CENTAF chaplain visits Djibouti orphanages

16 July 07
by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Osborne
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Public Affairs Office.

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- The U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chaplain visited Camp Lemonier July 10 to 13 to meet with servicemembers and spent time at two local orphanages where he and members of the Alaska Air National Guard joined the boys in a basketball game.

Chaplain (Col.) Gregory Tate also looked at the camp's religious support team to get a sense of morale among servicemembers and coalition forces at Combined Joint task Force - Horn of Africa.

In addition, the chaplain met with David Ball, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy. Chaplain Tate said he could not have been more pleased with the hospitality, camaraderie and dedication to mission he experienced during his visit.

"We have been well-received by everyone at Camp Lemonier," Chaplain Tate said. "Chaplain (Navy Cmdr.) Walter Dinkins and the CJTF-HOA command chaplain's staff are doing a great job engaging this area of responsibility. They are doing groundbreaking work as they spend time at the orphanages and build partnerships within the (defense, diplomacy and development) infrastructure. The people serving here now are going to be invaluable to the future as they pass on their lessons learned."

Djibouti is just one of 20 sites Chaplain Tate and Senior Master Sgt. Jeff Sawyer, the CENTAF chaplain assistant functional manager, will visit during their one-year remote tour at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. They travel the Central Command area of operation to observe Air Force chaplain services and religious support teams.

"I have the best job serving the best commander in the AOR," said Chaplain Tate, who spent 14 years as a line officer before becoming a chaplain in 1996. "I love to travel and learn and this job provides the opportunity to do both. It's great to see our folks doing the duties and missions they have been trained to do, because they know how important the mission is. It thrills my heart to meet people and help them meet their needs."

Sergeant Sawyer said his job is especially rewarding because it provides the opportunity to be a hands-on senior enlisted leader to a great number of people in a variety of situations.

"The most satisfying and fun part of this job is traveling and interacting with the troops, particularly the chaplain's assistants, both my peers and those who are just starting their careers," Sergeant Sawyer said. "I have the chance to mentor, teach and get to know new people. The unique thing I liked about our visit to Djibouti was the opportunity to participate in the humanitarian efforts because we usually don't get a chance to take part in those things."

Photo - Chaplain (Col.) Gregory Tate surrenders his cover to a child during his July 13 visit to the baby orphanage near Camp Lemonier in Djibouti. Chaplain Tate, the U.S. Central Air Forces Command chaplain, visited Djibouti as part of his Central Command area of operation tour, observing Air Force chaplain services and religious support teams. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class John Osborne.

The Real Kite Runners flying the Afghan Skies

6 July 07
By Army Spc. Micah E. Clare
4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 82nd Airborne Division.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan - Even though best-selling books have painted pictures of Afghan children flying colorful kites high in blue skies against backdrops of snow-capped mountains that tower over quaint villages, not all Afghan children are fortunate enough to own such simple, yet wonderful toys.

However, when the Polish Battle Group arrived in Ghazni province’s Andar district near the end of June, the local children were finally able to take part in an activity shared by children in almost all countries in the world: flying kites.

While conducting patrols throughout Andar district during Operation Maiwand last month, the Polish soldiers of 1st and 2nd Platoons, Company B of the Polish Battle Group, made many humanitarian aid deliveries to the poor families living in the area. The extreme poverty of some of the areas was quite a shock to many of the Polish.

"It seems like time stopped here 2,000 years ago," said Polish Pfc. Chris Demko, a gunner on one of the giant Rosomak armored personnel carriers. "We see these kids running around with nothing, not even shoes, and we want to change that."

Everywhere they went, children crowded around the vehicles as the smiling soldiers pulled out boxes of shoes, clothes, school supplies and toys. But the biggest hit of all were the multi-colored kites that the soldiers unfolded for them.

With big grins and excited chattering, the children jumped up and down shouting, "Patang! Patang!" (the Pashto word for kite.) Soon the sky had several of the yellow, green and red kites with International Security Assitance Forces logos flying, much to the delight of the children dancing around below.

"These kites are so much fun," said Mahmad-Amid Hahn, a 12-year- old boy, as he made whooping sounds while his kite dipped and swerved in the air. "The Taliban would never give us these things." For the children who had never seen a kite before, some of the Polish soldiers stepped in to assist, unfolding the kites and showing them how to take off with a running start to get it airborne.

"Any time spent with children is a good thing," said Polish Pfc. Michal Ozog-Warclaw. "It is wonderful to see children who have been through so much with smiles on their faces."

Ozog-Warclaw, who has a daughter of his own back home in Poland, spends as much time as he can with her when he is home. "I spent many days playing with her just like this in the park, or forest," he recalled.

While the children enjoyed their kites and new shoes, the Polish also gave out school supplies as an encouragement for them not only to play, but to learn and attend nearby schools. The soldiers hope that their presence and influence in these areas will be able to help change an environment where the Taliban threatened parents against sending children to school.

"It is sad, because most children here have not had the same opportunities that my own daughter does," Ozog-Warclaw explained. "It is not their fault either. Back in Poland, my daughter is developing in school in a safe, loving community where she is free to learn, play, and interact. Every person should have access to these things, because being educated is a weapon against people who would tell you to be something you are not."

While the small youngsters who were screaming with excitement have many things to face as they grow older in their still unstable country, the pristine scene of children flying kites, completely free to enjoy their youth, still feels like it could come out of the pages of a book.

"We’re simply helping them make their lives better," said Polish Maj. Thomas Stachera, commander of Company B, while watching the children playing as his men prepared to move on. "I believe this to be a picture of what these people really want, a stable, peaceful, productive society," he said. "These children are the ones who will be able to make it happen."

Photo - Two Polish soldiers from the 1st Platoon, Company B, Polish Battle Group, show an Afghan boy how to fly his new kite June 24, 2007, in Andar District, Ghazni Province. Photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare.

Changing lives one mission at a time

24 Jun 07
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Craig Seals
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The C-130 is one of many different types of aircraft stationed here, but could easily be called one of the most versatile.

The members of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron put that versatility to the test every day. The three primary missions of the C-130s here are airdrop, air-land and aeromedical evacuation.

"Our airdrop missions can be anything from dropping pamphlets to the locals to humanitarian drops such as water, blankets, food and firewood in the winter, ammunition and troop re-supplies," said Senior Airman Patrick Keefe, 774th EAS loadmaster. "Air-land missions consist of troop movements or hauling cargo."

The multitude of missions doesn't limit the aircrew to only one mission type per flight though. Most of the time, their missions are any combination of the three. An aeromedical evacuation mission might be coupled with 15 Soldiers needing to get to a forward operating base while making a stop somewhere else to drop off a palette of supplies.

It's this type of versatility that makes the C-130 one of the most valuable aircraft in the theater. But not all of these missions are as easy as they seem.

"Each mission has a different type of danger, which means that each of us have to be on our A-game each and every day," said Air Force Capt.

John Malley, 774th EAS pilot. "It also depends on where we are going. If we know an area is hot, we know that there is that much more possibility we could get engaged."

Danger aside, the crews have a special sense of pride knowing the supplies and service they bring to the fight.

"I'm proud to be an American and happy to fight the good fight," said Malley. "We're [going to] win this thing and it's only a matter of time.

I'm hoping that every airdrop, air-land and aeromedical evacuation mission contributes positively to our efforts here in Afghanistan."

However, that sense of pride is evident in more than just the C-130 crews.

"With hauling cargo and personnel all over this country, I have been able to see the improvements this country has made," said Keefe. "The people have a feeling of importance now, which was evident in a recent election when they voted a woman in as minister of education. Things like this never would have happened under the Taliban."

Seeing a change for the better in the local people and the faces of the servicemembers they transport puts things in perspective for the crew.

"The most fulfilling part of my job is knowing that we're helping get wounded Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines out of harm's way and getting them to locations where they can get the medical attention they need," said Malley. "And getting those troops on the frontlines what they need when they need it, that's worth it."

Photo - Senior Airman Patrick Keefe (far right), 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, directs a forklift carrying passenger luggage into the cargo area of a C-130 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Keefe is deployed from Wyoming's Air National Guard, Cheyenne, Wyo. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Seals.