WEBVTT 00:08.340 --> 00:11.520 mm hmm . Mhm . Coming up on Freedom 00:11.520 --> 00:13.464 Journal Iraq regarding the water . 00:13.464 --> 00:15.640 Getting to know combat camera and 00:15.640 --> 00:17.950 boosting morale with male those stories 00:17.950 --> 00:20.760 and more coming up next . Mhm . 00:21.240 --> 00:23.670 Welcome to Freedom Journal Iraq Army 00:23.670 --> 00:25.781 Sergeant Melissa Helen . And here's a 00:25.781 --> 00:27.948 look at some of the events shaping the 00:27.948 --> 00:30.170 region . Local residents and marines of 00:30.170 --> 00:32.281 second Battalion 10th Marine Regiment 00:32.281 --> 00:34.448 celebrated the completion of a village 00:34.448 --> 00:36.337 improvement project with a ribbon 00:36.337 --> 00:38.170 cutting ceremony february 10th . 00:38.170 --> 00:40.114 Throughout the past seven months , 00:40.114 --> 00:42.170 marines work with village leaders to 00:42.170 --> 00:42.020 build working relationships and 00:42.020 --> 00:43.798 identify ways to improve living 00:43.798 --> 00:46.170 conditions . The battalion invested 00:46.170 --> 00:48.300 more than $360,000 for the 00:48.300 --> 00:50.400 refurbishment of 32 homes which 00:50.400 --> 00:52.567 provided residents with new septic and 00:52.567 --> 00:54.733 electrical systems . Many of them were 00:54.733 --> 00:56.511 hired to do the work themselves 00:56.640 --> 00:58.807 securing the various military bases in 00:58.807 --> 01:00.980 the gulf region is a full time job and 01:00.980 --> 01:03.091 although many people may think of the 01:03.091 --> 01:05.147 Middle East as only desert , it does 01:05.147 --> 01:06.813 have major water entry points 01:06.813 --> 01:08.980 specialist Katie's Morel introduces us 01:08.980 --> 01:11.147 to a unit that helps keep the bad guys 01:11.147 --> 01:15.110 out and the water state soldiers that 01:15.110 --> 01:17.166 can't Patriot could we have a unique 01:17.166 --> 01:19.290 job guarding the water . The Kuwaiti 01:19.290 --> 01:21.512 naval base is one of the most vital key 01:21.512 --> 01:23.734 ports in theater . Most of the supplies 01:23.734 --> 01:25.623 and equipment needed for military 01:25.623 --> 01:27.846 operations in Iraq arrived through this 01:27.846 --> 01:29.957 port , the supply hub is kept safe by 01:29.957 --> 01:31.957 soldiers from Second Battalion 1 46 01:31.957 --> 01:34.950 field Artillery . Our mission is really 01:34.950 --> 01:38.160 to deter versus to defend it . Some 01:38.160 --> 01:39.938 soldiers may on the entry point 01:39.938 --> 01:42.104 searching vehicles and controlling the 01:42.104 --> 01:44.327 gates . Quick reaction force teams also 01:44.327 --> 01:46.438 keep the database of constant roaming 01:46.438 --> 01:48.630 patrols here at the Navy base camp . 01:48.630 --> 01:51.100 Patriot . There's a Qrf and that is 01:51.110 --> 01:53.710 dedicated to responding to any threat 01:53.710 --> 01:55.821 either within the Navy base or within 01:55.821 --> 01:57.988 the immediate outside area of the Navy 01:58.460 --> 02:01.990 show . Of course , if anybody comes up , 02:02.000 --> 02:04.056 they see it better . They know we're 02:04.056 --> 02:06.278 there and they're not gonna come and he 02:06.278 --> 02:08.520 calls me and me . What our job is to do 02:08.520 --> 02:12.140 is to prevent anybody from sticking 02:12.140 --> 02:14.470 around all the Queen is relatively 02:14.470 --> 02:16.470 secure . Soldiers must always be on 02:16.470 --> 02:18.570 guard . The Euro has responded to a 02:18.570 --> 02:21.130 number of perceived threats . Uh , we 02:21.140 --> 02:24.380 are able to provide a presence to the 02:24.390 --> 02:27.800 tourism attack . We've done our job 02:27.810 --> 02:29.921 because of their constant vigilance . 02:29.921 --> 02:31.977 The QRS soldiers keep the naval base 02:31.977 --> 02:34.032 and its precious cargo safe from any 02:34.032 --> 02:36.090 kind of harm . For the 81st brigade 02:36.090 --> 02:38.034 combat team . I'm specialist Katie 02:38.034 --> 02:39.960 spiral . Can't Patriot wait 02:41.640 --> 02:43.696 coming up our freedom , General Iraq 02:43.696 --> 02:45.584 boosting morale and demonstrating 02:45.584 --> 02:47.862 specialized training in why we're here . 03:19.340 --> 03:21.630 I'm therefore Sergeant Melissa Allen . 03:21.640 --> 03:23.900 And this is why we're here 03:24.440 --> 03:27.400 polish soldiers conducting drills 03:27.410 --> 03:29.410 during a competition with the Iraqi 03:29.410 --> 03:33.310 National Guard 03:34.540 --> 03:36.930 soldiers organized a series of events 03:36.940 --> 03:38.773 to test their skills against one 03:38.773 --> 03:40.940 another . As partners of the coalition 03:40.940 --> 03:42.240 and Iraqi forces . 03:44.730 --> 03:46.960 Iraqi Army soldiers demonstrate 03:46.960 --> 03:48.880 specialized training during an 03:48.880 --> 03:51.660 activation ceremony in Kirkuk Iraq . 03:53.830 --> 03:56.020 They also conduct a passion review 03:56.020 --> 03:57.610 parades during the ceremony 04:02.350 --> 04:04.580 and raise their colors , including the 04:04.590 --> 04:06.800 future of their country was tried 04:10.220 --> 04:12.670 and that's why we're here . Thanks to 04:12.670 --> 04:15.003 Joint combat camera Iraq for the photos . 04:15.003 --> 04:18.150 I'm therefore Sergeant Melissa Alan 04:19.440 --> 04:21.496 members of the Iraqi police and task 04:21.496 --> 04:23.718 force dangerous voters conducted a raid 04:23.718 --> 04:25.662 called Operation Center Showdown , 04:25.662 --> 04:27.773 february 8th to crack down on illegal 04:27.773 --> 04:29.773 weapons inside civilian homes . The 04:29.773 --> 04:31.884 raid's purpose was to also discourage 04:31.884 --> 04:33.718 any enemy activity in the area . 04:33.740 --> 04:35.962 Soldiers have been working closely with 04:35.962 --> 04:37.851 Iraqi policemen during the raid , 04:37.851 --> 04:39.796 teaching them what to look for and 04:39.796 --> 04:42.018 where to look to find weapons and other 04:42.018 --> 04:43.907 illegal items . Although the raid 04:43.907 --> 04:45.740 resulted in numerous confiscated 04:45.740 --> 04:47.740 weapons . The mission was completed 04:47.740 --> 04:50.018 without any enemy contact or incidents . 04:50.140 --> 04:52.251 Recently , a combat cameraman allowed 04:52.251 --> 04:54.418 one of Avon's reporters to follow them 04:54.418 --> 04:56.630 around for the day . The goal to get a 04:56.640 --> 04:58.529 sense of the work they do and the 04:58.529 --> 05:00.751 overall picture of military journalists 05:00.751 --> 05:02.751 in the ranks . Staff Sergeant Lloyd 05:02.751 --> 05:04.918 Shellenberger tells us what he found . 05:10.710 --> 05:14.210 86 Combat Support 05:14.210 --> 05:15.988 hospital is the focus of Master 05:15.988 --> 05:18.450 Sergeant All streets camera on this 05:18.450 --> 05:20.617 particular day , several soldiers were 05:20.617 --> 05:23.610 admitted the serious injuries . These 05:23.610 --> 05:25.554 are the moments he records forever 05:25.554 --> 05:27.388 after his job . Air Force Master 05:27.388 --> 05:29.554 Sergeant David Wall Street is a combat 05:29.554 --> 05:31.721 cameramen from the joint combat camera 05:31.721 --> 05:33.888 management team in Baghdad . His stock 05:33.888 --> 05:36.110 and trade is photographs and memories . 05:36.110 --> 05:38.680 Combat camera is . Its primary mission 05:38.690 --> 05:40.857 is to document the Warfighter and what 05:40.857 --> 05:43.190 the Warfighter doing each and every day . 05:43.190 --> 05:45.357 We have Warfighters stretched all over 05:45.357 --> 05:47.523 this country and our job is to capture 05:47.523 --> 05:49.412 what you hear in the background , 05:49.412 --> 05:51.579 There's uh firefights going on all the 05:51.579 --> 05:53.579 time and were there to capture what 05:53.579 --> 05:55.634 anybody's doing at any time from the 05:55.634 --> 05:57.634 transport of troops to higher level 05:57.634 --> 05:59.857 medical care facilities to the birth of 05:59.857 --> 05:59.700 an Iraqi child . On Election Day 05:59.710 --> 06:01.877 Sergeant All Street has seen it all in 06:01.877 --> 06:03.821 his long distinguished career as a 06:03.821 --> 06:05.932 military photographer and it has left 06:05.932 --> 06:07.543 his mark in him as well as a 06:07.543 --> 06:09.766 photographer . We're on a lot of scenes 06:09.766 --> 06:12.480 that aren't very visually pleasing . We 06:12.480 --> 06:14.720 go to a lot of things that most people 06:14.730 --> 06:17.570 don't care to see . It gives you a real 06:17.570 --> 06:20.350 sense of how important life really is 06:20.410 --> 06:24.020 and how some people just have a lack of 06:24.020 --> 06:26.187 concern for other people's lives . And 06:26.187 --> 06:28.630 I think as long as we can portray that , 06:28.640 --> 06:30.870 I think that uh , that's probably the 06:30.870 --> 06:32.981 most significant thing that we can do 06:32.981 --> 06:35.148 photographs and memories are indelibly 06:35.148 --> 06:37.481 etched in our minds of a single picture . 06:37.481 --> 06:39.703 Can paint 1000 words . The sergeant all 06:39.703 --> 06:41.759 suites work will speak volumes about 06:41.759 --> 06:43.703 the man the mission the lives he's 06:43.703 --> 06:45.648 touched in his 20 year career as a 06:45.648 --> 06:48.120 combat camera . Army sergeant Lloyd 06:48.120 --> 06:51.290 Shellenberger news Baghdad , 06:53.940 --> 06:56.220 A team of 20 civilian firefighters keep 06:56.220 --> 06:58.276 logistic support area or L . S . A . 06:58.276 --> 07:00.650 Anaconda safe . The firemen or a team 07:00.650 --> 07:02.928 assembled throughout the United States . 07:02.928 --> 07:05.039 They work in three different stations 07:05.039 --> 07:07.039 on camp where they do inspections , 07:07.039 --> 07:09.039 exchange information and respond to 07:09.039 --> 07:11.260 typically 17 to 20 calls a week . They 07:11.260 --> 07:13.427 also set aside at least one hour a day 07:13.427 --> 07:15.316 for multiple types of exercises . 07:15.540 --> 07:17.770 Assistant Chief Bill Taylor said one 07:17.770 --> 07:19.826 thing about firefighters , no matter 07:19.826 --> 07:21.770 where they come from , they have a 07:21.770 --> 07:23.992 common goal to provide L . S . Anaconda 07:23.992 --> 07:26.214 with the most professional firefighters 07:26.214 --> 07:28.326 providing fire protection and medical 07:28.326 --> 07:30.320 care available . There are many 07:30.320 --> 07:32.542 different morale boosters in Iraq , but 07:32.542 --> 07:34.709 the biggest one would have to be . The 07:34.709 --> 07:36.542 mail mill brings excitement to a 07:36.542 --> 07:38.376 service member when he or she is 07:38.376 --> 07:40.542 feeling down . Specialist Co evil went 07:40.542 --> 07:42.431 to Tikrit and talk to some of the 07:42.431 --> 07:43.542 postal clerks there 07:45.940 --> 07:49.350 working at a post office has its up and 07:49.350 --> 07:52.870 down . It has its busy hours and it's 07:52.870 --> 07:56.190 slow hours . But lately the post office 07:56.190 --> 07:58.190 at forward operating base danger in 07:58.190 --> 08:00.690 Tikrit has been more on the busy side . 08:00.700 --> 08:03.680 The first infantry divisions packing up 08:03.690 --> 08:06.180 to go back home so that means more and 08:06.180 --> 08:08.610 more male to be shipped . We have two 08:08.610 --> 08:10.666 different groups that we have people 08:10.666 --> 08:12.888 that want to ship things home that they 08:12.888 --> 08:14.943 can't keep here or you don't want to 08:14.943 --> 08:16.888 carry with them or people that are 08:16.888 --> 08:18.888 totally leaving , you know That are 08:18.890 --> 08:21.112 shipping everything home . So they have 08:21.112 --> 08:24.280 345-foot locker's full of things Before 08:24.280 --> 08:26.336 the changeover between the first and 08:26.336 --> 08:29.280 42nd I'd it usually took the soldiers a 08:29.280 --> 08:31.280 week to load up a Connick's full of 08:31.280 --> 08:33.660 mail . Now they're loading at least one 08:33.660 --> 08:35.604 full context . It's not more every 08:35.604 --> 08:37.549 single day , but even with all the 08:37.549 --> 08:39.771 stress , the soldiers are determined to 08:39.771 --> 08:41.604 keep the mission going . We help 08:41.604 --> 08:43.716 accomplish the overall mission by you 08:43.716 --> 08:45.716 know , helping keep the soldiers in 08:45.716 --> 08:47.938 contact with the family from male . You 08:47.938 --> 08:49.938 know , everyone loves to get things 08:49.938 --> 08:51.771 from their family as far as care 08:51.771 --> 08:53.716 packages or you know postcards and 08:53.716 --> 08:56.160 loving dad sister and um grande 08:56.170 --> 08:58.450 granddad in some cases . So it really 08:58.450 --> 09:00.450 helps them around and keep lines of 09:00.450 --> 09:02.617 communication open by helping keep the 09:02.617 --> 09:04.617 lines of communication open between 09:04.617 --> 09:06.617 soldiers and their families . These 09:06.617 --> 09:08.672 postal clerks say they have the best 09:08.672 --> 09:11.630 jobs in the world . It's great . I love 09:11.630 --> 09:13.797 it . You know , it's uh you get to see 09:13.797 --> 09:15.852 a lot of people , you know , you get 09:16.440 --> 09:18.510 understand the proposal system a lot 09:18.510 --> 09:21.890 more . It's my job . I'm going to love 09:21.890 --> 09:24.550 it . One thing is for sure . Without 09:24.560 --> 09:26.616 these postal clerks that F . O . B . 09:26.616 --> 09:28.616 Danger getting the first idea stuff 09:28.616 --> 09:30.440 shipped home would be much more 09:30.440 --> 09:32.860 difficult . Specialist , wholly evil . 09:33.240 --> 09:35.840 Hey , it's the news secret . Yeah . 09:37.240 --> 09:39.770 Mhm . That's it for this edition of 09:39.780 --> 09:41.724 Freedom Journal Iraq Army sergeant 09:41.950 --> 09:43.950 reliance . Thanks for being with us 09:43.950 --> 09:46.117 today from all of us here have a great 09:46.117 --> 09:47.117 game 09:47.117 --> 09:53.650 with . 10:05.240 --> 10:06.340 Mhm . Yeah . 10:10.440 --> 10:10.640 Yeah .