Public Affairs - Army Strong Stories

Has it really been that long?

Travis Dettmer — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:49:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
Wow--- hard to believe it's been that long (3 1/2 months) since my last post. But anyone who's been deployed knows what a blur those last two months can be in theater. Blur in the fact that you are busy "finishing" before your replacements arrive, and a blur in the fact that at times the time seems to just slow.... down.... because.... you.... are... so... close... to... going... home. I arrived back to Fort Knox late, late, late on Jan 1. In...read more

BOXING STAR-POWER GRACES TASK FORCE DUKE, AGAIN

Travis Dettmer — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 19:18:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
What's the probability of any one person getting struck by lightning in their lifetime? Pretty low--- some "experts" say one in a million. What's the probability that one person is struck by lightning twice in their lifetime? Quite a bit less--- something like one in nine-million (it has happened in recent history--- just ask Don Frick of Hamline, PA -http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/bizarre&id=5520679- who was struck...read more

Successes in Khowst, Paktya impact insurgent capabilities

Travis Dettmer — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:54:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
Story released earlier this week on operations ongoing in TF Duke AO. You can access the high-res imagery here: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/78718/successes-khowst-paktya-impact-insurgent-capabilities Successes in Khowst, Paktya impact insurgent capabilities Story by Maj. Travis Dettmer U.S. Army Capt. Tim Black (left), an intelligence officer from Van Ward, Ohio, assigned to Task Force Duke helps provide security, Oct. 17, while...read more

Video of TF Duke Operations in Afghanistan

Travis Dettmer — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:53:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
Video: Operation Duke Blitz in Gerda Serai - Broll Choose quality ? 366x274 300kbps 720x480 800kbps 720x480 1500kbps 720x480 3000kbps 720x480 9127kbps...read more

U.S. Army explores fuel efficiency with new vehicle

Bryan Beach — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:28:00 GMT

By: Bryan Beach
[Repost from C-Net.com] by Wayne Cunningham October 10, 2011 11:30 AM PDT The drive for more fuel-efficient cars reaches beyond the garages of the U.S. populace and into military motor pools. Under a development contract with the U.S. Army, Ricardo, an international engineering firm, has finished building its first take on a new light tactical vehicle. One of the primary goals of the FED Alpha, which stands for Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator, is to be more fuel...read more

The Times, they are a changin' (for reenlisting)

Bryan Beach — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:17:00 GMT

By: Bryan Beach
It's a whole new Army In several news reports, congressional testimony and just plain word on the street, the Army is overstrength and it has to bring down the numbers. The plan is to use retirements, separations and tightly control reenlistment. What does that mean? Gone are the days of reenlisting two years out, Gone are the huge bonuses, Gone with a lot of the perks and extras Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's a whole new Army and times are...read more

10 years at war

Tobey White — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:35:00 GMT

By: Tobey White
Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of Operation Enduring Freedom. When this war started I never imagined that I would one day be fighting in it. I was only sixteen at the time. It’s funny the paths life takes. Each seemingly small choice accumulates forming a clear line to the present day. Although I would not have thought I would join the military and fight in a war back then, now I could not imagine my life any differently. I thought it was important to take a moment to...read more

Boxing Legend, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Skypes with TF Duke Soldiers

Travis Dettmer — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:03:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
It's not often you get a chance to talk to one of the most renowned boxers of all time---- that's what the Soldiers of Task Force Duke got a chance to do recently here at FOB Salerno. And it was all made possible by a Specialist--- SPC John Martinez, a boxing expert and columnist who joined the Army for a two-year enlistement based on a dare from a Marine Corps buddy who said he couldn't hack military service. So... just because he became...read more

Public Affairs Officer

Matt Hackathorn — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:41:00 GMT

By: Matt Hackathorn
...read more

Eyes in the skies

Tobey White — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:56:00 GMT

By: Tobey White
This past week I embedded with the unmanned aerial systems crew at Forward Operating Base Sharana. It was a unique experience because I had the fortune to write several stories on their training back in the rear. I wanted to visit them while deployed and see how their experiences differed from being in garrison. What I found it is that they, like many military jobs, have extremely exciting experiences and extremely boring ones. A UAS Shadow is a...read more

Op Tofan I disrupts pre-Ramadan attacks, gains intel, inroads for TF Duke

Travis Dettmer — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:59:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
Since we've been here Operating in Khowst and Paktya Provinces, Afghanistan our Brigade has conducted several major operations with our Afghan Security Partners in support of the overall mission. Below is the story I wrote a couple weeks back detailing the latest...... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also available here:...read more

Driving Jon Stewart of Comedy Central (here in Afghanistan)

Travis Dettmer — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:40:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
I intended to write a bit about this a week and a half ago, but better late than never. It's not often we get a USO tour down here in Khowst Province to visit the Soldiers this close to border with Pakistan. The big name celebs seem to get sucked up by the bigger bases that are easiest to get to. Granted, FOB Salerno is equipped with an airfield and is rather large compared to some FOBs and COPS in the east, travel to this location...read more

National Association of Black Journalists

Matt Hackathorn — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:58:00 GMT

By: Matt Hackathorn
This morning I attended a breakout session for Public Affairs professionals who want to improve their "pitch" skills with national media. A panel featuring editors and producers from Good Morning America; The Huffington Post, People Magazine and Essence served as judges. Public Affairs professionals received 45 seconds to pitch their product or service, and the judges critiqued their proposals and offered professional advice on how to improve. I pitched the Army's desire to...read more

Public Affairs Officer, US Army Cadet Command

Matt Hackathorn — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:37:00 GMT

By: Matt Hackathorn
I'm currently attending the National Association of Black Journalist conference being held in Philadelphia, PA. The Army is a sponsor and exhibitor at this annual event, which brings together African-American journalists from all over the country. This year about two thousand members of the media are here to network and visit with friends and colleagues. This is a target rich environment to reach a concentrated group of journalists to help tell the Army story and to spread the Army's messages...read more

Rest and relaxation then getting back to the grind

Tobey White — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:35:00 GMT

By: Tobey White
Since I arrived in Afghanistan, I have been counting the days until I could go on R and R. For those not familiar with the term it means rest and relaxation and amounts to what is a two week vacation from the stress of being deployed. The Army flies you anywhere you want to go and you get 15 days from the time you touch down to enjoy the comforts of home. The journey home can be stressful and full of long flights on cramped airplanes. In total I spent approximately four days...read more

Education Part 1

Marcus Byrne — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:53:00 GMT

By: Marcus Byrne
So, as I consider hanging up my boots and finishing out what has been a total of 12 years in the Army (7 active) I like to think about what the Army has given me and the first thing I think of is education. I'm not talking about a college degree in Radio/TV/Film production because the Army didn't give me that, and I'm still paying the college loans to prove it. They didn't do the work for me. In the summer of 1999 I received my FAFSA, the thing that tells you how much...read more

Bridging the Gap: Soldier Adds to Hispanic Journalists Conference

Alberto Betancourt — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:06:00 GMT

By: Alberto Betancourt
There’s a rhythmic buzz dancing inside Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Conference Center. Native dialects representing a multitude of countries direct one’s attention to the common thread that binds them—the Spanish language. Over 800 journalists, community leaders and students gathered at the 29th Annual National Association of Hispanic Journalists Conference (NAHJ). The theme for the conference is Un Nuevo Amanecer: A New Day for Our Story. As the only...read more

Thank you Mets, from Afghanistan

Travis Dettmer — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 19:07:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
It’s now Saturday, several days past Memorial Day, and the awesome display of military pageantry the Mets put on in honor of men and women in uniform before battling the Pittsburg Pirates at Citi Field that evening is still fresh on my mind. I’m still soaring high from the event and the part my unit, the 3rdBrigade Combat Team of the 1stInfantry Division, Task Force Duke, played in it. Our participation was made possible by the great people at the Defense Video and...read more

AFGHANISTAN- SOLDIER FITNESS IS AN INDIVIDUAL (SOMETIMES PAINFUL) MOTIVATION HERE

Travis Dettmer — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:45:00 GMT

By: Travis Dettmer
My head hurts, my neck hurts, and muscles all over my body I forgot I had now ache. The effects of the the new fitness routine I've started here at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, are apparent. We've been here now for almost five months. My unit, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (Task Force Duke) is responsible for all coalition force operation along the border provinces of Khowst and Paktya. This area of operations is known as AO Duke. As the public...read more

Spera

Tobey White — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:20:00 GMT

By: Tobey White
During a mission to Spera, one of my friends and I shot video of the events taking place there. Spera is in a remote and mountainous area of Afghanistan. Despite that, it is also very beautiful. When we landed we had to wade across a small river and walk up a huge hill. It was very steep and by the time I got to the top I was thanking my lucky stars that I've been working out over the past couple of weeks. The view at the top was very worth it, however. I got a little camera happy...read more