Summer 2010 - STATES - The National Guard

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101st FA Medic Provides Care at Car Accident By Army 2nd Lt. Jordan A. Breau 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment KABUL, Afghanistan – Negotiating the busy streets of Kabul city can be a challenge to the most experienced of drivers. In a city that lacks proper driving rules, training and precautions, vehicle accidents are bound to happen. One of the police mentoring teams from the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, was on their way to meet with the local Afghan National Police force when they noticed a red Toyota, packed with passengers, swerving out of control. After being run off the road by another vehicle, the Toyota veered sharply to avoid hitting a child who was walking down the busy street. In the effort to avoid hitting the child, the vehicle struck a concrete pillar alongside the roadway. The police mentorship team from the 101st responded immediately to the accident. They secured the scene, and Pfc. Gary Reagan, a medic, ran to the crash with his interpreter. Reagan surveyed the damaged vehicle for passenger injuries and identified three of the six people as injured. He quickly began providing medical aid to those inside the crumpled vehicle. The driver of the vehicle sustained a broken wrist, and another passenger sustained a broken nose and head wounds. The medic applied the skills he acquired in school and from the hours of training he received from his medical platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Rebello, to properly assess and treat the wounds. Reagan began treating the wounded wrist immediately, resetting and wrapping it, then he treated the broken nose. A small crowd of locals watched attentively as Reagan continued to provide medical treatment. “It felt great to use the training and skills I have learned to help out the Afghan people. I really felt I had made a difference today,” said Reagan. “We are here to help make this a more secure and stable environment. By providing basic aid, it’s the first step in winning over the people and gaining their respect.” The small crowd grew into a full spectacle as Reagan finished treating the injuries. Through his interpreter, Reagan advised his patients to immediately go to the nearest hospital and receive further medical attention. The patients expressed their thanks for receiving treatment. Having provided emergency assistance, Reagan and the other members of the mentorship team got back into their vehicles and continued their mission. ✯ 12 Minuteman Summer 2010 Pfc. Gary Reagan, a medic with the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard, renders aid to a local man injured March 24, 2010, in a car accident here (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Douglas Richardson).
Detention Facility Transferred to Iraqi Control 211th Military Police Battalion Plays Important Role in Detainee Operations and the Responsible Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Iraq By Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel C. Maes 211th Military Police Battalion CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The Taji Theater Internment Facility and Reconciliation Center was officially transferred to the government of Iraq in a ceremony here March 15, 2010. Maj. Gen. David E. Quantock, U.S. Forces-Iraq deputy commanding general for detainee operations, and Dara Nour al-Deen, Iraqi Minister of Justice, presided over the transfer ceremony, which signified another important step in the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. In addition to the $107 million state-of-the-art detention facility, the United States also transferred over 2,000 detainees with arrest warrants, detention orders or as convicted prisoners to the government of Iraq, said Quantock. Since September 2009, the 211th Military Police Battalion has played a key role in training and mentoring Iraqi Corrections Officers and staff at the Taji facility in reception and visitation operations, physical security and access control; and in managing the vocational and technical training programs offered to the detainees. Training in agriculture, carpentry, masonry and HVAC repair were offered to detainees to afford them better economic opportunities upon their release. Lt. Col. Richard Johnson, commander of the 211th Military Police Battalion, described the key role played by the battalion headquarters and its subordinate units, the 23rd Military Police Company of Fort Drum, N.Y., and Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment (Old Guard) of Fort Myer, Va. “This really is a historic transition of authority. To the best of my knowledge, I don’t believe that any Army has ever transferred an operational detention facility and detainees with detention Maj. Gen. David E. Quantock, U.S. Forces-Iraq deputy commanding general for detainee operations, left, talks with Lt. Col. Richard Johnson, right, commander of the 211th Military Police Battalion, following the Taji Theater Internment Facility transfer ceremony, March 15, 2010 (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Daniel C. Maes). Maj. Gen. David E. Quantock, U.S. Forces-Iraq deputy commanding general for detainee operations, right, hands a symbolic key to the Taji Theater Internment Facility and Reconciliation Center to Dara Nour al-Deen, Iraqi Minister of Justice, at the transfer ceremony, March 15, 2010 (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Daniel C. Maes). orders under host nation rule of law. There have been lots of challenges but there are certainly some important lessons learned that will impact future phase five operations to stabilize and enable civil authority. We have played an important role in a key strategic objective for USF-I. Our Soldiers understand that and are proud of their participation,” said Johnson. The battalion will be responsible for the remaining external security transition training and contract oversight through the end of its deployment in mid-2010. A critical objective for the battalion is to facilitate key-leader engagement between the Iraqi Ministry of Justice and the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in order for the Iraqi Corrections Service and the Iraqi Army to have a cooperative framework for long-term security of the facility. “Only a small amount of training remains in order to conduct a responsible security transition for the exterior of the facility. U.S. forces will remain in an outside over-watch capacity for a short period to complete the final transition and facilitate the contract oversight,” said Maj. Brett P. Conaway, operations officer for the 211th. The handover of the Taji TIFRC represents a critical stage in the drawdown of detainee operations in Iraq. Camp Bucca, once the largest detainee facility in Iraq, was closed in September 2009; and Camp Cropper, the last remaining detention facility, will be transferred to the government of Iraq in July in accordance with the security agreement signed by Iraq and the United States in 2008. ✯ The Nation’s First 13
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Summer 2010 - STATES - The National Guard

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