Show UTAIIWORLD The salt Like Tribune Al Saturday March 20 2004 Sol def THE FORGOTTEN WAR Some troops doubt Afghanistan effort is adequate soldiers in Afghanistan call the conflict "America's forgotten war" Utah National Guard soldiers from the 19th Special Forces were among the first US troops dispatched to Afghanistan when the US military began operations on Oct 7 2001 in response to the Sept 11 attacks on the United States The 60 Utah citizen soldiers served for a year Mal Gen Brian L Tarbet adjutant general of the Utah Guard said no other US military unit served longer or was more decorated than the Utah Special Forces group in that first year of fighting in Afghanistan Among the decorated soldiers is Maj Steven "Randy" Watt Bravo Company commander and an Ogden assistant police chief In July 2002 Watt and Master BY DAWN I !()USE llorSah Lukr Tribune The entire number of US troops hunting for the Taliban and atQaida in Afghanistan is barely more than the public-safetforce during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City The 12000 American troops in Al ghanistan number Just a tenth of the US fighting force in Iraq a number that has led former US Ambassador Frank G Wisner to call the effort "grossly Inadequate" And Staff Sgt Joshua May a noncommissioned officer in charge of 20 Army Reservists from the Logan-baseIirAth Quartermaster refueling unit who returned from Bagram this month said Jose I has ao war 4 calls tt fiasco' anarchy" issue in AfghaniThe is said security he stan In January 400 members of the Utah Guard's 211th Aviation Group assigned to Apache attack helicopters were mobilized for Afghanistan after enforcing the UN sanctioned No Fly zone over two years ago Iraq in their first tour Among the unit's duties is protecting convoys from roadside attacks Last August 200 additional Special Forces soldiers from the Utah Guard also deployed to Afghanistan joining the 12000 US troops 2000 multinational soldiers and 6000 security personnel charged with reconstruction efforts make-or-brea- k MAJ STEVEN "RANDY" WATT Company commander and an Ogden assistant police chief moismon long history of autocratic and theocratic rule "We're arrogant We think everyone knows what democracy is and wants it" said Watt "But you can't change something in six months that took 6000 years to create If we don't help the transitional government get the warlords out Sgt Scott Hanson pulled to safety Sgt Layne Morris and another wounded soldier from a firefIght that left Morris of West Jordan blind in his right eye Watt who helped set up a provisional government in the Khost province said it will take generations to implement democratic reforms in a country with a Coil of power and give democracy time to will revert back to sprout the country "You can't change something in sir months that took 6000 years to create? Bravo urg SpaniE Natior tion of In land's Kwasr ally -- "mish Utah citizen soldiers at war 2000 Utah National Guard and Army Reservists are serving units have been activated the Persian Gulf region Thirty-fou- r since the US invasion of Iraq in March 20 2003 Serving la the Persian Gulf region: About in r No of soldiers 14 i r I " 0- - e34 '- 14 - dz0) f 40"40111t - it dv) 1 e t 4 4At - oor I t 44 l': t "?' 'P - T 404 4 rt °' i401 - ' - !!" v 4 : :Al- 011 -I 1 rm ----2---- 011i ' 4 4t 1' va1' ":07 "''P ii :- 0'44"tt' 1'1 7 t' -- 1 C r ' -' 0 24' 41 e I 1 4 --tt- 1-- - 4011 - ' 10 "te -- '44s '' 4v- A 7 41r Itr - " ' )1 IL' --r------ 0 '' ''''''' 40'" 4 ''' 1 'o 4 4 I — 1 - Z44L -4444 ' - v 44 " 1 44 J1400 - 41-11- go - it- - ' 4fok ' 1 ' ' 4 '' ' g ' 2 - -- 4- Ai te 7 0:' ' ' ''i'': -- "t 'Y( - ig - -- ': -: "1 - r '4 - : 1 210V1'' ' - 4- 4 7 1 7 ' 4 4' 4 Not '' -- r-- a '1i 0'v ' IP "01 4 - - roe - 4011t:''''"' 44 t - ' ''' ' 0'0 ' 1 04 ' ' S 1 -- g" 11 - to ir 0 A 4 d 7 "'' 0 ol ' A -- 4 a 4 " 4A - 01- ' c"' '!°01i 3 7'" ' ''' V 4°4116tIr - - o i'-- - - 01441:-lck- - 'a4ro 4 0°700 )? '' 101'4 - :44:4 ' 4" 11' sr:16 14 ''' 1 ' O1 er'" - 4::140100041 sal 1'g 44 - 0:"t —- t - January 2003 450 1457th Engineer Battalion 19th Special Forces February 2003 August 2003 109th Air Control Squadron November 2003 115th Engineer Group 116th En I 'neer Com any January 2004 January 2004 141st Military Intelligence January 2004 211th Aviation Battalion February 2004 Detachment 50 - OP airlift March 2004 128th mobile PR detachment May 2004 160 25 300 5 10 14) '''' Ifr440- 0 11 : Volk et or - : :ii 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion BO A4 e 7c 4 4 - LIgtt--3--- ' I ''N- 4-- ?: "6 ' f - 1 45 190 170 40 10 20 2 40 15 411±e- -J ra441 4 "'- ")K 4 Army Reservists: 0 0 ot ' - 1 JA -1- i ' Nopie1-4- 1 7 to 42" - AsSOCIATED PRESS PILE PHOTOS US Army tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles with the 3rd Infantry Division Task Force move north near Karbala in central Iraq in April 2003 Below Marine Cpl Eric Silva of New Jersey fights the wind for his tent during a severe sandstorm at Camp Viper In the Iraqi desert last March Utahns in Iraq: Guard Reserve at the forefront t 1 Continued from Al 4 In the 1991 Gulf War active-dut-y troops did most of the fighting while citizen soldiers served in support roles The Utah Guard's 1457th Engineer Battalion for Instance relieved US troops in Germany for duty in Iraq during the first Gulf War Today 500 combat engineers from the Utah battalion are stationed at the Baghdad airport commander Their active-dutcalled the group his "Go To" unit assigned some of the toughest tasks in Baghdad including keeping the road to the airport open and dear of bombs "This is the first time since the Korean War that Guard and Reservists are going directly into a major combat zone" said John Reed military historian for the University of Utah "In Iraq they can expect to engage in a high-leve- l threat environment right alongside regular Army troops" y Stretched thin: The heavy Involvement of the National Guard and Reserve also shows how the war on terrorism and the invasion of Iraq stretched the resources of the US military That strain has resulted in mass deployments of citizen soldiers from throughout the United States The Pentagon also extended the tours of duty for the Guard and Reserve from six months to "one-yea- r boots on the the ground" order for deployments to Iraq Because of the time it takes for final training before actual deployments some families have gone for 18 months without mothers and fathers at home The strategy of deploying Guard and Reserve troops for so long has prompted fears that reenlistment rates might fall Long deployments are only part of the invasion price The state's first casualty was Chief Warrant Officer John Darren Smith 32 of Taylorsville who died when his Black Hawk helicopter went down in a sandstorm Feb 2 2003 during the military buildup that led to the invasion Since last March a Marine Reservist a pilot an Army Ranger an Army Reservist and five soldiers with ties to Utah have died in Iraq The state's most recent deaths came from the insurgents' weapon of choice: homemade bombs The devices are hidden along remote-controlle- d roadways in piles of trash empty cans beneath paper or planted In the carcasses of dogs and chickens Last weekend Staff Sgt Clint Ferrin 31 a Utah native was among four soldiers killed by a homemade bomb in Baghdad while on patrol On Jan 31 Sgt Juan Cabral of Ogden 25 also was killed by an improvised explosive device "psychologically Its a terrifying weapon" said Col Edward Willis commander of the 115th based at Camp Williams From June of last year through January (the most recent available figures) 116 coalition soldiers have been killed and 1179 wounded from roadside bombs "The insurgency attacks are constantly evolving" said Lt Col Timothy Russell who oversees convoy protection training at Fort Carson Colo "They think up something new we adjust They change and we try to anticipate It's the nature of an insurgency war?' Last week before the 80 engineers from the 115th drove into Iraq in a long convoy they gathered for prayer "All went well up until the convoy ahead of us stopped because their lead vehicle got a blowout due to spikes in the road" wrote Miller "The Alibabas (bandits) like to spike the road to stop commercial vehicles so they can plunder them The terrorists like to do that as well" For the next 25 minutes Miller said his convoy "had to tactically dismount" meaning they stopped and set up area defenses They arrived safely at their destination near Ur Reed said the Iraqi war is showing US troops to be "smart and adaptable hardworking" "Flexibility is the highest possible military virtue" he said "The ability to adapt to think quickly to do what it takes to accomplish the mission and reduce casualties regardless of the command — US troops have done everything they've been tasked to do When looking at what they could do at the begin ning of a major conflict this may be the best Army we've ever When activated Unit 130 200 60 r 401'7 0000Zir I r! - OW"' 1114T — 4 - ( I Utah National Guard: at An Nasiriyah however in time to pass by bombed out US armored vehicles from a fire Eight that had killed 19 US troops "The wreckage was massive" said Chief Warrant Officer Ken McAlpine "It was hard seeing what happened to our brothers in arms" Charlie Company set up checkpoints at the Iranian border to stop terrorists from slipping in They arrested dozens of suspects confiscated caches of weapons and cash and took repeated sniper fire At Badrah the Marines helped create a democratic government Drawing pn high school civics lessons their commander sat down with sheiks clerics and community leaders to plan an election The top 10 vote getters from 40 hopefuls formed a city council 438th Military Police y 2003 February 2003 395th Finance Battalion February 2003 200th Medical March 2003 854th Quartermaster March 2003 117th Chaplain Detachment December 2003 395th Finance Battalion December 2003 889th Transportation Detachment January 2004 January 2003 January 2003 January 2003 February 2003 February 2003 February 2003 March 2003 February 2004 ifiinny Reservists serving elsewhere: 2nd Brigade 91st Division US 110 87th Legal Support US 15 307th Quartermaster US 55 478th AG Battalion US 180 96th Support Command US 15 872nd Maintenance 10 US 155th Postal Africa 20 4 Reserve: Air Force 40 137tit Aerial Port Squadron - On Alert: About 150 soldiers from the 148th Field Artillery batteries and Its parent unit the 116th Cavarly Brigade Utahns killed OM e rft the Iraq war: ) pil Hawk I - In nut Officer Damn "IV Smith John 32 Taylorsville died when his Army Black 00 Playing by the rules: The newly organized council was quick to demand US protection from Baath Party loyalists and By May the 130000 US troops in Iraq will be cut to drinking water power food 110000 according to the Pentamedicine and for the Americans to stay far away from their gon Yet at the same time numbers of Guard and Reserve will women increase comprising by early "We said we would respect summer about 40 percent of all their culture" said the company US forces commander Maj Douglas The only Marine Reserve Clark company to fight in the March Days later Charlie Company invasion was Fox Company 23rd was ordered to Okinawa to reMarines dubbed Saints and Sin- lieve active-dutMarines setners because the 250 Marines ting off fears that the Americans came from units based in Salt would leave the Iraqis to the Lake City and Las Vegas mercy of surviving remnants of In January of last year the the old regime Marines were packing up their By May when President gear to go home after a yearlong Bush declared major combat opdeployment to California when erations over Guard and Retheir orders were frozen and serve began relieving active-dutthey were sent to Kuwait as part troops The Pentagon later of the US force poised to invade that acknowledged post Invasion plans had been late in Iraq coming causing some initial First combat loss: On March conflision For the first several months 29 during their push to Baghdad of their deployment dozens of Staff Sgt James W Cawley 41 Layton was crushed to death Utah linguists from the 141st and when a coalition Humvee rolled 142nd Military Intelligence Batover him Sixteen Marines in his talions stood guard and drove company were wounded in fire Hwnvees in a region where US intelligence gathering has been fights "I was often overwhelmed deemed critical to with pride and emotion as I efforts watched these Marines care for By November 170 soldiers 172ald each other and watch out for one with the Ogden-baseanother" 1st Sgt Nick Lopez Medical Detachment had received a final date for their wrote in a personal memoir Reserve F16 pilots — some of chartered flight to return home But as the Reservists were packwhom work for commercial airlines — from the 419th Fighter ing they were ordered to remain Wing helped provide air cover In Iraq for several more months "It was a Sunday when we over Iraq while their active-dut- y counterparts from Hill Air Force heard the news and it was not a Base patrolled the skies over good day" said 1st Sgt Lance Washington DC during the in- Stamper "There was nothing we could do but accept it and know vasion that 50000 other Guard and ReUtah's other Marine Reserve unit Charlie Company was de- servists were in the same boat that we were" ployed days too late for the invasion The 175 Reservists arrived unit Stamper's finally February 419th Transportation Co 786th Quartermaster helicopter went down in the Kuwaiti desert on Staff Sgt James 1 t 1 41 Layton became the first Utahn killed during major Cawley combat operations The Marine Reservist was crushed when a coalition Humvee rolled over him March 29 2003 during the push to I Baghdad Lt at Brighton Nathan WNW 30 died 2 2003 when his helicopter was accidentally shot down over Iraq by a US Patriot missile White graduated from Brigham ' Nov17 2003 In Baghdad by a gun shot wound to the head I 41 t y - 4 Cpl Juan Carlos Cabral Banuelo4 25 Washington Terrace and two other soldiers were titled Jan awarded US citizenship posthumously StiffStNnoD Sgt Mason Bouttas Whetstone 30 a Utah native was killed on July 11 In Baghdad by the discharge of a checkpoint in western Iraq killing him and two other Army noncombat weapon He was assigned to the 1513th Aviation air control group Sgt 1st Class Randall S Ite ha 36 former Staid Win 31 North Ogden and three other soldiers were killed on March 13 by homemade bombs commander of the South Salt Uke t Oarprah Iraq when their vehicle struck a homemade bomb near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk Re was Rangers ImmonamTamonnoonar r Sgt David Goldberg 20 Layton died Nov 26 2003 from a noncombat gunshot wound to the chest in 31 Lhaudals 23 Syracuse died April 3 2003 when a car bomb exploded at a 40 School High and a West Point graduate was killed April Young University and is survived by several family members throughout Utah - Capt Nathan S Dailey 27 a senior class president Feb 2 during the military buildup leading to the invasion — had" 2003 January Co Recruiting Station also died April 3 2003 In fighting near the hidden along the roadway while they were on patrol in Baghdad airport southeast Baghdad peace-keepin- d i The returned home this month about the time when the soldiers from the Utah Guard's 116th Engineer Company arrived in northern Baghdad "Duty is the most beautiful word in the English language said Gen (George Patton but I'd sure like to be home raising my two cute kids" wrote Lt Neil Miller of his voluntary service in the 116th based in Spanish Fork "I've got a girl and boy I already had spent four months away from home for training when my boy Salt Lake lhbutie was 4 It's hard on him He doesn't manifest it by crying or asking a lot of questions but my wife tells me that when I left his picked up noticeably "They are my real heroes I have a nephew Jake that I try to take on outings with my son His dad went to prison a couple of years ago and Jake took it hard when I had to go The long and short of it is that it's traumatic for those tender hearts Tough on the tough guys too — when they care to admit it" g I OOR - 01 |