Humanitarian aid supplies in Taktehpol, Afghanistan

U.S. Soldiers with Bear Troop, 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment carry humanitarian aid supplies in Taktehpol, Afghanistan, Jan. 4, 2010. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Francisco V. Govea II, U.S. Air Force/Released)

F-15s Scramble to Escort Hawaiian Airlines Flight

American Forces Press Service

SALEM, Ore., : Two Oregon Air National Guard F-15 fighters, under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command, intercepted Hawaiian Airlines Flight 39 yesterday after a passenger caused a disturbance on the plane and the pilot decided to return the aircraft to Portland.

          The F-15s, stationed at Portland Air National Guard Base, escorted the aircraft until it landed at Portland International Airport without incident at about 1:15 p.m. PST, where the plane was met by law enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration.
          The Oregon National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing guards the skies from northern California to the Canadian border on 24-hour alert as part of the North American Air Defense system. The F-15 fighter jets become a federal asset once alerted, placing them under presidential authority, officials said.
                                                                        (From an Oregon National Guard news release.)

Related Sites:
Oregon National Guard
North American Aerospace Defense Command 

Marines Focus on Target Identification

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. James W. Clark

Special to American Forces Press Service

      CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan :  Adjusting his body armor, a designated marksman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, tracked the progress of a patrol of Marines from his perch atop a rocky hillside. The marksman followed the line of tan figures as they plodded along toward the platoon attack course at Range 3 here Jan. 2.
      The patrol rounded a bend and approached a cluster of barriers that represented the first set of houses the Marines would encounter. After a brief sputter of chatter across the radio, the patrol separated into squads, then further into four-man fire teams. Each element pushed toward a predetermined objective, but also had to remain cognizant of the situation as it developed and targets were identified.

As the patrol neared the houses and responded to simulated enemy fire, the Marines had to determine which targets were hostile and which were friendly as they prepared to return fire.

    The exercise simulated a patrol taking on an enemy position without the use of indirect fire, due to the risk of indirect fire causing civilian casualties. This forced the Marines to rely on accurate small-arms fire, explained Marine Corps 1st Lt. Mark A. Greenlief, the company's executive officer. The purpose of the training exercise is to further develop the Marines' ability to quickly acquire enemy targets and engage them, while minimizing the risk to civilians, he said.
       "Coordination is essential at the individual Marine level, and all the way up," Greenleif said. "The goal is to teach that the kinetic solution isn't always the best one."

       As the Marines moved through the course, they came across silhouettes marked by different colors meant to indicate a hostile or friendly target.
      "The exercise gave us the chance to distinguish between targets in the heat of the moment," said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brandon C. McConnell, a team leader. "It's pretty easy [during training]. In the real world, it won't be like this, and you'll have only a few seconds to make that judgment. The biggest challenge is trying to determine who's friendly and who isn't."
McCono was with the battalion on its last deployment to Afghanistan as a part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, described the challenge of making careful and good decisions in the middle of combat.
   You have to maintain control," he said. "You're getting shot at by one person, and you want to just shoot back at everyone, but you know you can't."
  The success of counterinsurgency operations relies heavily on the ability of Marines and sailors to reduce civilian casualties, Greenlief said, which requires each Marine to take great care in acquiring every target.

(Marine Corps Lance Cpl. James W. Clark serves in the 1st Marine Division's Regimental Combat Team 7 public affairs office.)

Obama Condemns Terrorists, Reaffirms U.S. Resolve

By Donna Miles of
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON : President Barack Obama condemned the Dec. 25 terrorist attempt on the United States in his first 2010 weekly radio address, vowing to bring those involved to justice and outlining steps the administration is taking to protect the American people.

Speaking from Kailua, Hawaii, the president said the Christmas Day attempt provides an important reminder of the sacrifices Americans are making in Afghanistan and the importance of bipartisan support for all who protect the United States.        Obama blamed an al Qaeda affiliate for recruiting, training and arming Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in the incident on a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Detroit.         "This is not the first time this group has targeted us," Obama said, noting that in recent years it has bombed Yemeni government facilities and Western hotels, restaurants and embassies, including the U.S. Embassy, in 2008.           "So, as president, I've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al Qaeda terrorists," Obama said.             The fruits of this collaboration had begun to be realized even before the Christmas Day terror attempt, he said. Training camps have been struck, leaders eliminated and plots disrupted.           Obama vowed to ensure all involved in the attempted attack will be held accountable, but said that's just part of a broader responsibility he took on as he came to office last January to protect the American people's safety and security.          "On that day I also made it very clear: Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred, and that we will do whatever it takes to defeat them and defend our country, even as we uphold the values that have always distinguished America among nations," he said. "And make no mistake, that's exactly what we've been doing."          Obama cited a revised strategy that aims to bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq and increase resources in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where al Qaeda is based. He said he's set a "clear and achievable mission: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies and prevent their return to either country."           The president paid tribute to seven CIA members killed this week in Afghanistan, and acknowledged that reviews must continue to determine what happened, and why. As questions are asked and debate goes on, he urged that it be focused on making necessary changes required to protect the country.           "As we go forward, let us remember this: Our adversaries are those who would attack our country, not our fellow Americans, not each other," he said.           Rather than giving in to fear, cynicism or partisanship, "let's work together, with a seriousness of purpose, to do what must be done to keep our country safe," he urged Americans. "As we begin this New Year, I cannot imagine a more fitting resolution to guide us---as a people and as a nation."       (Issued on :Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 3:41 PM )

Related Sites: President Obama's Weekly Address Related Articles: Obama: U.S. Will Strengthen Defenses, Pressure Extremists