Oregon National Guard participates in Salute the Troops event

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120825-Z-PL933-009, a photo by oregonmildep on Flickr.

A boy looks through the sights of a Howitzer, part of the display put on by the Oregon Army National Guard at the 2012 Salute the Troops 125 race event at the Portland International Raceway, in Portland, Ore., Aug. 25-26. This is the fourth year that the Oregon Army National Guard has participated in this event. Photo by Sgt. Jason Van Mourik, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Oregon Airman recognized during 2012 ANG Outstanding Airmen of the Year ceremony

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2012 ANG Outstanding Airmen of the Year ceremony, a photo by The National Guard on Flickr.

Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, the director of the Air National Guard, and Chief Master Sgt.
Christopher E. Muncy, the command chief master sergeant to the director of the ANG, present Senior Master Sgt. Luke W. Thompson, 125th Special Tactics Squadron, Oregon ANG, with the Outstanding Airman Ribbon during the 2012 ANG Outstanding Airmen of the Year awards ceremony at the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 22.

The ANG Outstanding Airmen of the Year ceremony recognizes the ANGs six top performers for superior leadership, job performance, community involvement and personal achievements.

National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Marvin Preston.

Oregon's Soldiers put the 'boom' in 1812 Overture

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Citizen-Soldiers with the 2-218 Field Artillery, Oregon Army National Guard, demonstrate the abilities and features of their howitzers at the Oregon Symphony Waterfront Park Concert, Aug. 30, in Portland, Ore.

 

The howitzers have become a tradition at the concert, firing during the playing of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture.

 

Photo by Sgt. Jason van Mourik, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs.

D.C. Ceremony makes Oregon Soldier senior ranking enlisted Soldier for Army National Guard

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Citizen-Soldiers from the Oregon National Guard and employees of the Oregon Military Department look on from a conference room at the Oregon Military Department in Salem, Ore., as Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk Conley moved from being Oregon’s State Command Sergeant Major to the new Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard during a Change of Responsibility Ceremony in Washington D.C., Sept. 26.  Conley went from being the senior ranking enlisted Soldier in the Oregon National Guard to senior ranking enlisted Soldier for the entire Army National Guard.  (Oregon Military Department Photo by Sgt. Cory Grogan)

Oregon Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major assumes highest position in the Army National Guard

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120926-A-1457S-639, a photo by oregonmildep on Flickr.

Army Lt. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., director of the Army National Guard, ceremoniously transfers responsibility from Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Burch, the ninth command sergeant major of the Army National Guard, to Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk Conley, the incoming 10th command sergeant major of the Army National Guard, during a ceremony at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va., Sept. 26, 2012. (Photo by Sgt. Darron Salzer, National Guard Bureau Public Affairs)

Allen: Surge Bought Time for Afghan Forces to Grow, Mature

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By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – The goal of thejust-completed U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan was not to defeat the Taliban,but to provide Afghan security forces the time needed to develop, the commanderof NATO forces in the country said today.
And, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allenadded, it succeeded.
Allen spoke to NBC’s Lester Holt thismorning and stressed the coalition campaign in Afghanistan has allowed Afghansoldiers and police to develop their capabilities.
The sacrifices made by coalition servicemembers have given Afghan national security forces, “the wherewithal, ultimately,to create security in this country so that governance can take root, the ruleof law can be embraced and economic opportunity and development can moveforward,” Allen said.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panettaannounced Sept. 21 that the drawdown of the 30,000 additional U.S. forcesdeployed as part of the surge was complete. From January 2010 to today,officials said, the Afghan government has added 85,000 more soldiers to theranks and 50,000 police. Seventy-seven percent of Afghan army units are ratedin the top three levels of capability, up from 52 percent in 2010, officialsadded. The gains for police -- a boost from 47 percent to 59 percent – are notas dramatic, they acknowledged, but they noted that the police had farther togo to reach that capability level.
But the threat of insider attacksremains in Afghanistan, Allen said, and it has his full attention.
“We’re going to work as … hard as wepossibly can, around the clock, to understand the problem,” he told Holt. “AndI think we've got a good grip on it now.”
Eliminating the threat will requireclose cooperation with Afghan government partners, he said. “See, the Taliban,in infiltrating the ranks of the [Afghan security forces], recognize that thisis an opportunity for them to try to split us apart,” the general said. “We’regoing to work very hard to prevent that from happening.”
Allen said he probably will recommendbringing more American troops home from Afghanistan, and that he expects tomake his recommendation to U.S. leaders before the end of the year once hisevaluations of the situation are complete.
“I’ll evaluate the nature of theinsurgency,” he said. “I’ll evaluate the progress that we have made with theAfghan national security forces. We’ll look at the operational environment wethink we’ll face in 2013. And the combination of all of those will permit me tomake a recommendation.”
The general would not speculate on thesize of any potential force reduction.

Combined Force Kills Taliban Weapons Dealer

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Froman International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 25, 2012 – AnAfghan and coalition security force killed a Taliban weapons dealer anddestroyed his cache of illegal weapons during an operation in the Omnahdistrict of Afghanistan’s Paktika province today, military officials reported.
Hizbullah, the weapons dealer, and anotherarmed insurgent maneuvered on the Afghan and coalition troops as the securityforce approached Hizbullah’s compound, officials said. The security forceengaged both armed insurgents, killing them. No civilians were harmed.
Hizbullah acquired and providedfirearms, ammunition and explosives to Taliban insurgents under his command,enabling them to conduct attacks against security forces throughout the region,officials said. He also was believed to have been attempting to acquire a heavymachine gun and additional equipment for future insurgent attacks.
A number of suspected insurgents weredetained in the operation, officials said. The security force also found anddestroyed assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, an RPG launcher,fragmentation grenades and ammunition.
Also today, a combined force arrestedthe leader of a Taliban cell and several other suspects in the Panjwai districtof Kandahar province. The arrested leader’s insurgent cell is suspected ofconducting small-arms fire and improvised explosive device attacks againstAfghan and coalition forces. He also allegedly is linked to attempts to acquireweapons -- including mortar rounds -- for future attacks. The Taliban leaderalso was believed to be involved in a plot to kidnap Afghan security officers.
In a Sept. 23 operation, anInternational Security Assistance Force patrol seized 1,150 pounds of opiumduring a drug interdiction operation in the Reg-e Khan Neshin district ofHelmand province. The ISAF patrol discovered the drugs after stopping andsearching a vehicle traveling along a known narcotics smuggling route. ISAFtroops detained the driver and destroyed the opium.