The FReeper Foxhole - Military Related News in Review - September 22nd, 2003

various news sites

[snippy_about_it]

Soldiers Patrol on Horseback in Afghanistan


U.S. Army Lt. Col. Monti Zimmerman (left), Coalition Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force, Danish Golum Ail, an interpreter, and Maj. Nigel Gattsche, a New Zealand Army engineer officer, ride through Bamian's bazaar to show a U.S. and coalition presence.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Stephanie Hall

BAMIAN, Afghanistan, Sept. 17, 2003 — Shouts of joy from the townsfolk rise as the four mounted “cowboys” ride through the small, desert town they help keep safe from a gang of ruthless “renegades.”

No, this isn’t a scene from an old western movie; it’s as real as it gets. The cowboys are the U.S. and coalition forces in the Bamian Province, the renegades are the Taliban, and the townsfolk are the people of Bamian City.

At least once a week, the Bamian Provincial Reconstruction Team Civil Affairs Team rides horse back through the bazaar, the central point of the city, to show the people that they are and will remain safe from the Taliban.

“The purpose of the rides is to show (U.S. and coalition) presence to the people of Afghanistan that we have come (and) that we’re not like the Taliban,” said Lt. Col. Monti G. Zimmerman, Coalition Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force.

The sense of security is emphasized because “there was an edict written and prepared by the Taliban that said it was against the law to ride a horse in and through a bazaar, and therefore we demonstrate that you can safely ride a horse in and through a bazaar,” said Zimmerman.

Ever since the Taliban were driven out of town by the U.S. and coalition forces, the townsfolk do feel a sense of security, said Zimmerman. The fact that businesses, school attendance and the overall town’s activities have increased shows that the people do feel safe, he said.

The CA team tries to spread that sense of security to the entire Bamian Province to include those parts that are almost impossible to get to, said Zimmerman, even if it means riding a horse through rough terrain for several days to get to that location. “There’s not a lot that we’ve been doing in Afghanistan that I would say is normal,” he said.

“What we’ve been doing is doctrinal in terms of our interactions, but how we’ve been doing the interactions has had unique challenges based on the terrain and the environment and the people that we’re coming to see,” said Zimmerman. “The fact that the majority of the people here live at such a basic level (has) meant that we have had to go back to more basic means in order to” get the team out to the villages, he said.

Riding out to the more difficult locations “shows that we can get to the same places the (locals) can get, and we’re not only limited to vehicles and those sorts of things,” said Maj. Sid McKissock, the New Zealand Army operations officer at the Bamian PRT, who plans on continuing the horse operations.

“So when we say we’re going to achieve something, and it might be in a very inaccessible place, people will start to believe that yes we can go out and do that even if we have to walk, ride a horse or whatever,” he said.

Zimmerman’s predecessor first initiated the concept of Civil Affairs personnel riding out to the remote villages, and since he took over, Zimmerman has ridden out to more than a dozen villages.

Many times the people are initially startled to see the soldiers ride up to their village on horseback, said Zimmerman. “The only people that had ridden horses to them prior were the Taliban to burn the houses, kill the people, and steal their livestock.”

But once the villagers see that the soldiers are there to provide instead of pillage, they welcome them with smiles and shouts of “Tashakor” which means thank you in Dari, said Zimmerman. “Just having the fact that they can live their lives without interruption is a huge success for them and for us.”

[snippy_about_it]

Posted on Fri, Sep. 19, 2003


Agency Seeks Former POWs Lacking Benefits
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Veterans Affairs wants former prisoners of war who are not getting disability compensation, health care and other benefits to contact the department.

The agency said Friday an estimated 11,000 former POWs are not getting benefits to which they are entitled. The VA issued the plea in conjunction with National POW-MIA Recognition Day.

VA Secretary Anthony Principi said more ex-POWs are eligible for benefits as new illnesses are determined to be related to their captivity. In July, VA said it would provide benefits to former POWs with cirrhosis of the liver.

Former POWs are eligible for VA medical care and are exempt from health care co-payments. Free dental treatment is available if their captivity lasted more than 90 days.

"These veterans sacrificed for their country in time of war, and it's the nation's turn to serve them, to help them determine if they are entitled to compensation, health care or other services," Principi said.

The VA said more than 23,000 former POWs receive compensation. The VA sent a letter to another 4,700 to tell them that they were entitled to benefits.

VA said it is hard to find many former POWs because they served during World War II, before Social Security numbers were used as military service numbers.

VA is asking anyone who knows of former POWs who are not enrolled for benefits or who did not receive a letter to call 1-800-827-1000.

ON THE NET -- VA services for former POWs and their survivors

[snippy_about_it]

Tribute to a Generation The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004. To learn more about the dedication plans, click here.

[snippy_about_it]

[snippy_about_it]

.......FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

.......Good Monday Morning Everyone!


If you would like added or removed from our ping list let me know.

[snippy_about_it]

Foxhole NEWS Alert:

After considerable thought I've come to the decision to discontinue posting the "News in Review" threads on Monday. I will be posting threads, but just not the News.

I hesitated in the beginning with my decision to post News considering all the news that is already on FR but decided to try it. Now after a few months and seeing more threads that have started posting the news in a consolidated fashion more regularly, I've decided to move on to something else for Monday's.

At this time I'm making no commitment except to bring you something I think will be of interest to Foxhole readers and of course staying in line with our mission statement.

Of course, as always we encourage you to post items of interest to our readers as you see fit any day and any time.

As it is now I don't really have a "theme" for Mondays or Fridays except for leaving the "Battles and Military Biographies" up to SAM.

Thankfully for me SAM gives me free reign and so I'm left with direction based on our mission statement yet free will on what to post.

I value your suggestions and comments. If there is something particular you would like to have me profile at the Foxhole, or you really do want the weekly news here please let me know.

I want to thank everyone for their contributions to the Foxhole and for your continued support.

snippy about it

[maestro]

Amen,........More Grace and Mercy,.......In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!!!

Ephesians chapters 1,2,3...

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone here at the Foxhole.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning maestro.

[The Mayor]

Happy Monday!

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC. Cool fall morning today, but rain, too.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

Happy Monday to you too. Good positive attitude for a Monday. ;)

[Darksheare]

Morning.
Wandering aimlessly as I do.
Gonna bounce about the threads.
Be back in a bit.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Darksheare.

Searching for inspiration myself today. ;)

[Darksheare]

We always do.
The weather is odd, kinda one of those mind-slurping grey overcast days here at the moment.
It's 'ugh' here in every sense of the word.
But at least my cat won't have to be afraid that the evil Starlings are going to try to carry her 24 pound self off.
And she won't have to belly to the floor and try to hide from them.
(Strange cat, not afraid of woodpeckers, but terrified of starlings..)

[manna]

Present!

[snippy_about_it]

Raining here, grey and cool. Good day to stay home and crawl back into bed.

[Darksheare]

If I do that, I'll never wake back up.
Then I'll be zombied the rest of the day and be awake all night.
(Nightowl by nature, day creature by necessity.)

[manna]

No suggestions. I liked the Monday review.

Good luck with your new format.

[Johnny Gage]

Good morning everyone.

A big "Firehouse Breakfast" is now being served.
Come get a fire truck ride too!

Time Out: 08:30
KMG-365