If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
TERRAIN & MAJOR LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS BY ISAF RC
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Missions
ISAF PRT LOCATIONS
Provincial Reconstruction Team • 26 PRTs, each commanded by a military officer (usually a LTC) • Includes: -Military Component (Civil Affairs/Force Protection) -Civilian Police Advisors -Civilianrepresentativesof US (or other national) government foreign agencies
Focus is on development, reconstruction and extending the reach of the central government into the provinces.
AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY
Afghan National Army (ANA) • Strength: 97,000 troops (as of January 2010) • Target Strength: 240,000 (within five years) • Capacity: participates in 90% of ISAF operations and leads 62% of joint operations • Well respected by the Afghan population
ANA Command Areas of Responsibility
AFGHAN NATIONAL POLICE
Afghan National Police (ANP) • Strength: 94,000 (as of January 2010) • Target Strength: 134,000 (within five years) • Composition of the ANP - Afghan Uniformed Police - Afghan Border Police - Afghan National Civil Order Police - Afghan Counter-Narcotics Police • Viewed as corrupt; are known to extort the local population; generally not trusted
Well we started hearing about the Kandahar offensive even while the Marjah Offensive was still in full swing. Then we heard how Gen McChrystal wanted to delay it until the fall because he did not feel everything was ready to go. Not too long after that the McChrystal issue happened and he resigned. Once that happened and Gen Petereaus was put in command there was a lot of talk of it being delayed again or not happening at all.
Well it appears all is a go and the mission has begun.
A top NATO officer said Sunday that the alliance a few days ago had launched its “kinetic,” or combat, phase of “Operation Dragon Strike,” a joint military push with Afghan forces around Kandahar intended to rid the area of insurgents and interrupt their ability to move freely and stage attacks.
If you get a chance head over to www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/09/20/sears-salute-to-heroes-sale-returns/ and read the post that my buddy CJ put up. Sears has a special promotion going on asking readers of You Served and other milblogs to tell the story of a loved one who they consider a hero and you could win a $200 shopping spree at Sears.
The Salute to Heroes Sale is this Saturday, 9/25. Sears is celebrating America’s service people (Police, Military, Veterans, Firefighters, Teachers, and Hospital Staff) with an extra 10% off of apparel, shoes, lawn and garden, tools, home fashions, electronics, automotive and more this Saturday, September 25, 11 AM to 2 PM. In a few select cities, the sale will run all day: Denver, CO; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN and New Orleans, LA. LUCKY!!
There are lots of great deals – men’s dress shirts for $19.99 (reg. $42), quilts for $29.99 (reg. $59.99), etc. (check out the flyer; link below).
“Local heroes” need to print out the Storewide Savings Pass found in the flyer available here:www.sears.com/salute, and they also need ID to prove their “local hero” status, so this isn’t a sale for just anybody.
The sale is nationwide with the exception of these cities, where it will be held on Saturday, November 13: Boston. MA; Seattle, WA; Miami, FL; Raleigh-Durham, NC; Dallas, TX and Cincinnati, OH. The offer will be the same: extra 10% off apparel, shoes, lawn and garden, tools, home fashions, electronics, automotive and more.
More information is available at www.sears.com/salute and enter your zip code to download your 10% off coupon.
Sears is trying to recognize our military and first responders who have given and do so much for our country. They want your stories, they want to know about someone that you know who you feel is a Hero. Tell the story and get a chance to win a $200 shopping spree.
After a week of bad news coming out of Afghanistan, it is good to see some positive, uplifting, happy news.
A U.S.-trained Pakistani scientist convicted of trying to kill U.S. agents and military officers in Afghanistan was sentenced Thursday to 86 years in prison after she delivered a message of world peace and forgave the judge.
I am very happy to announce that there is a great piece of perspective and insight about Afghanistan available now for the entire public to see. My very good friend Scott Kesterson who has had many guests posts on this blog and is the filmmaker of the riveting documentary At War has finally released (along with his co-author COL James Larsen) a white paper called Three Wickets and a Bulldozer.
Without giving away too much of the whitepaper I can tell you that it is a fresh “outside of the box” look into a path forward for success in Afghanistan. I first read this white paper over a year ago and since then Scott and I have had many discussions about it, what it means, what it would take to open minds to implement it, etc. I will be honest it changed my mind on a few things on the way to approach engaging the populous in Afghanistan and making them more accountable and responsible for themselves.
Ever since 2007 I have been saying that each year will be the worst yet in casualties. Unfortunately it has been true each year. As the enemies of our nation continued to get beat down in Iraq and as madrassas in Pakistan continued to churn out more and more brainwashed radicals to lay their lives down against us the fight got worse every year since 2006.
Now here we are are only the 9th month of 2010 and it is already the deadliest year ever in 2010 for coalition forces.
After only nine months, 2010 has now become the deadliest year of the long war, with the extra deployment of international forces to nearly 150,000 drawing more battlefield engagements and leading to a spike in casualties.
Of course with many more targets on the battlefield for our enemies to shoot at and try to blow up, it should be no surprise that we have suffered so many casualties this year. As of the helicopter crash that killed nine soldiers today, we have now lost 529 coalition force members
To be honest, it has actually been more than a bad 24 hour period. However in the last 24 hours we have seen a flood of fallen warrior announcements…
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
1st Lt. Scott J. Fleming, 24, of Marietta, Ga., died Sept. 17 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Base Hawaii public affairs office at 808-257-8838.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Ronald A. Grider, 30, Brighton, Ill., died Sept. 18 at Kunduz province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was struck by machine gun fire. He was assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information the media may contact U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005 or news.soc.mil .
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died in the Zhari district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Killed were:
1st Lt. Eric Yates, 26, of Rineyville, Ky., who died Sept. 18.
Staff Sgt. Jaime C. Newman, 27, of Richmond, Va., who died Sept. 17.
For more information the media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Timothy L. Johnson, 24, of Randolph, N.Y., died Sept. 16 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device at Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-7525.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Barbara Vieyra, 22, of Mesa, Ariz., died Sept. 18 of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit using an improvised explosive device and rocket propelled grenade fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan. She was assigned to the 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at 254-287-9993.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom
Maj. Paul D. Carron, 33, of Mo. died Sept. 18 at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
For more information, the media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-8694 or ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil .
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Joshua A. Harton, 23, of Bethlehem, Penn., died Sept. 18 in Kaftar Khan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
For more information the media may contact the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) public affairs office at 315-772-8286.
ISAF PRT LOCATIONS
Provincial Reconstruction Team
Afghan National Army (ANA) 
AFGHAN NATIONAL POLICE
Afghan National Police (ANP) 
