Peace -Christmas Eve 2010



DOD Graphic by Souheil Mechlawi



 John 14: 27

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. "

2010 Holiday Message

Message by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Washington, DC, Wednesday, November 24, 2010

During this upcoming season of joy, thanksgiving, and celebration, I want to extend my warmest greetings, deep thanks, and best wishes, to the brave men and women of the United States military, and to their families.
I know the holiday season is especially difficult for those service members who are unable to spend it with their loved ones. These troops sacrifice their holidays, so that fellow Americans can safely enjoy theirs. In doing so, they are part of a tradition that dates back to our nation’s founding.
On Christmas Night, December 25, 1776, General George Washington and his band of 2,400 men crossed the icy Delaware River, won victories against British and German troops, and stirred new hope into the struggle for freedom and liberty.
Nearly one year after that famed crossing, the Continental Congress celebrated the hard-fought victory of our troops at Saratoga, New York, by proclaiming the first ever national day of Thanksgiving.
Today, more than two hundred years later, thanks to the efforts and toughness of the men and women of the U.S. military, the cause of freedom and liberty endures. And though nothing can extinguish the pain of being away from family during this time, our troops can find comfort in knowing that the American people are forever indebted to them and grateful for their selflessness and commitment to America’s security.
To the troops who watch over our nation: I thank you for your service, and I pray for your safe return home. To the families who share their loved ones to defend our great nation: I thank you for your sacrifices and support.
May God forever protect and bless you, your families, and our nation.


’Twas a Night in December
By Jian DeLeon, Ian Graham and Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2010 – Servicemembers stationed from Antarctica to Afghanistan lent their talents and time to craft a video for a poem titled “’Twas a Night in December,” based on Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” but rewritten with a military twist.

More than 40 commands around the world, representing every branch of the military service, participated.
Along with the military people who contributed to this creative effort, country music star Toby Keith introduced the video, reinforcing his long-term support for military and their families stationed around the world.
Some of the servicemembers involved in this holiday greeting were located in the most remote regions in the world. For example, Air Force Capt. Graydon Muller of 6th Special Operations Squadron and Air Force Capt. Rob Marshall of the 8th Special Operations Squadron departed Nov. 24 to climb Vinson Massif, the highest mountain in Antarctica. Muller and Massif took time away from their climb to speak a few lines for the video.
Other servicemembers from Afghanistan, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Pakistan and throughout the United States participated in making the video. In fact, people on six out of the world's seven continents took part. The video was produced by Defense Media Activity’s emerging media directorate.

’Twas a Night in December
’Twas a night in December and all over the world,
At bases and stations where our flag flies unfurled,
The Holiday season had long since commenced,
And spread its spirit of cheer through the Department of Defense
Combat boots sat at ease by the fence line with care,
In hopes that a return date soon would be there.

At home, loved ones slept sound in their beds,
With visions of troops coming home in their heads.
As Moms perform night patrols, and Dads conduct checks,
A long winter’s nap is the last thing they expect.
When out on the tarmac arose such a clatter,
Soldiers and sailors sprang up to see what was the matter.

Away to the deck, they hustled, they dashed,
Some ran through a passageway, one opened a hatch.

In Antarctica, moonlight shimmered on the snow,
A sliver of light shown on the objects below.
And what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But letters and packages bundled with care.
Yet it wasn’t just there that we saw these things land,
We received them as well, here in Afghanistan!
They were packaged so well that they could withstand,
The harsh desert winds full of Iraqi sand.
Onto Nicaragua with volcanoes and lakes,
Padded so carefully that nothing would break
Addressed from our family and friends we hold dear,
With Holiday greetings and a “Wish You Were Here!”
We lined up and claimed them, with smiles ear-to-ear,
Every person overcome with Holiday cheer.

Your support and your thoughts are the best possible gift,
We send you our thanks for giving our spirits such a lift.
Thanks from the National Guard
Thanks from the Army,
Thanks from the Navy,
Thanks from the Marines,
Thanks from the Air Force,
Thanks from the Coast Guard,
We want you to know how much this gift means.
In our eyes you’re super, and we mean A-OK.
We will do our duty and keep defending our freedom,
And wish you and yours the very best this Holiday season!

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j_icz3ZEHw

E- DAY Afghanistan September 18th-"It was an honor on this day, especially, for NATO ISAF forces to support our Afghan partners"

A donkey carries a ballot box to be transported to a village, where roads for vehicles do not exist, in Panjshir province, north of Kabul September 17, 2010. Afghanistan will hold parliamentary elections on September 18.
Credit: Reuters/Ahmad Masood/Files


KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
-- International election workers here in Afghanistan call Saturday Sept. 18, E-Day.



Candidates

There are 2,584 candidates on the ballots for the 2010 Wolesi Jirga elections, across 34 provinces and a country-wide electorate for the nomadic kuchi tribe.
Some 406 candidates are women, who are allocated at least 68 seats.
Notable incumbent candidates include: Ramazan Bashar Dost, who came third in the 2009 Afghan Presidential election; Younus Qanooni, runner-up to President Hamid Karzai in the 2004 presidential election and the inaugural Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga; Shukria Barakzai, a vocal supporter of women’s rights; and Mullah Abdul Salaam Rocketi, a former jihadist who earned his name from his skill in shooting rocket-propelled grenades during the Soviet occupation. All three of them are standing again for one of the 33 seats assigned to Kabul province.
Other candidates for Kabul include: comedian Zamir Kabuli, who is famous for ridiculing politicians; Farida Tarana, a 29-year-old former female contestant on Afghan Star, the local equivalent of American Idol.[22]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_parliamentary_election,_2010

Afghan polls close after parliamentary vote

Afghans have turned out to vote in key parliamentary elections despite threats from the Taliban to disrupt the poll.

Six security force members were killed in a Taliban attack in the north, and at least five people were killed in other attacks across the country.

Among the scattered attacks across the country on polling day:
One soldier and five pro-government militiamen were killed and six people were injured in an attack near a polling station in Baghlan province

In Balkh province, three people were killed and four were injured in a rocket attack

A spokesman for the governor of northern Takhar province told the BBC that two civilians were killed and three injured in a Taliban attack on a polling station

A rocket fired in Kabul early on Saturday landed outside Afghanistan's state-owned TV station, close to the presidential palace and the Nato headquarters, police said

Officials told the BBC that two polling stations in Jalalabad had been attacked and security forces were involved in gun battles with militants in three areas of the city

The governor of Kandahar, Tooryalai Wesa, said his convoy was struck by an explosion while he was visiting polling centres, but no-one was injured

There have been rocket attacks in Kunduz province, where international forces were involved in gun battles with militants.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11349179
 
10th Mountain Division Soldier killed in Afghanistan

 Fort Drum, NY – A Soldier from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was killed in Kaftar Khan, Afghanistan, September 18, from wounds sustained in a weapons attack.
Killed is Corporal Joshua A. Harton, age 23, of Bethlehem, PA. Harton joined the Army in June 2007 and after completing training arrived at Fort Drum in December 2007. He was a cannon crewmember with the, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 1st Brigade Combat Team in April 2010. It was his first deployment.
Harton’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and the Driver Mechanic Badge. He had completed the Field Artillery Cannon Systems Qualification Course and the Combat Lifesavers Course this year prior to deployment.
Harton is survived by his mother, father, and sister.

'Better future'

Despite the violence and threats, most voting centres opened on schedule and without incident on Saturday.

Afghan Elections Show Courage and Vision

http://www.isaf.nato.int/images/stories/File/SEPTEMBER%202010/2010-09-18%20--%20COMISAF%20SCR%20Afghan%20Elections.pdf

KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept 18) - The Commander of international forces in Afghanistan and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative today praised those who participated in, organized and secured the nation's parliamentary elections.

"The people of Afghanistan sent a powerful message today," said Gen. David Petraeus, commander of ISAF. "The voice of Afghanistan's future does not belong to the violent extremists and terror networks. It belongs to the people."

Gen. Petraeus also stated, "I commend, in particular, the Afghan National Security Forces, who performed so bravely today in safeguarding a weapon with greater potential than any other - the people's right to vote and to have a say in the future of their country. It was an honor on this day, especially, for NATO ISAF forces to support our Afghan partners. We also salute the Afghan Electoral Commission personnel, the team of experts from the UN, and the Afghan and international observers for their contributions in the preparation for and the conduct of today's elections."

"Today's elections have once again shown that the people of Afghanistan want the chance to elect their leaders," said Ambassador Mark Sedwill, the NATO Senior Civilian Representative to Afghanistan. "For NATO, ISAF and our Afghan partners it's clear that the future of Afghanistan remains one where violence cannot overthrow the democratic will of the people. NATO stands firm in its support to Afghanistan and in its shared fight against terrorism and extremism that seeks to destroy the successes of the past nine years."

Today's elections are the first parliamentary elections planned, organized and managed by Afghans since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Security for the elections was led by Afghan National Security Forces with support from ISAF.

NATO- ISAF OEF 2010-11

1BCT 10th Mountain BSB
- Camp  Spann