance Company and KBR, have packed

9Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Story and photos by Spc. Alex Licea

When 2nd Lt. Terry Zastrow looks to hisright and left while driving around theTheater Storage Area, located three milesoutside of Camp Arifjan’s limits, a thoughtcomes to mind. There are so many ammocontainers it looks like a garden full of flow-ers, said the 35-year-old Army reservistfrom Lincoln, Neb. Only these flowers arenot beautiful and their contents cause bodilyharm.

Since November, Soldiers of the 80thOrdnance Battalion, 295th OrdnanceCompany have inspected, distributed andpacked thousands of ammunitions acrossthe TSA’s blistering heat and sanding condi-tions.

The TSA serves as the site where allammunition is kept while in theater. Aftereach piece is inspected for serviceability,the ammo is taken to Arifjan’s ammunitionsupply point where units pick up their “firepower.”

“We issue and take in ammo from unitscoming in from [Iraq],” said Zastrow, whoserves as a 295th platoon leader. “We cleanthe ammo and start the serviceabilityprocess to make sure it works.”

The Nebraska-reserve company hasinspected a total of 14 different types ofammunition which range in size from a 10-foot construction beam to an index finger.Some pieces of unused ammo, such asartillery rounds, are prepped for shipmentback to various locations across the UnitedStates.

From left to right: Hundreds of obsolete rounds, wait to be destroyed. Using a heavy equipmentmachine, Soldiers of the 295th Ordnance Company lift a pallet of ammunition they are aboutto store in one of more than 650 ammo containers scheduled to head back to the UnitedStates in May. Spc. Shawn Gray, 295th, inspects a chain of rifle rounds, looking for dents,cracks and scratches. Gray and his fellow Soldiers look through hundreds of rounds looking forany damage that may hinder the ammo’s performance.

Leave Kuwait faster:

10 Desert Voice April 27, 2005

said Air Force Gen. John W. Handy, U.S.Transportation Command commander, in aninterview with American Forces PressService.

The STP lets DDOC identify in advancewho needs to move where for each missionthrough the Joint Operation Planning andExecution System, or JOPES, which helpscoordinate small- and large-scale troopmovements. “Each rotating unit is assigneda line number, which is then input intoJOPES,” said Pickett. “From there, DDOCcan tell a particular unit or brigade to moveon a particular day while not causing hugebottlenecks.”

The STP has proven to be an effectivecost-saving mechanism for the military,Pickett said. “The biggest savings comefrom preventing loss of seats since rede-ployment flights are already paid for,” hesaid. The STP also saves the militarymoney by having troops stay less time instaging areas like Kuwait before heading toIraq, thus reducing the fight over in-theaterassets like wash racks and billeting. “Theprogram is a way to reduce the cramping,”he said.

The DDOC requirement cell monitorsJOPES continuously while sending mes-sages to Aoudeid Air Base in Qatar regard-ing who needs to fly from where to where.“DDOC covers the whole theater … to andfrom the Horn of Africa, to and from Iraq, toand from Afghanistan,” Pickett said. “TheSTP moved more than 190,000 troops in

Story by Spc. Jonathan Montgomery

Don’t want to wait in Kuwait or any otherstaging area that’s not your final destina-tion? Then Uncle Sam has your ticket out ofthere, faster.

The Single Ticket Program, a transporta-tion initiative adopted by the Army January2005 and pushed by the U.S. CentralCommand Deployment and DistributionOperations Center, looks to speed up themovement of troops traveling in and out oftheater.

“The program reduces the average waittime from four days to 24 hours,” said Capt.Victor Pickett, DDOC requirement cell plan-ner.

Before the STP, troops depended on pre-determined routes run by the Air Force.Units would have to wait for a flight going totheir destination, which could take up to aweek. These pre-determined routes alsomade it difficult to find available seating formore than 300 troops at a time, especiallysince one C-130 holds roughly 60 troops,Pickett said.

With DDOC in control, officials knowwhen troops are expected in theater, andthey can then work on getting troops thenecessary transportation to get troops totheir end destination. “The Single Ticketprogram was just a simple notion. It saysfor every single person we’re deploying,we’ll give them a single ticket all the way totheir end-destination in Afghanistan or Iraq,”

2004,” By then the Marine Corps had already

adopted the STP. It was the first branch ofservice to do so. The Marine Corps inKuwait sends deployed Marines on com-mercial aircraft to fly into Kuwait CityInternational Airport. Marines are thenbussed to Camp Victory, Kuwait, for pro-cessing (Army troops are bussed to CampDoha, Kuwait, for processing) and thenbussed to Ali Al Salem Air Base for airliftinto Iraq. “The dwell time goal for thetroops in Kuwait is less than 36 hours.Redeployment from Iraq works in reversewith a dwell time goal for redeploying troopsin Kuwait less than 48 hours,” said Lt. Col.John Germain of the II MarineExpeditionary Force.

The means to the STP has been theliaisons, Pickett said. “The key has been theLNOs to keep us updated, tell us whethertroop numbers have fluctuated or not,” hesaid. “We don’t have direct contact with theunits … LNOs bridge the gap of troopmovement.”

Aside from the Marine Corps and theArmy, other services are joining up as wellin an effort to make the program a joint obli-gation, Pickett said. “Army leaders spun itup for the Army last year, and the Air Forceis also on board for it,” he said.

The program has proven successful,Pickett said. “The LNOs have done a goodjob of relaying personnel counts and otherflight information,” he said.

Kuwait will now just be aquick stop along the way

Sgt. Maj. Bennet Estephanepowell,Army Materiel Command logisticssupport element south west Asiasergeant major, places identifica-tion tags on the cross at Chaplain(Maj.) Steven W. Thornton’s, AMCchaplian, memorial service April23 at Camp Arifjan’s Zone 1 com-munity center theater. Thorntonwas serving his second tour insupport of Operation IraqiFreedom when he died April 18 atthe age of 46. Thornton is sur-vived by his wife of 23 years,Brenda, three children and fivegrandchildren. He has two sons inthe Air Force and one daughterthat lives in Steilacoom, Wash.

Saying goodbye

Photo by Spc. Brian Trapp

11Desert Voice April 27, 2005

Victory

Virginia

Spearhead/SPOD

Navistar

Buehring

Kuwaiti Naval Base

Walking Club, 7:30 a.m., command cell flagpoleMondayWalking Club, 5:30 a.m., command cell flagpoleAerobics, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., MWR tent 4TuesdayTae-Kwon-Do Class, 7 p.m., MWR tent 1WednesdayWalking Club, 5:30 a.m., command cell flagpoleAerobics, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Tent 4For more information call 828-1340

WednesdayVoleyball, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Kuwaiti GymThursdayVoleyball, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Kuwaiti GymFridayNCW Farewell Party, noon - 5 a.m. (Call for info.)SaturdaySwimming, 2 p.m., Barbecue (Call for info.)For more information call 839-1063

WednesdayPool Tournament practice, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., MWRgame tentSelf Defense class, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., basketballcourtAerobics Class, 6 p.m., Game tentThursdayPool Tournament practice, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., MWRgame tentKarate Class, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., basketball courtSoftball Tournament practice, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.,Softball fieldFridayPool Tournament practice, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., MWRgame tentAerobics Class, 6 p.m., Game tentSaturdayPool Tournament, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. & 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., MWR game tentSundayPool Tournament, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. & 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., MWR game tentMondayChess and Backgammon practice, 8 a.m. - 10p.m., MWR game tentAerobics Class, 6 p.m., Game tentSelf Defense class, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., basketballcourtTuesdayChess and Backgammon practice, 8 a.m. - 10p.m., MWR game tentKarate Class, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., basketball courtSmoking cessation classes, 10 a.m., Rec. tentEducation/Awareness/Prevention, 1 p.m., Rec.tentKarate Class, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., basketball courtWednesdayChess and Backgammon practice, 8 a.m. - 10p.m., MWR game tentSelf Defense class, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., basketballcourtAerobics Class, 6 p.m., Game tentFor more information call 844-1137

ThursdayCamp Spring 3K, 7 a.m., North DFAC

WednesdayBingo Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 Community Center Country Western Night, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6 stage Legs, butts and guts, 5:30 a.m., Stretch and flex 8a.m., Step Aerobics, 1 p.m., Circuit weight train-ing, 3 p.m., Zone 1 gym ThursdayCountry Music Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 CommunityCenterOpen Mic Night, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6 MWR Basketball signups begin, Zone 1 gymCardio kickboxing, 5:30 a.m., Stretch and Flex, 8a.m. Circuit Weight Training, Zone 2 gymFridayArifjan Boxing Team, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6 gymSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 Community CenterLap swimming, 5 to 7 a.m., poolAerobics, 6 p.m., Zone 6 MWR tentInterval training, 5:30 a.m., 1 p.m.and 3 p.m.Zone 1 gymSaturdayAudie Murphy Club study sessions, 3 p.m., Bldg.508 Rm. 25BCountry Night, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6 stageKaraoke Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 Community CenterCircuit weight training, 5:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 1 p.m.and 3 p.m., Zone 1 gymLap swimming, 5 to 7 a.m., poolSundayBingo Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 Community CenterLap swimming, 5 to 7 a.m., poolCardio kickboxing, 5:30 a.m., Stretch and Flex, 8a.m., Circuit Weight Training, 1 p.m., StepAerobics, 3 p.m., Zone 1 gymMondayArifjan Boxing Team, 7:30 p.m., Zone 1 gym tentBlack Jack Night, 7 p.m., Community CenterCountry Western Night, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6 stageLap swimming, 5 to 7 a.m., poolLegs, butts and guts, 5:30 a.m., Stretch and flex 8a.m., Step Aerobics, 1 p.m., Circuit weight train-ing, 3 p.m., Zone 1 gymTuesdayLap swimming, 5 to 7 a.m., poolCardio kickboxing, 5:30 a.m., Stretch and Flex, 8a.m., Circuit Weight Training, 1 p.m., StepAerobics, 3 p.m., Zone 1 gymWednesdayCountry Western Night, 7:30 p.m., Zone 6 MWR Bingo Night, 7 p.m., Zone 1 Community CenterLegs, butts and guts, 5:30 a.m., Stretch and flex 8a.m., Step Aerobics, 1 p.m., Circuit weight train-ing, 3 p.m., Zone 1 gymFor more information call 430-1202

WednesdayWalking Club, 5:30 a.m., command cell flagpoleAerobics, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Tent 4ThursdayTae-Kwon-Do Class, 7 p.m., MWR Tent #1Friday Walking Club, 5:30 a.m., command cell flagpoleMassage Therapy, 9 a.m., MWR tent #4SaturdayTae-Kwon-Do Class, 7 p.m., MWR tent #1Sunday

Community happenings for April 27 through May 4Arifjan

Bingo Night, 7 p.m., Tent T-32FridayMovie Night, 8 p.m., Outdoor Movie TheaterSaturdayMovie Night, 8 p.m., Outdoor Movie TheaterFor more information call 825-1302

WednesdaySalsa Night, 8 p.m. (Call for info.)Basketball practice, 6 p.m. (Call for info)Softball league, 5 p.m., Steel ParkThursdaySelf Defense, 8 p.m. (Call for info)Softball league, 5 p.m., Steel ParkFridayMovies, 8 p.m. (Call for info)Basketball practice, 6 p.m. (Call for info)Softball league, 5 p.m., Steel ParkMondayBasketball practice, 6 p.m. (Call for info)Softball league, 5 p.m., Steel ParkTuesdayMovie Night, 8 p.m. (Call for info)Softball league, 5 p.m., Steel ParkWednesdayBasketball practice, 6 p.m. (Call for info)Softball league, 5 p.m., Steel ParkFor more information call 823-1033

WednesdayCountry Western Contest, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomThursdaySpades Tournament, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomKaraoke Night, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomFridayEarth Day 5K run, 3 p.m., Dusty RoomSalsa Night, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomSaturdaySpa Day, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., MWR tentHip Hop and R&B Night Contest, 7 p.m., DustyRoomSundayFoosball Tournament, 6 p.m., MWR tentOld School Jams Contest, 7 p.m., Dusty Room MondayPing Pong Tournament, 6 p.m., MWR tentMovie Night, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomTuesdayBingo Night, 7 p.m., Dusty RoomWednesdayCountry Western Night Contest, 7 p.m., DustyRoomFor more information call 832-1045

Are you holding an eventyou’d like to see listed inthe Desert Voice?send your event listings to theDesert Voice editor at the e-mailaddress listed on the back page ofthis issue.

Doha will no longer have MWR events.

EditorCFLCC PAO/Desert Voice Camp ArifjanAPO AE 09306matthew.millham@arifjan.arcent.army.mil

By Capt. Paul Nichols, 377th Theater Support Command

By Lt. Col. Michael Verrett, CFLCC C4

Safety CornerHydrationFrom the 377th Theater Support Command Safety Office

With warmer weather approaching, it is impor-tant to start practicing proper hydration. Althoughtables vary slightly, as a general rule, you shouldbe drink between a half quart and one quart ofwater per hour. You should not exceed one and ahalf quarts per hour and 12 quarts per day.Drinking too much water is just as harmful as notdrinking enough water. It is also important to uti-lize work/rest cycles when possible.To register for upcoming safety classes or forquestions or comments on this segment, pleaserefer to the 377th safety office’s Maj. NathanPhelps or 1st Lt. Rene Surgi.

By Sgt. 1st Class Phyllis M. BrownTheater Personnel Command

I am looking at the person in the mirror,and the person is looking back at me.I ask myself, “do you like what you see?”I answer, yes I do.Then I say I have two questions for you:Do you like what you see?Are you being all that you can be?You answer no, I don’t like what I see, and I am not being all I can be.I want to change my ways, so please help me.I am miserable, and I am settling.I am sick, and I am tired of folks’ meddling.You say the desert will make you look within.I know I am not perfect, and I know I sin.I don’t see my reflection, and I can’t make a connection.I am trying to create a personal relationship with my Father.Sometimes I ask myself, “why bother?”I need to let go of some baggage.I need to lay down some burdens.I have this unquenchable thirst.You say put him first.I feel like this is a test, and I am on probation.You say you are going through a spiritual transformation.I tell you to look in the mirror again.You say I can see my reflection, and I can feel the connection.I am happy, and I know now who I was born to be.I am born again, and I am free.

Dedicated to my HHC Cdr & 1SG390th PSG

Person in the mirror

ARMY LIFE