Picking Up the Pieces After the Storm
Private First Class Justin Jackson stands by a makeshift flagpole upon which the American flag has been hoisted. The National Guard has been providing disaster relief to Alabama since April.(Alabama National Guard photo)
It’s been almost two weeks since the deadly tornadoes whipped through the state of Alabama, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction and heartbreak in it’s wake. Since then, the National Guard has been vigilantly working to rebuild the lives and communities that were left crumbled by this unprecedented disaster.
This has been the largest Alabama National Guard domestic response in Alabama’s history.
Since the first tornado chewed through the state on April 27th, more than 2,900 soldiers and airmen have been activated to respond to disaster-relief tasks given by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA). Since then, they have been dedicated to providing relief and assistance to residents throughout the affected areas.
Some of these efforts include restoring electricity, water and removing the immense amount of debris left scattered throughout the heart of Dixie. To date, the Alabama Guard has completed the majority of missions received from local authorities and the AEMA. Soldiers continue to assist with security, logistics, aviation and other support missions in several central and north Alabama counties, with the heaviest concentration of troops and equipment in the Tuscaloosa area, officials said.
As the recovery process continues to pick up speed, the National Guard will continue to hand more missions over to local, state and federal authorities, but that does not mean that the work is done. They will continue to assist in these relief efforts and help the affected residents as long as the state needs them. In short, the National Guard is in it for the long haul.
This recovery hits close to home for members of the Alabama National Guard, so for some it is more than just an assignment, it’s a personal mission to rebuild their hometowns and communities. For more information on the recovery process, click here.
To find relief in your area, or to apply for disaster assistance, click here.
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Wednesday Warfighter: Farming in Afghanistan
Training the Interns on the Changfawang, by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bennett Groth
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bennett Groth of Moville, Iowa, explains the operation of the ADT’s small tractor. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Capt. Peter Shinn, 734th Agribusiness Development Team)
One of the best things we’ve done since we’ve gotten here in Kunar Province is hire a couple of young Afghan agricultural professionals, Said Obaidullah and Abdul Wali. They can go outside the FOB without spinning up an entire convoy, and they speak the language, too. We call them our interns.
Another one of my favorite things we’ve done here is buy a one-cylinder diesel farm tractor, or as some call it, an oversized garden tiller. It’s made by a company called Changfawang, so we all call the tractor the Changfawang. We use the Changfawang for planting, tilling and cutting wheat.
I’ve spent a lot of time on the Changfawang, both here on the farm and at several demonstration farms we have across Kunar. I’m a farmer at home, so it’s fun to work on a piece of farm equipment. But the Iowa ADT is leaving soon, and I wanted to make sure the interns knew how to operate the Changfawang, so they could keep on teaching Afghan farmers how to use it after we leave.
Said and Abdul picked right up on it, like they do most things having to do with agriculture, and I feel pretty confident that they’ll be able to pick up with the Changfawang right where we left off. I sure got a kick out of training them, especially when Said narrowly avoided hitting one of our little ATV’s we use to run around the FOB. But I also enjoyed it because it combined one of the best things we’ve done, hiring those interns, with another one of the best things we’ve done, getting the Changfawang.
U.S. Marine Martial Arts Course Not for Faint of Heart
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Thomas Cornwall (right), maintains a wristlock on U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Troy Buist during the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) course at Camp Lemonnier April 19. MCMAP is designed to teach Marines close-combat fighting skills and is based on a variety of martial arts techniques. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ray Bowden)
By Master Sgt. Ray Bowden
Anyone passing by Camp Lemonnier’s athletic field at dusk April 19 would have no doubt heard the enthusiastic cries of “Hoorah!” and “Kill Kill!” coming from the 26 joint service members sparring under the field’s bright lights.
An observer may have even considered calling the military police as surely camp leadership wouldn’t condone such a savage brawl, but upon closer inspection one would see that this was no ordinary melee. These service members – virtually all Marines – were participating in the U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), a course designed to teach Marines hand-to-hand, close-quarters combat.
“MCMAP is a combination of different disciplines of martial arts brought together to create one fighting style, and combines the core basics of boxing, Judo and Ju Jitsu,” U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Brenton Sangster, MCMAP instructor, said.
All U.S. Marines graduate Marine Corps Basic Training with a fundamental level of MCMAP skills, and this training is available to them throughout their career. “Every Marine is taught to be a warrior,” Sangster said. “Not only do Marines need to be exceptionally qualified with a rifle, but also in hand-to-hand combat.”
Similar to civilian martial arts courses, MCMAP students are awarded colored belts which indicate skill level. MCMAP instructors give tan, grey, green, brown and black belts, respectively. Sangster said each MCMAP course is tailored to the skill level of the students. “Our goal as instructors is to level each individual to the highest level that they wish to achieve,” Sangster said. “Depending on the level of belt being trained at the time, the class can consist of basic hand-to-hand tactics from upper and lower body strikes, as well as ground grappling and submission fighting.”
MCMAP instructors also seek to instill mental and physical discipline in their students and according to one MCMAP student, completing the course is easier said than done. “The course is difficult, but it builds your endurance and gives you confidence,” U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Rosa Luna, MCMAP student, said. “It helps you gain a better understanding about how your troops and fellow NCOs really feel about the Marine Corps Values of courage and commitment.”
Wednesday Warfighter: USAF Veteran Remembers the Korean War
1st. Lt. Dick Uyehara (right) Teri (left) and his son Steven during Lt. Uyehara's recovery from his ejection from a B-57 Canberra.
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. DoDLive is honoring the accomplishments of Asian-Pacific American service members and veterans across all services.
First Lieutenant (Ret.) Dick Uyehara, a 5 year USAF veteran served at Pusan Air Base during the Korean War. He was a navigator in the A-26 Invader, attack bomber plane.
But one day in 1955, he was forced to eject from a B-57 Canberra bomber aircraft at 600 miles per hour over Washington D.C.—ending his plans and taking both his legs. He had to struggle free from a malfunctioning ejection seat only to have the stabilizer hit him during the bailout. It severed one leg and mangled the other. Teri, his wife said, “He never let it beat him,” although he was in great pain. After release he never used a wheelchair, preferring to walk — unaided — on prosthetic legs, Teri said.
Uyehara is currently a dental technician for Hollywood celebrities. He retired in Grand Junction, Colo., set on a motor home life to see the States.
This feature on 1st Lt. Dick Uyehara is part of Pioneers In Blue, a project by the U.S. Air Force to showcase former and current Airmen who support and have shaped today’s Air Force.
Worth a Thousand Words: In the Face of Danger
Gunnery Sgt. Brian M. Blonder was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest award given for valor in the face of danger, during a ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., May 10, 2011. He was recognized for his bravery and outstanding leadership during an all-day firefight against Taliban insurgents Aug. 8, 2008, during the battle of Shewan, Afghanistan. Although he and the Marines and sailors he was fighting alongside with were outnumbered eight to one against insurgents, they managed to kill more than 50 insurgents and drove the rest out of their fortified fighting positions in the Taliban infested village in southern Farah province. Blonder, a reconnaissance Marine by trade, was serving as platoon sergeant with a force reconnaissance platoon attached to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. He was personally responsible for killing at least three Taliban combatants. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes
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