Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force-82, the International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command East, along with commanders from Afghanistan and Pakistan, opened the first of six planned coordination centers on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in late March. The U.S. military, other NATO forces and local security forces recognize that cooperation and communication along the mountainous and porous 1,560-mile border between Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal areas are essential to success in containing insurgents. Although Afghan, Pakistani and U.S. forces are only a few hundred feet apart physically, the checkpoints have worked virtually independently. Plans now call for officials from all three nations to meet daily in the centers to share information and intelligence.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first center—the Khyber Border Coordination Center near Torkham, a critical crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Nangahar Prov-ince—Gen. Rodriguez told about 100 military personnel from the three countries that they were taking “a giant step forward in cooperation, communication and coordination.” A second coordination center is scheduled to open around June in the vicinity of Lawara, Afghanistan, north of Torkham.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team’s Special Troops Battalion patrols the Torkham area. Recent improvements, such as scanning of incoming cargo trucks and people who regularly cross the border there, will help regulate operations.

In his final videoconference from Bagram Air Base, Gen. Rodriguez, who also commands the 82nd Airborne Division, summed up accomplishments made in Afghanistan since he assumed command of Combined Joint Task Force-82 in February 2007. “You will continue to see steady progress towards a stable nation,” he said, as he prepared to pass command of Regional Command East to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).


OPPORTUNITY IN IRAQ
Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the Multi-National Division-Center (MND-C), which is responsible for the security zones along the southern edge of Baghdad from the border of Saudi Arabia to Iran, summarized in an April press conference what MND-C has accomplished in the 13 months it has been in Iraq. He noted that a spike in attacks that began March 25, when Iraqi troops entered the city of Basra to subdue Shi’a militias, actually helped MND-C catch insurgents.

From March 25–30, there were 78 attacks across MND-C’s area, Gen. Lynch said. He pointed out that the spike in violence enabled MND-C “to take the fight to the Shi’a extremist. … We were able to kill or capture 537 of them, take down a lot of the high-value individuals, and take away an amazing amount of munitions.”

In addition, Gen. Lynch said, local citizens came forward and pointed out ammunition and weapons caches. According to Gen. Lynch, the government of Iraq also took the fight to the enemy. MND-C provided specific support such as medevac and air weapons teams.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 3rd Infantry Division, began redeploying in late March; the 2nd and 3rd BCTs are scheduled to redeploy in August and June, respectively.


MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT TO RECEIVE MARSHALL MEDAL
Madeleine K. Albright, the 64th U.S. Secretary of State, will receive the 2008 George Catlett Marshall Medal, the highest award presented by the Association of the United States Army. Awarded annually to an individual who has exhibited selfless service to the United States of America, the medal will be presented to Dr. Albright by the Association’s Council of Trustees to recognize her lifelong contributions to international diplomacy, national security, exemplary public service to the nation and her commitment to the highest American ideals.

The award presentation will take place on October 8, 2008, at the George Catlett Marshall Memorial Dinner, which is the final event of the three-day AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

“For over three decades Dr. Albright has been a prominent, credible and well respected public servant on the world stage, fighting effectively to reinforce America’s alliances overseas and to establish and bolster democracy and human rights as a way of life,” said AUSA President Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA Ret. “While enhancing the national security of the United States, Dr. Albright influenced our American policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, Russia, China and the Middle East. As a well-recognized and highly respected voice in articulating our nation’s national defense, national security and diplomatic policies, she remains an internationally known leader, using her unique and singular talents with dedication and tenacity, usually under extraordinary and complex circumstances. She is truly deserving of AUSA’s highest award.”

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Dr. Albright and her family came to the United States in 1948. She later earned a B.A. with honors in political science from Wellesley College and master’s and doctorate degrees from Columbia University’s Department of Public Law and Government. Fluent in French, Czech and Russian with abilities in German, Polish and Serbo-Croatian, Dr. Albright also studied at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and at Columbia University’s Russian Institute.

Dr. Albright served as Chief Legislative Assistant to Sen. Edmund S. Muskie (D-Maine) and later worked as a staff member of the National Security Council and as a White House staff member during the Carter administration. Following the Carter administration, Dr. Albright served as a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and later as a senior fellow in Soviet and Eastern European affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

From 1982 to 1993, Dr. Albright was on the faculty of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and from 1989 to 1992 served as President of the Center for National Policy. At Georgetown, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in international affairs, U.S. foreign policy, Russian foreign policy, and Central and Eastern European politics. She also developed and implemented programs designed to enhance women’s professional opportunities in the field of international affairs.

On January 27, 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Dr. Albright as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. At the U.N. she was known as a forceful and spirited promoter of America’s interests and encouraged the United Nations to engage more actively in world affairs.

During President Clinton’s second term, Dr. Albright was appointed to the position of Secretary of State. Sworn in on January 23, 1997, Dr. Albright was the first female Secretary of State and became, at the time, the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. During her tenure, Dr. Albright faced a variety of complex and often controversial international issues and events. She was credited for her leadership in expanding and modernizing NATO and inspiring this body’s successful campaign to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

Dr. Albright also worked to reduce the Russian nuclear threat, strengthened democracy in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, and conducted a multifaceted relationship with China to include trade agreements and human rights.

Now working in the private sector, Dr. Albright is a principal of the Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm that addresses international business objectives, including brokering strategic agreements, identifying and dealing with political and regulatory risks, and developing private-public partnerships. She is also Chair and Principal of Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets.

Her autobiography, Madame Secretary: A Memoir, was published in 2003. In 2006, Dr. Albright published The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs. Her latest book, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership, was published in January 2008.


SUMMER ROTATIONS
The Department of Defense announced in March that the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas, is scheduled to begin deploying in late summer 2008 to replace one active duty brigade currently on the ground in Afghanistan. Approximately 3,500 servicemembers will deploy, continuing the current U.S. commitment to provide two brigade combat teams in support of Regional Command East, Operation Enduring Freedom.

Also in March, DoD issued mobilization orders for the 81st Brigade Combat Team (Heavy), Washington Army National Guard, to deploy to Iraq. The 3,800-member 81st Brigade Combat Team, Camp Murray, Wash., will leave in mid-August. It is made up of about 2,900 members from the state of Washington and 900 from the California Army National Guard. The unit previously served in Iraq from March 2004 to March 2005.

About 800 Minnesota National Guard soldiers from the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade out of Camp Ripley and St. Paul, Minn., will also deploy this summer. They will leave in late May for three months of training at Fort Sill, Okla., then perform combat service support for the 34th Infantry Division in Iraq. The brigade flies UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, transporting cargo, personnel and materiel. (For information about units involved in rotation, contact DoD Public Affairs at (703) 428-0711.)


CHANGES AT FORT EUSTIS
The Army Corps of Engineers has begun construction of dormitory-style barracks at Fort Eustis, Va., in preparation for compliance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) authorization.

Fort Eustis, on the James River at the northern tip of Newport News, currently provides training in rail, marine and amphibious operations along with other modes of transportation and is also the home of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and Center. Over the next few years, the post will become home of:

• U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

• Installation Management Command Northeast and Southeast Regions.

• Network Enterprise Technology Command Northeast and Southeast Regions.

• Army Contracting Agency, Northern Region.

• Joint Task Force-Civil Support.

The Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s operation center will move from Fort Eustis to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and the Army Transportation Center and School will relocate to Fort Lee, Va. Fort Eustis will move its installation management functions to nearby Langley Air Force Base (lead agency) and Naval Station Norfolk by the end of fiscal year (FY) 2009. The Fort Eustis military community, which includes Fort Story in Virginia Beach, is one of a number of locations across the country affected by Joint-basing BRAC mandates.

All facets of Fort Eustis’ BRAC construction will be managed by the Norfolk District of the Army Corps of Engineers. For FY 2009, $113 million has been budgeted for the new TRADOC headquarters facilities. Construction of a Joint Task Force-Civil Support
facility is scheduled to begin in early 2010 and is slated for occupancy in 2011.


TEACHER OF THE YEAR
CSM Sherman Fuller, U.S. Army retired, is the recipient of the 2007 Troops to Teachers’ Teacher of the Year award. Fuller is in his fourth year as a special education teacher at Helen Hunt Elementary School, a “high-needs” school in Colorado Springs, Colo.

After 25 years as an Army NCO, Fuller entered the teaching profession through Troops to Teachers (TTT), a program sponsored by the Department of Defense and the Department of Education. TTT encourages and assists eligible military veterans to become certified/licensed teachers and then matches TTT applicants with school district openings nationwide. The program also provides eligible applicants with financial assistance to help defray education expenses associated with licensing or a stipend if an applicant commits to teaching three years in a high-needs school.

“Everyone knows how important it is for soldiers to be completely trained on the battlefield,” Fuller said in a news release. “Former military members have the background required to be extremely effective teachers in the classroom.”

Fuller’s obvious dedication and enthusiasm for his new career have extended beyond the classroom. His wife is also a special education teacher now, having entered her new career through a companion initiative, Spouses to Teachers.

TTT advises applicants who want a seamless transition following military retirement to begin preparation 12 to 18 months before separation; this allows time to complete licensing requirements and direct placement into a classroom. For more information, visit Troops to Teachers at www.proudtoserveagain.com or Spouses to Teachers at www.spousestoteachers.com.


WATER SURVIVAL
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment (2-25 AVN), 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, learned water-survival skills in a three-day course at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in March. The “Dunker” Course prepares soldiers for survival in the event an aircraft crashes at sea.

“This course is the best training we can get,” said CW3 Bobby Remington, of the 2-25 AVN, in a news release. “It’s also one of the scariest.”

Dressed in Army combat uniform, helmet and boots, soldiers undergo a number of underwater tests and later learn proper breathing techniques, among other skills, including use of the Short Term Air Supply System, which provides compressed air in case they are submerged when an aircraft crashes.