US Military News: 11/22/05

10 Years After Dayton Accords, Rice Urges Bosnia to Further Its Goals

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords here today by urging Bosnia-Herzegovina to become fully unified, arrest its war criminals, and create a final peace in Kosovo.

Rice praised the Dayton Accords during ceremonies at the State Department. Reached Nov. 21, 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the agreement brought an end to the bloody Bosnian conflict.

The agreement ended what Rice called "a tragic, unwanted chapter" in Europe's long history of violence. More than 200,000 people died in the fighting, and millions more were driven from their homes, she noted.

In addition, the slaughter at Srebrenica marked "the most vicious murder of innocents in Europe since Hitler's army stalked the continent," Rice said. Some 8,000 Muslim men and boys are believed to have been killed during the five-day massacre.

The Dayton Accords ended the conflict and established the framework for peace.

Operation Joint Endeavor, NATO's largest military operation ever undertaken, implemented the agreement's military aspects. The multinational force, initially known as the Implementation Force, included tens of thousands of U.S. troops who were responsible for transferring territory between the two entities and moving both sides' heavy weapons into approved sites.

NATO forces also patrolled the demilitarized boundary line, provided support for elections, and helped enable the civil aspects of the Dayton Accords to advance. That contingent, which became known as the Stabilization Force, completed its mission in December 2004, when the military aspects of the Dayton Accords were completed.

Today, just under 250 U.S. troops form the bulk of a 300-member NATO force in Sarajevo that continues to help Bosnia-Herzegovina with military reform as it also works to pursue war criminals and combat terrorism.

Ten years after the Dayton Accords helped smooth the way for this process, it's now time to move beyond them, Rice said at today's ceremony.

"A weak, divided state was appropriate in 1995. But today, in 2005, the country needs a stronger, energetic state capable of advancing the public good and securing the national interest," she said.

"To seize the opportunities of the 21st century, we must transform Dayton," said Rice, who promised U.S. support in the effort.

That transformation already is under way, with Bosnians building new national institutions to police their borders, spur economic growth and fight organized crime and terrorism, she noted. Bosnia-Herzegovina also is creating a modern, unified military, which will fall under civilian control and be compatible with NATO.

In addition, Bosnia's leaders are working toward constitutional reforms that will make stronger, more efficient democratic institutions that empower their citizens, Rice said.

"This is an historic step toward modernizing the Dayton Accords, and implementing this commitment is essential if Bosnia and Herzegovina are to reach the full goal of integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions," she said.

But that process can't proceed fully until Bosnia-Herzegovina confronts what Rice called "the demons of its past" and finally brings its war criminals to justice. These include Ratko Mladic, the alleged architect of the Srebrenica massacres, and former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

Bosnia's current Serb leaders have assured Rice they promise to capture and arrest both men and transfer them to the international criminal court at The Hague, Netherlands, for prosecution.

"These are encouraging words, and now they must lead to serious action," the secretary said. "There can be no more excuses and no more delays. Ten years is long enough."

The nation's top diplomat emphasized the U.S. position on the matter. "America's position is clear and uncompromising," Rice said. "Every Balkan country must arrest its indicted war criminals, or it will have no future in NATO."

She expressed optimism that U.N.-led talks that began this week will reach a final resolution on the status of Kosovo. "Now is the time to chart Kosovo's future," she said, expressing hope for an agreement that allows Kosovars to live freely and in peace.

The Dayton Accords helped pave the way for Serbs, Croats and Muslims in the war-torn Balkans to live at peace in a democracy, Rice said. She urged the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue the reconciliation that's been started "in their hearts as well as in their politics."

Biography:

Condoleezza Rice [http://www.state.gov/secretary/]

Related Site:

Kosovo Force [http://www.nato.int/kfor/welcome.html]

Senior Military, Civilian Leaders Discuss QDR Topics

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 - Senior military and civilian leaders discussed a number of topics that will be addressed in the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review during a Nov. 21 Pentagon meeting, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

Special operations forces, intelligence, communications, force structure and language training were among the topics addressed at the QDR meeting, which featured input from visiting combatant commanders, Lawrence Di Rita, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told Pentagon reporters.

QDRs are conducted every four years to ascertain what the military will need in manpower and materiel to address anticipated missions envisioned 20 years in the future.

"How will the world look in 20 years?" Di Rita asked, noting QDRs can also be used to help defense leaders prioritize departmental needs regarding force size and the acquisition of military hardware.

There's been much discussion among senior leaders during more than a dozen QDR meetings, he said, noting that no decisions have been made yet.

Di Rita said the 2005 QDR is the first to draw on lessons learned from fighting the global war against terrorism that began when terrorists attacked the U. S. on Sept. 11, 2001. Previous QDRs were conducted in 1997 and 2001.

The completed 2005 QDR is expected to be presented to Congress in February, Di Rita said.

Biography:

Lawrence Di Rita [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/dirita_bio.html]

_______________________________________________________
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Central Command Welcomes Chairman's Advisor

By Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Coon, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Nov. 22, 2005 - Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited U.S. Central Command headquarters here last week as part of his tour to meet the senior enlisted leaders of the combatant commands.

Gainey is the first senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and took office Oct. 1.

"I've been on the job for 44 days; I have learned a lot about the global focus on what the different services and combatant commands are doing," said Gainey on Nov. 14.

During the sergeant major's visit at CENTCOM, he received briefings on the command's missions not only from the joint staff, but also from the senior enlisted leaders of the coalition countries serving alongside the U.S. forces in the command's area of responsibility.

"I have seen the overall mission of CENTCOM; I am just overwhelmed," he said. "I mean, they have more peas in the kettle than most people that I have seen, and I am very impressed with what the men and women of CENTCOM accomplish," said Gainey.

Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis L. Brownhill, CENTCOM's senior enlisted leader, said he found Gainey's visit helpful and informative. "I liked the way Sergeant Major Gainey laid this down," he said. "The first combatant command he went to visit was (U.S. Northern Command), defense of the homeland, the regional command that is North America. He then came immediately to the combatant command that is the center of gravity right now in the global war on terror.

"So it was important for us to explain the command to him, and get him knowledgeable in certain areas that will lay the foundation to get him started in his duties," Brownhill added.

Gainey worked prior to this assignment as the command sergeant major for Multinational Corps Iraq, so he brings to this job an understanding of the joint environment and its challenges, he said. "The challenge is to get everyone to speak to each other," the sergeant major said. "You have the (combatant command) senior enlisted leaders and the services' senior enlisted leaders. One of the challenges I have is to try and get them talking to each other, realizing when we all work together ... all the services benefit," said Gainey.

Biography:

Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, USA [http://www.jcs.mil/bios/bio_gainey.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
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Different Languages, Cultures Highlighted at Pentagon Event

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 - Learning about different languages and cultures is good for America and national security, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, was the key speaker at the "A Lifetime of Language Learning" program held today at the Pentagon. The event highlighted the importance of learning about different languages and cultures, and was sponsored by the Defense Language Office.

Chu said the Defense Department has a long history of leading the nation in important social and economic initiatives. For example, he cited the department's involvement with the establishment of the Internet. Chu said the military also was instrumental in the creation of the General Education Development program, which enables non-high school graduates to obtain a high-school education equivalency certificate, as well as other programs.

"It is therefore appropriate that this department also be an advocate in support of efforts for the study of culture and language in our nation," Chu said.

Americans' interest in learning new languages and developing knowledge of other cultures affects not only national security, Chu said, but also America's economic, social and political standing in the world.

"This event today is just a reminder that through a lifetime of learning we can build a capability that will strengthen our nation to meet the challenges of today and the challenges of tomorrow," Chu said.

Chu then welcomed a group of third graders and teachers from the Great Falls Elementary School, Great Falls, Va. The students, members of a Japanese immersion language class at their school, danced and performed several songs in Japanese.

Afterward, Army National Guard Sgt. Mohamed Samir, who uses a pseudonym to conceal his identity, said a few words to event attendees. Samir is a military translator aide who recently served in Iraq. He is an American citizen who was born in Casablanca, Morocco. He speaks Moroccan, two types of Arabic, French, Spanish and English.

Samir said translator aides can serve as cultural liaisons between U.S. combat commanders and local officials in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Best thing that ever happened to me," Samir said about his translator aide job. "I get to do what I've always dreamt to do -- to use my expertise of languages."

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States, the Army has increased the numbers of soldiers who speak Arabic, as well as Pakistani and Afghani dialects, said National Guard Bureau spokesman Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Collins, who accompanied Samir. Collins said soldiers accepted into the translator aide specialty program undergo language training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

The Pentagon language event also featured information booths manned by defense organizations and vendors.

Midshipman Diana Castellanos, 21, manned the U.S. Naval Academy language studies department information booth. Castellanos said she already spoke Spanish before she entered the academy, where she is refining her capabilities in that language. The academy offers courses in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

She said she'd like to become a Marine upon graduation and perhaps use her language skills for a career in military intelligence.

"They might send me to Latin America to help with the war against drugs," Castellanos said.

Biography:

David S.C. Chu [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/chu_bio.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051122_3428.html.

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Small-Arms Fire Claims Soldiers' Lives; Weapons Caches Found

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 - Two Task Force Freedom soldiers were killed Nov. 19 by small-arms fire while on patrol in Mosul, Iraq, officials said today.

The soldiers' names are being withheld pending next of kin notification.

In other news from Iraq, after witnessing insurgents firing from their car into another car on Nov. 21, killing a civilian driver, Iraqi troops chased the insurgents but lost sight of them. Later, they received a tip about where the insurgents lived, entered the home, positively identified the shooter and arrested him and four others. The soldiers are members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division.

Iraqi soldiers found a weapons cache and bomb-making supplies while searching a bus in Baghdad Nov. 21, officials reported today.

Initially, soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, found an 82 mm mortar round on the bus. As they continued searching the bus, the soldiers found a landmine, a 155 mm round, 300 9 mm rounds, five sub-machine gun magazines, two radios, 29 61 mm mortar rounds, a 105 mm round, 23 rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, two sub-machine guns and 30 hand grenades.

The cache also included blasting caps, artillery fuses, electrical cable, detonation cords and other equipment commonly used to make roadside bombs during the search, officials noted.

Another weapons cache was seized by Iraqi army and coalition troops while searching vehicles Nov. 21 in Baghdad, officials said.

An 82 mm round, two blasting caps, two 82 mm mortars, some plastic explosive, a 120 mm round and various types of bomb-making fuses were seized by soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, and coalition forces.

The illicit materials were turned over to authorities pending further investigation.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)

Related Sites:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq [http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051122_3427.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Zarqawi Probably Alive, Ground Forces Commander Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 - The commander of ground forces in Iraq said today he has "absolutely no reason to believe" that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was among those killed during a Nov. 19 raid in Mosul, Iraq.

"It is possible, but I have no reason to believe it," Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq and the U.S. Army's 18th Airborne Corps, told Pentagon reporters during a videoconference from Iraq.

Relatives of Zarqawi, the Jordan-born leader of the al Qaeda in Iraq organization, have donated DNA that's in a database and can be compared against that of those killed in Mosul, Vines confirmed.

"So my expectation is, if he had been in one of those houses that were part of the objective, we could confirm that," he said.

Meanwhile, the coalition continues following up on every lead in its hunt for Zarqawi, Vines told reporters.

Fueling the intensity of the search is recent evidence that Zarqawi has no qualms about killing and there's no doubt he will kill again, the general said.

"Zarqawi has shown absolutely no remorse about killing his fellow Jordanians, by claiming credit for attacks on a wedding party, for goodness sakes," Vines said. He's also shown no remorse about killing his fellow Muslims, he said.

"He will attack mosques and assemblies, and certainly he will slaughter security forces of Iraq and the coalition, if given the chance," Vines said. "So we follow up relentlessly every lead."

As that effort continues, Operation Steel Curtain has progressed steadily in helping root out terrorists throughout Iraq's Qaim region, Vines reported.

"We believe that we've accomplished the vast majority of what needs to be done, he said. The focus has now turned to repairing damages inflicted by the insurgents and during combat operations there, he said.

All indications show that Steel Curtain has been a success, he said.

The area is not the sanctuary foreign fighters had hoped to make it. A large portion of the foreign fighters' and terrorists' leadership is dead. And the region no longer provides a clear avenue through the Euphrates River Valley for terrorists to move into Hadithah, Hit, Ramadi and Fallujah, and on toward Baghdad, he said.

"And so we believe that there has been a great deal of success there," Vines said.

U.S. military officials in Iraq reported later in the day after Vines' briefing that the operation had concluded.

Biography:

Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, USA [http://www.bragg.army.mil/18abn/cg.htm]

Related Site:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051122_3425.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Operation Steel Curtain Concludes Along Iraq-Syria Border

American Forces Press Service

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq, Nov. 22, 2005 - U.S. and Iraqi forces wrapped up Operation Steel Curtain today near the Iraq-Syria border, military officials here announced.

The 17-day offensive was conducted in the cities of Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi, and was geared toward preventing al Qaeda in Iraq from operating in the Euphrates River Valley and throughout the country's Anbar province, officials noted.

As part of a larger operation called Operation Hunter, Steel Curtain made way for the establishment of a permanent Iraqi army security presence in the Qaim region. It also set the conditions for local citizens to vote in the upcoming Dec. 15 elections, officials said.

Steel Curtain ushered in the first large-scale operational use of the Iraqi army, officials said, employing about 1,000 soldiers in western Anbar province. The Iraqi soldiers conducted detailed clearing missions alongside their coalition counterparts and began establishing permanent bases within these three cities.

"Forces at these outposts will prevent the al Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists from regaining a presence in these cities and threatening local residents with their murder and intimidation campaign," a coalition spokesman said.

"Desert Protectors," specially trained local Iraqis, were recruited from the Qaim region and worked alongside the Iraqi army and U.S. units throughout the operation.

"Their familiarity with the area and its people was crucial in identifying friend from foe and enabled their Iraqi and coalition partners to better understand the geographical complexities of the region," the spokesman said.

Officials reported that 10 Marines were killed in fighting during Steel Curtain. A total of 139 terrorists were killed and 256 were processed for detention during the operation.

"The porous Iraq-Syria border was identified as a main route for men, material and money to be transited into Iraq," the spokesman said, and the western Euphrates River Valley region was known to be a major artery for al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists.

Iraqi soldiers and U.S. forces moved in on Husaybah the morning of Nov. 5, followed shortly thereafter by Karabilah, Ubaydi and winding up clearing the Ramana region, west of Ubaydi on the northern side of the Euphrates River.

"Iraqi army soldiers and U.S. forces will continue to maintain presence and increase efforts in securing the Iraq-Syria border," the spokesman said.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

Related Site:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051122_3426.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Terrorists Fire Dud in Attempt to Disrupt Tikrit Ceremony

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 - Terrorists today fired what officials called "unidentified explosive ordnance" at a ceremony where multinational forces were turning over control of the former Saddam Hussein palace complex to Iraqi government officials in Tikrit, Iraq, military officials said.

The ordnance failed to explode, and no one was injured in the incident, officials said. The ceremony resumed shortly afterward and was completed without further disruption.

In other news from Iraq, a soldier was killed Nov. 21 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb near Habbaniyah, about 50 miles west of Baghdad, officials at Camp Fallujah reported today.

The name of the soldier, who was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

In the air war over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 40 close-air-support missions Nov. 21 in support of troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities, U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials reported today.

Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons dropped precision-guided bombs on an anti-Iraqi forces staging area and weapons cache near Salman Pak, a city on the Tigris River about 15 miles southwest of Baghdad. Air Force F-16s also provided close-air support to coalition troops fighting enemy forces near Hawijah. Eleven Air Force and Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases.)

Related Site:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051122_3423.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Chairman's Enlisted Advisor Heads South to Visit Troops

By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

MIAMI, Nov. 22, 2005 - Nestled here in the "capital of Latin America," U.S. Southern Command ensures American defense leaders keep an eye pointed southward.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. "Joe" Gainey, recently appointed as the first senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the command Nov. 21 to learn the lay of the land and impart bits of his own brand of wisdom.

"I'll give you an honest answer, even if it hurts your feelings," he told a group of senior noncommissioned officers as he encouraged them to discuss issues affecting their troops.

His main point of advice for the senior enlisted leaders was to maintain their focus on their most important priority -- junior servicemembers. "If you've got your head stuck up in the stars, then you forget about what's on the ground, which is where the soldiers are," Gainey said.

An Army scout who started his career as a tanker, Gainey admits he still slips and says "soldiers" even when he's referring to members of all services. After 30 years in the Army, "soldiers" is a hard habit to break.

In his new position, which he's held since Oct. 1, Gainey has experimented with saying "servicemembers," "troops" and "warriors." He said he has used "heroes" as his term of choice in the past but doesn't want to devalue the term for true battle heroes.

Whatever he calls them, Gainey's passionate concern for the welfare of junior servicemembers is genuine. He carries a laminated photo of Army Sgt. Matthew Maupin, the only servicemember missing from operations in Iraq, in his wallet.

Gainey was the senior enlisted advisor for Multinational Corps Iraq when Maupin went missing during an attack on his convoy and was later classified as captured. When a conversation early Nov. 21 turned to media reports on the alleged demise of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Iraq's al Qaeda terrorists, Gainey pulled out his photo of Maupin.

"We owe it to this young man right here (to catch or kill Zarqawi)," he said, pointing to the photo. "People talk about warriors; well, this guy was a warrior. He stood and he fought and he got captured.

"He'll stay with me until he comes home," Gainey said, tucking the photo back in his wallet.

Gainey explained to SOUTHCOM senior leaders that he has four roles in his new position:

- To be in the "communications chain" to explain defense policies to servicemembers, the American public and other constituencies, such as the Congress;
- To provide oversight of various issues affecting servicemembers, particularly the enlisted force;
- To be the chairman's spokesman and provide a link up and down between the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, and service and combatant command senior enlisted advisors; and
- To integrate solutions to common problems among the services and combatant commands.
Gainey said the third role, to be the chairman's spokesman, is most important. "If he (Pace) has a concern, that's automatically my concern," he said.

During the visit to Southern Command, the organization's deputy commander, Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Mentemeyer, brought up an issue that concerns another of Gainey's priorities: to be an integrator. Throughout the day, the sergeant major repeatedly called himself an integrator. "If one service has an issue, I'll see if other services have similar issues and if any of them have had any success dealing with that issue," he explained.

Mentemeyer and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Balch, SOUTHCOM's senior enlisted advisor, told Gainey that one big personnel concern was commonality of benefits among members of different services deployed to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the Defense Department maintains a detention facility for enemy combatants captured in the war on terrorism. Benefits and allowances for troops deployed there vary from service to service, as does whether servicemembers get "credit" for serving in a joint unit.

"We need to integrate more on enlisted issues," Mentemeyer said.

While troops at Guantanamo Bay may not have to worry about being shot at, working "inside the wire" is extremely stressful. Balch said duty at Guantanamo can be even more difficult than serving in Iraq from a stress perspective, because the island base is under such a microscope of public scrutiny.

"Every mistake they make they'll see on the front page of the Washington Post and the Miami Herald," Balch said.

"They read the papers, and they take it personally," Army Lt. Col. James Marshall, SOUTHCOM deputy public affairs officer, said.

Mentemeyer told Gainey he has a unique perspective on enlisted issues and a deep appreciation for noncommissioned officers because his father is a retired Army command sergeant major.

He also said it's important to ensure servicemembers have equitable pay, benefits and tour credits, because such issues and their impact on the troops' families affect retention rates. "We need to do more and more (to retain families) and not just pay lip service to it," Mentemeyer said. "(Troops) know lip service."

Gainey agreed. He said he credits his wife with encouraging him not to retire after 20 years.

After lunch with SOUTHCOM's enlisted members of the quarter and of the year, Gainey toured Special Operations Command South at nearby Homestead Air Reserve Base. He called the special operators there "a very dedicated bunch of warriors" who take what they do very seriously.

He noted with interest that many members of the command had served on teams together for three or four years. "They treated each other like brothers," he said after the visit.

The sergeant major said he was also struck by how little family time these troops have. "They're always in training, on a mission, refitting, or preparing to train," he said. "It shocked me and really disturbed me. That's something we need to work on."

Gainey said he gained a whole new appreciation for special operations troops during his tenure in Iraq, where such forces are at the forefront of the war on terrorism. "I used to be like everyone else, thinking you guys were the 'special' guys," Gainey said he told members of the command. "But when I saw what you do in Iraq, I realized just how special you really are."

Biography:

Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, USA [http://www.jcs.mil/bios/bio_gainey.html]

Related Site:

U.S. Southern Command [http://www.southcom.mil/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051122_3421.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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US Military News

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

10 Years After Dayton Accords, Rice Urges Bosnia to Further Its Goals

Senior Military, Civilian Leaders Discuss QDR Topics

Central Command Welcomes Chairman's Advisor

Different Languages, Cultures Highlighted at Pentagon Event

Small-Arms Fire Claims Soldiers' Lives; Weapons Caches Found

Zarqawi Probably Alive, Ground Forces Commander Says

Operation Steel Curtain Concludes Along Iraq-Syria Border

Terrorists Fire Dud in Attempt to Disrupt Tikrit Ceremony

Chairman's Enlisted Advisor Heads South to Visit Troops

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