serving u.s. and coalition forces in kuwait august 30,...

3 Days at SeaThe U.S. Coast Guard in the Persian Gulf: On board “The Adak”

Army Material Command: Keeping Abrams tanks in the fight

Election 2006: The last week to register for an absentee ballot

DVAugust 30, 2006

Desert Voice MagazineServing U.S. and Coalition Forces in Kuwait

2 Desert Voice August 30, 2006

From the Top

Volume 28, Issue 9The Desert Voice is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Desert Voice are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government or Department of the Army. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the USARCENT Public Affairs Office. This newspaper is published by Al-Qabandi United, a private firm, which is not affiliated with USARCENT. All copy will be edited. The Desert Voice is produced weekly by the 40th Public Affairs Detachment. Find us online at www.arcent.army.mil

Third Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. R. Steven WhitcombThird Army Command Sgt. Maj. Command Sgt. Maj. Franklin G. AsheThird Army Public Affairs Officer Col. John B. SnyderARCENT Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Jay Shiffler

40th Public Affairs Detachment Commander Maj. April N. Olsen40th Public Affairs Detachment NCOIC Sgt. 1st Class Sharon G. McBrideDesert Voice Editor Sgt. Patrick N. MoesDesert Voice Assistant Editor Spc. Chris JonesDesert Voice Staff Writers Sgt. Carlos M. Burger II Sgt. Thomas L. Day Spc. Debrah A. Robertson

DVDesert Voice Magazine

Pride, Respect Make for Clean Camps What makes the U.S. military the premier fighting force in the world boils down to two things: our value system and our strict adherence to standards. It is the latter that is the basis for my comments this week. The Third Army mission takes tremendous focus to ensure we are doing all we can for the war effort. As we immerse ourselves in our daily duties and responsibilities, it is easy to overlook routine maintenance and housekeeping chores. We might look on these duties as less important in a combat theater. But, in fact, they become increasingly important as we focus our efforts to the combat mission. One unit in our area of operations is leading the way in maintaining a clean, healthy work environment. The Logistics Readiness Flight at Kuwait Naval Base is not only meeting the standard, but this unit of five people serves as an example for others. They took responsibility for cleaning up a trash-strewn lot on the base in June. In three weeks, they picked up four dumpster loads of trash, approximately two tons. Considering the Logistics Readiness Flight team is a guest, the clean up project they undertook showed a lot of graciousness and appreciation toward the Kuwaitis as well as to their fellow U.S. forces. They set the standard of how we all should be caring for our facilities and I congratulate and thank them for their efforts. How did two tons of litter get there in the first place? It wasn’t all “blown by the wind.” Site factors, such as vacant lots, public places, and roads, help determine behavior — the more litter present, the more people are inclined to litter. The same can be

said of other types of dirt and mess. In high traffic areas, spills, hand prints, dirt and clutter can shorten the useful lives of our facilities and render them unsightly. Although the single most common litter item is the cigarette butt, other sources of litter include food wrappers, soda cans,

packaging, straws, drink cups and water bottles. This trash gives the impression we are not interested in taking care of the areas we are responsible for. Litter is not just an appearance issue; it is a broader health concern, too. Think of the trash as a breeding ground for bacteria and insects, as well as a feeding site for rodents. The second and third order effects definitely touch the health and welfare of every troop. It is a collective

responsibility to take action on this problem. Leaders will ensure that adequate trash receptacles and signage are in place and make on-the-spot corrections. Each individual must do their part – never walk past a piece of trash on the ground. None of us is immune, including me, so it’s my duty as a Soldier walking to PT to pick up that water bottle or cardboard box. Third Army’s presence here is a partnership with the people of Kuwait. It is our duty to maintain these facilities to the standard we would maintain our own. We must consider it a priority to keep our areas clean and strive to leave things in better condition than we found them. I challenge leaders and commanders to look at your areas and ensure they present a professional appearance that instills a sense of pride and community within our Army family. Follow the Navy’s Logistics Readiness Flight example. PATTON’S OWN!

Lt. Gen. R. Steven WhitcombARCENT Commanding General

Senior Airman Katrina Mills does her part to keep her camp clean.

Photo courtesy of ASG-Kuwait

Questions? Comments? E-mail the editor at [email protected] Photo: Spc. Chris Jones

By Chuck SpraguePAO, Army Field Support Brigade

As uniformed personnel plan logistics and training sup-port to forces deploying into and out of the Third Army area of operations, civilians quietly and professionally man their stations in warehouses nearby.

Civilian mechanics at the Forward Repair Activity facility at Camp Arifjan are supporting the Army Central logistics mission for southwest Asia by repairing Abrams tank en-gines. To date, the Anniston Army Depot team has repaired 50 engines keeping the Abrams in the fight in Iraq and saving the Army $6.2 million.

The FRA is one of 12 Army Materiel Command sites world-

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Deployed AMC civilian mechanics keep Abrams tanks in the fight

wide to have a facility for the repair of tank engines. It sup-ports the Soldier directly here in southwest Asia by saving months of transportation time and the cost to transport the engines to the states for repair.

Honeywell has teamed up with the ANAD in Alabama to provide repair service and parts support for all Abrams tank AGT 1500 turbine engine repairs at the FRA facility.

“AGT 1500 turbo engines in the combat zone that don’t make the performance standards are canned up and sent here to the FRA for testing,” said Randy Hughes, site foreman of the repair facility here, and a government civilian deployed from ANAD.

Hughes said he works with Honeywell representative Jim Goldberg to determine disposition on equipment sent back from the fight.

They consider recommendations made by Wyatt Harmon, the Field Service Engineer, also deployed from ANAD, to repair an engine or send it to the states for a complete over-haul.

Harmon says the decision to repair is based on how many remaining hours the engine has to offer. Normally, an engine should have somewhere between 600 to 800 hours remain-ing to become a candidate for in-theater repair.

This formula enables the team of ANAD technicians to rebuild it to the manufacturer’s specifications faster without major parts replacement.

Experienced evaluation techniques are used to determine system status and what type of help is needed to get the tank back to Soldiers in the field. Arifjan repairmen can overhaul 4 to 5 engines in a few weeks depending on parts availabil-ity.

“Our mission is to give Soldiers the best quality piece of equipment to carry out their mission,” said Harmon.

Repairing these turbines makes it possible to have a longer time between breakdowns. The industry phrase used is Mean Time Between Depot Return (MTBDR). Structural integ-rity is rebuilt into each project, which produces a stronger engine and a sturdier drive train component for the Abrams tank. Peak performance from the Abrams vehicle is para-mount when making these decisions.

Anniston provides direct labor and facilities while Hon-eywell provides parts and technical support. Gas turbine engines in Abrams tanks are smaller, lighter, and with fewer moving parts for smooth engine operation and they run more quietly than conventional internal combustion engines of their size.

Gas turbine technology with tracked vehicles began in the Army during the 1970s. Now, improvements in Abrams gas turbines return 1500 hours of engine performance for opera-tors.

There have been increased demands on M1A1/A2 power trains because of the environmental conditions found in the southwest Asia deserts.

Matt Thomas, a Tank Automotive (Armament) Command mechanic under the Army Materiel Command, works on a fuel line while prepar-ing to check the status of the AGT 1500 turbo engine.

Photo by Sgt. Patrick N. Moes


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Story and Photos by

Spc. Chris JonesDesert Voice Staff Writer

The name of the boat is covered up. The cargo is completely hidden. And the crew takes too long responding to the Coast Guard’s orders to stop.

“I’m definitely taking my M-4 on this one,” says Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Mobiglia, a gunner’s mate with the Coast Guard cutter Adak.

On the Persian Gulf, the Coast Guard is taking every sign into consideration, and for this suspicious cargo ship, the crew of the Adak is on high alert.

A boarding team is established among Adak crewmembers. They will search the vessel up and down, left and right, inside and out – they will even bury themselves in a mountain of tires.

It’s Aug. 11, and the Adak has been on the Gulf for three days. The first

day: not a single vessel on the radar. Day two: only one boat comes near the Adak, a small supply ship which regularly passes through. But today will be busy.

The Adak is part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, designed to protect Iraq’s oil platforms on the Gulf as well as to stop weapons smuggling into Iraq through the Al Arab River, which flows near the city of Basra. The patrol ships receive support from a group of Coast Guardsmen at Kuwait Naval Base, and are in cooperation with U.S. Army Central.

It’s now 3 p.m., and Coast Guard Lt. Michael Cintron, Adak commander, is gathering information about the ship before sending his Coast Guardsmen to search it. He eventually learns that the ship’s name is Amir, and

he believes it took off from the United Arab Emirates and is planning to drop off cargo in Basra. Nobody on board has seen this ship before.

“We hardly ever see new boats,” says Cintron. “This is unusual.”

Meanwhile, crewmembers begin

Coast Guard on the Gulf:Protecting Iraq’s Oil Platforms from Modern Day Pirates Part ii of ii

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throwing on body armor, life jackets, helmets, kneepads – and taking either a rifle or a handgun. Another group takes an 18-foot speedboat and lowers it on the water beside the cutter. The search team, consisting of six members, climbs in the smaller boat and heads straight for the ship.

The boarding is quick. They fly up a shaky ladder, secure the vessel and begin the search. Fifty meters away, the rest of the crew on the Adak surveys the action, providing an outside security force.

One group searches the bottom deck of the Amir, while another explores the top deck. Water, boxes of fruit, tires – lots of tires. As the team inspects the top deck, they find there is one room on the bottom level that is only accessible by digging

through a massive heap of tires on the top deck.

So Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Holm and Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Barclay begin throwing tire upon tire, eventually finding a small door at the bottom. Underneath is a pitch black basement, only three feet high. Holm crawls through darkness, but after 30 minutes finds nothing but grease and dirt.

On many ships the Coast Guard comes across, like the Amir, there is a hidden room accessible only by digging, pulling, crawling or climbing, says Cintron. But every room, every space, must be searched.

In the end, the Amir turns out to be clear. Everyone aboard has an updated Passport, and the cargo is all legal. The boarding team, after several hours, returns to the Adak.

Patrol Forces Southwest Asia was established in 2003. Many Coast Guardsmen volunteer to be a part of the patrol, but some are turned down, says Cintron. The crew of the Adak have different reasons for why they volunteered.

Seaman Edward Sychra, a deck crewman on the Adak, volunteered for this assignment after spending the previous two years with the Honor Guard in Alexandria, Va. He said it has been a 180 degree turnaround, from ceremonies to boardings.

“I went from basically representing the job of the U.S. military to being the U.S. military,” says Sychra.

Others find satisfaction knowing they are directly

contributing to the war effort.“I believe in what the Coast Guard

is doing out here,” said Coast Guard Lt. Sarah Hayes, executive officer. “I feel like this is our generation’s turn to do something. Our parents had theirs, our grandparents had theirs, and this is ours.”

(Far left) Coast Guardsmen search cargo on a vessel recently near Iraq’s oil platforms on the Persian Gulf. (Left) Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Barclay digs through a mountain of tires on a ship on the Persian Gulf in order to access a small door at the bottom of the stack. The Coast Guard searches every vessel that comes near Iraq. (Above) The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Adak retrieves the ship’s 18-foot “small boat” after a mission on the Persian Gulf.


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Spc. Debrah A. RobertsonDesert Voice Staff Writer

Port Authority Third Army Naval assets tracking movement of equipment in and out of Iraq

“I had no idea the amount of work it took to get equipment into and out of theater,” said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Laurie Mott, Equipment Operator for the Naval Expeditionary Logistic Support Group. Army Central controls the movement of equipment into and out of theater and the units at the Sea Port of Debarkation in Kuwait support that mission, said Sgt. 1st Class Charlie Cox of the 595th Transportation Group. Ships are cycled through Kuwait 24 hours a day. These ships carry the majority of the supplies needed in theater. That includes everything from Interceptor Body Armor and Patriot missiles, to up-armored HMMWV’s, said Cox. In order to get these items to the servicemembers, it takes a lot of collaboration between the different branches of service and civilian workers as well. There are multiple roles to fill in a job this big. The Army provides drivers to move the cargo and vessel

teams load or offload cargo using civilian contractors, said Mott. “Army 595th TG manages the entire port and operates the Command Operations Center, while the Security Force units provide security for the land portion of the port.” “The Air Force is responsible for the movement of the cargo from the port to its final destination,” she said. “The Marines are utilized to move their own gear through the port, and provide Liaisons Officers to track the cargo for the various units,” she continued. “The Navy operates the marshalling yards responsible for maintaining visibility of all cargo staged at the port. The Naval Hospital group is responsible for manning and operation of a Troop Medical Clinic as well as disaster response at the port,” she said. “Naval Coastal Warfare is responsible for the sea security of the vessel while at the port. It is a joint command sharing its responsibility with the Coast Guard,” Mott continued. “The Military Sealift Command is responsible for

coordinating and tracking the vessel movement and providing shipboard security while the ship is in port,” she said. All of this work starts when a unit decides to ship the supplies they are required to successfully complete their mission in theater. “There are two components to shipping cargo,” said Cox, “information and the cargo itself. Information is more important because if it is wrong then the cargo will get sent somewhere like Fiji.” The tracking of the paperwork and thus, the cargo itself, starts in the U.S. when the unit gives a full report of the size and dimensions of the cargo they want to ship, said Chief Petty Officer Jason Kjos, the battle captain of the NAVELSG. This is downloaded into a system that will track the cargo so that the unit will know where it is along its journey. The ship publishes this information in a manifest, said Cmdr. Michael Sebastino, the surface warfare officer for the NAVELSG. Each piece of cargo receives its own 17 digit tracking number that allows it to be scanned and tracked from port to port. But prior to being loaded onto the ship, the cargo receives a full customs inspection, said Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Hetrick, an equipment operator with the NAVELSG. A vehicle, such as an up-armored HMMWV, is inspected to make sure it is in good condition and is filled with the appropriate amount of fuel. Too much fuel can be a hazard, whereas too little fuel may cause difficulties when trying to drive the vehicle off the ship and onto the storage lot. “During the U.S. inspection they check for defects, and retrofit it with the appropriate hardware prior to sending it into theater,” said Kjos. They want servicemembers to receive equipment in top condition to improve mission readiness. They also clean the vehicle of all foreign debris to prevent bringing foreign plants into Kuwait. Once the vehicle is inspected, it is loaded onto the ship according to a load plan, said Cox. The ship isn’t loaded haphazardly. There is a lot of careful planning put into a loading plan in order to utilize every inch of space possible. This saves the U.S. money by shipping more cargo with fewer ships. “It’s like a game of Tetras, but three-dimensional.”

Cargo is shackled inside the ship to secure it, said Kjos. This prevents it from moving during the long trip to Kuwait. This keeps both the cargo and crew safe. It takes approximately a month for the ship to get from the U.S. to the SPOD, said Kjos. “We have eyes on the ship a couple weeks out from its arrival here [at SPOD].” “And if sensitive items are shipped,” said Mott, “then Soldiers must ride with the cargo the entire month to watch it.” Although the ship is tracked, its exact arrival time is not certain until it comes closer to port, said Cox. “This is because the ship is under more than just the power of man. The weather and current affect the course of the ship.” When the ship comes closer to port, there is a ramp meeting to decide how it will be unloaded and reloaded, said Mott. After the ship is docked, the bindings are removed from the cargo and the ship is offloaded. Cranes are used to remove containers, but vehicles, are driven off the ship, said Mott. After the vehicles are offloaded from the ship, they are scanned into the storage yard for tracking purposes and staged for transportation to their respective destinations, said Mott. Then a Transportation Movement Request is made for a truck to pick up the vehicles and convoy them to Iraq if that is their final destination. It’s important that each unit provides someone to monitor the movement of their equipment in the deployment yard onto the appropriate trucks, she said. This helps assure that there is no confusion and equipment does not get sent to the wrong place. After the trucks are loaded with the appropriate vehicles, they are scanned out of the yard and sent into Iraq or elsewhere in theater via convoys, said Hetrick. The Kuwaiti police and the U.S. Army escort the vehicles to the Kuwait-Iraq border and from there it is convoyed by the U.S. military to its ultimate destination, he said. “All of this equals a ton of man hours,” said Mott. Third Army is responsible for the movement of all this equipment, and everyone at SPOD works hard to support that mission, said Cox.

Storekeeper 3rd Class Melvin Barker, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (Forward) Port Group Delta processes an up-armoredHMMWV at the SPOD going on a convoy to Iraq.

Up-armored HMMWVs — designated for future transport to Iraq — come off a vessel from the United States at the Sea Port of Debarkation.

Photo courtesy of Cmdr. Michael Sebastino, U.S. Navy

Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Pele Bagwell, U.S. Navy

ARCENT and aviation unit work together to sustain war effort


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Moving a unit into the area of responsibility is a long and sometimes stressful process. There are the tasks of maintaining accountability of troops as well as the equipment needed for the deployment. It can be even more difficult when your unit is new.This is the challenge that faced the 25th Infantry Division’s 209th Aviation Support Battalion, called the “Lobos.” This unit, which activated in February, is deploying for the first time to replace the 96th Aviation Support Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division, said Maj.

Sgt. Carlos M. Burger IIDesert Voice Staff Writer Michael Lawson, support operations

officer in charge.“The 209th ASB worked closely with the (ARCENT) C-4 transportation branch in moving its cargo, the most aircraft that a single unit has ever brought in theater,” Lawson said. The 209th has an extensive fleet of helicopters, including CH-47 Chinooks, OH-58 Kiowa Warriors, UH-60 Black Hawks and AH-64 Apache Longbows. The aircraft were loaded on cargo ships in Hawaii and then transported to Kuwait. Once they arrived, the ASB was responsible for downloading the ship and also getting troops as well as their equipment pushed forward to their destination, Lawson said.

“It’s a multi-level operation, getting the ship downloaded; getting the aircraft built and moved forward, getting everything accounted for, and finally moving everything forward,” said Master Sgt. James E. Krupp, support operations noncommissioned officer in charge. Once the daunting task of downloading the ship was completed, the ASB turned to ARCENT to assist in coordination of the huge push forward.The ASB worked with transportation elements of ARCENT to move everything forward. The two organizations worked together to keep them on schedule so redeployment of the 96th ASB wouldn’t be delayed, Lawson said.“They [ARCENT] have been really helpful in making sure they understand our priorities,” he added.In addition to keeping in sync with the ASB priorities, ARCENT provided much needed support in the form of parts and supplies. “The support down at the port was really good. The AVCRAD (Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot) unit there really helped us out. They made sure we had plenty of water, ice and the repair parts we needed,” Lawson said. The units who brought the ASB parts, especially the ones on Arfijan, worked really hard to get us aircraft parts, when requested, he added.In the end, the mission was a complete success; the aircraft was downloaded and transported, despite working in temperatures in excess of

Photo by Maj. Michael Lawson

Master Sgt. James E. Krupp, 209th Aviation Support Battalion support operations NCOIC, loads equipment before it is transported forward. The 209th worked with transportation elements of Army Central to push their equipment and aircraft into Iraq.


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Photos by Maj. Michael Lawson

140 degrees inside the cargo bay of the ship, Krupp said. “During the whole movement operation, there were no heat injuries, no significant injuries or aircraft accidents of any kind. That’s a testament to good leaders on the ground,” he said. “Ninety percent of our aircraft

“The 209th ASB worked closely with the (ARCENT) C-4 transportation branch in moving our cargo, the most aircraft that a single unit has ever brought in

theater.”

Maj. Michael Lawson 209th ASB Support Operations OIC

were out and up in the first four days and 50 percent of our equipment has already moved forward, and that’s a huge deal for us,” Lawson added.With several battalions to support in the next 12 months and a huge fleet of aircraft to maintain,the 209th ASB doesn’t have an easy mission, Krupp said. However, thanks to the

combined effort of C-4, they have accomplished their first mission in getting all their equipment and aircraft transported into the AOR and feel they are ready to face any challenges they may encounter along the way.

(Above) Soldiers from the 209th Aviation Support Battalion download one of several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The Hawaii-based unit was just recently activated and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Below) A Soldier connects cables to support the helicopters as they move them off the ship.


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Getting a unit’s equipment together for deployment just got a whole lot easier. As of Sept. 1, Headquarters Department of the Army is helping commanders by tak-ing the mystery out of determining what equipment their unit needs to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It’s a new, common on-line data base called Equipment Common Operating Picture and it will allow commanders easier access to the Mission Essential Equipment Lists. A MEEL is a list of equipment that improves the readiness and combat ability of a unit, said Maj. Steven Heiges, the ARCENT Force Man-agement Division, ECOP project action officer.

“With the new ECOP system it will be easier to calculate initial equip-ping requirements, and to request equipment sourcing of validated shortages,” said Heiges. “Great equip-ment allows a commander to task organize for the defense, offense, or stabil-ity and support operations.”

“It will also make it easier for commanders to submit operational needs statements,” said Paul Buckhout, principal analyst for HQDA ECOP program. “Once a unit hits the ground, the commander can do a 90-day assess-ment and based on mis-sion changes they can get more equipment faster and easier.”

All operational needs statements (ONS) can be created, submitted and monitored digitally in this new web based system, Buckhout said. “ONSs no longer fall into a black hole. A commander can now see how it progresses and gets approved or disapproved all the way up the chain of command.”

The new ECOP system applies to all deployed and future deploying units in support of OIF/OEF.

“Units that have a set modification table of organization and equipment deploying to OEF/OIF will be able to use the ECOP system to better determine their equipment requirements,” Buckhout said. “And even though they do have a designated MTOE, they may be directed to use a HQDA vali-dated MEEL instead.”

Because changes in equipment and unit configuration are happening so rapidly, a unit’s MTOE might be out of date and the commander might not even know it, especially if that unit is coming from the National Guard or Reserve, he said. The ECOP system will be top loaded with all latest up-to-date Department of the Army information.

ECOP will have hundreds of pre-validat-

ed MEELs, other HQDA equipment valida-tions/authorizations and applicable HQDA equipping policy documents, Heiges said. “It will all be located in a virtual library for easy reference,” he explained.

There are also many cases in which a unit might not need to take all the equip-ment listed on its MTOE. That’s because there are assets and equipment already available in theater that the unit can fall in on, he explained. Non-armored vehicles,

tents and camouflage netting fall into this category.

“For example, all non-specialty tacti-cal wheeled vehicles not outfitted with a minimum of level-two armor will not be approved for deployment,” Heiges said. “There are simply enough of these vehi-cles already in Central Command’s area of operation.”

This does include many units’ non-ar-mored HMMWVs, and a variety of five-ton cargo trucks, he said.

“There are also so much of MTOE assets like tents and camouflage netting already in theater it is now falling upon Defense Reutilization and Marketing Of-fice to get rid of the excess,” he said. If a

unit really needs a tent, they can get it here rather than having DA pay to ship it, he said.

But of course there are always exceptions.

“Some units’ vehicles that might contain communication equipment are an example of a special excep-tion,” he said. But a unit thinking of fielding an exception to policy needs to keep in mind that once a vehicle is modified with add-on armor it becomes theater provided equipment and is to remain in theater.

Special units that are created for specific deployments will also ben-efit from this one-stop net resource.

“Provincial Reconstruction Teams are a prime example of this type of created unit,” he said. “PRTs do not have an existing MTOE, because the unit is created with individuals with a cross section of special capabilities/abilities, like an engineer, a translator, a special op-

erations Soldier, and civil affairs officer --- so they will use a HQDA validated MEEL already located in the site’s library.”

For more information unit commanders can go to the Third Army equipping guid-ance website at http://www.swa.arcent.army.smil.mil. To access the ECOP data base (units must have access to secure internet protocol routing) for registration and use go to http://www.armyc2apps.hqda.army.smil.mil/ecop.

Story and Photo by

Sgt. 1st Class Sharon G. McBride40th PAD NCOIC

Equipment inventories going digital

Dennis McGill, a property disposal specialist with the De-fense Reutilization and Marketing Office, and Maj. Steven Heiges, Third Army Force Management Division, Equip-ment Common Operating Picture project action officer go through old tents in a disposal yard. Tents are now on a non-deployable asset list, and units who are planning deployments should not bring them into theater.

New on-line data base monitors materiel


Just One Question...What advice would you give some-one prior to coming to Kuwait?

Sgt. Jacob UtleyCompany C, 1-505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division

“I live 10 miles from the University of Alabama campus. I miss the college atmosphere and most of all Crimson Tide football.”

Talks about what he misses about his hometown, Tuscaloosa, AL

Utley conducts patrols and convoy operations in order to protect his fellow servicemembers and civilians.

“Read up on local customs. Learn a few common greet-ings in Arabic. Familiarize yourself with the different ranks of each branch of service.”

Tech. Sgt. Tonya Barnett39th Transportation BattalionMovement Control

“Be in good shape when you get here. With the longer hours you won’t be able to catch up.”

Maj. Donovan Fuqua595th Transportation Terminal GroupOperations Officer

“Be prepared for hot weather. Drink plenty of water and always stay focused on your surroundings.”

Spc. Brenda Washington31st Combat Support BattalionSupply

“Prepare to adapt to the area and climate. Learn the local customs of Kuwait because of the differences to ours. Bring books and magazines.”

Tech. Sgt. James Robinson39th Transportation BattalionMovement Control

“Make sure you contact your sponsor and get on the wait-ing list for housing before you get here, and bring your linen with you.”

Spc. Gray M. Haller160th Signal BrigadeFinance Clerk

“Armed Forces Voters Week” kicks off Labor Day weekendSgt. Thomas L. DayDesert Voice Staff Writer

Points of ContactMr. Lewis IngolThird Army (Atlanta) [email protected]

1st Lt. Adam M. Johnson ARCENT C-1 [email protected]

1st Lt. Sally L. [email protected]

Maj. Byron K. Jackson 377th [email protected]

The Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program is calling the week of September 3rd “Armed Forces Voters Week,” the last opportunity for military voters deployed overseas to mail their application for an absentee ballot. Armed Forces Voters Week runs until September 9, nearly two months before the November 7 elections, when gubernatorial races in 33 states, Senate races in another 33 states, and the balance of power on Capitol Hill will be decided. “In order for your vote to count, 60 days out you need to request a ballot by filling out your application,” said 1st Lt. Adam M. Johnson the USARCENT voting assistance officer. “You can fill out your applica-tion online for all 50 states.” After voters have submitted their application, their ballots should ar-rive around the end of September. “If you have not received your ballot by the first week of October, you need to contact your voting assistance officer ASAP.” Information about voting registration can be found at www.fvap.gov. Different states have different requirements, but registration directions for all 50 states can be found on the Federal Voting Assistance Program Web site.

Hometown Hero


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Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb was presented a check from the Com-bined Federal Campaign-Overseas (CFC-O) chief Renee S. Acosta to support morale activities at nearly all of the U.S. and Coalition com-pounds in Kuwait. The check was for $7,576.48 and came from money either donated directly to the Kuwait Family Support Youth Program or money divided out among donations that were not earmarked for any par-ticular charity. The money will primarily go toward morale activities at U.S. and Coalition compounds in Kuwait, according to Lt. Col. Linda Eriksen, the Third Army community/area project officer for this fiscal year.

Fun Fund

The DV needs you.... The Desert Voice Magazine mission is to keep the military community in Kuwait informed by telling stories of servicemembers and civilians supporting the Army Central role in the Global War on Terror. Our focus is on three aspects of the ARCENT mission: • RSO&I (stories and photos about the reception, staging, onward movement and integration of troops moving into the theater of operations) • Sustainment (stories and photos about the continuing logistical support to troops in theater) • TSC (stories and photos about Theater Security Cooperation missions that establish relation-ships with foreign militaries) While providing Command Information, our goal is to make the magazine an enjoyable read for our au-dience, filled with interesting pictures and stories highlighting your efforts and contributions. Send us your story ideas. The DV staff of seven cannot cover all the great things the 16,000-plus troops and civilian workers here are doing in support of the ARCENT mission. We are interested in your ideas. Think the DV doesn’t cover your unit/section or mission? Ever wish you could see more of something in the DV? Want to see less of something else? We’re interested not only in your ideas to keep the entire community informed, but also your pictures. If you’re interested in seeing your photos in the DV, follow these guidelines for submissions: • Pictures must be digital format •At least 150 dpi, preferably 300 dpi • Submissions must include info about people in the picture (name, rank and section/unit/organi-zation) as well as general info about when, where and what’s going on in the photo All story ideas and pictures can be submitted by e-mailing to [email protected]

serving u.s. and coalition forces in kuwait august 30,...

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