Be sure to read the Doha cultural DO’s and DO NOT’s in ... · DOHA, Qatar - Mr. Abdulla Mohammed Al-Naama of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs meets with Chap-lain

The Official Publication of Camp As Sayliyah

Edition 82 March 2013

The Desert Mesh

Women in perspective. Page 11

U.S. Forces shine in volley-ball tournament. Page 8

Religious leaders meet in Doha. Page 4

Be sure to read the Doha cultural DO’s and DO NOT’s in the

Housing Section. Page 13

This Army tabloid is an authorized publica-tion for members of the Department of De-fense. Content of the Desert Mesh is not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government or Department of the Army. The editorial content is the re-sponsibility of the Area Support Group - Qa-tar public affairs office. All photos are official U.S. Army Photos unless otherwise credited.

COMMANDER U.S. Army Col. Wayne C. Grieme, Jr.

DEPUTY COMMANDER U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joseph A. Harvey

EXECUTIVE OFFICER U.S. Army Maj. Nikolitsa Wooten

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj.

Charles “Doc” Holliday, Sr.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS COORDINATOR, EDITOR

Mrs. Polli Ogilvie

PHOTOJOURNALIST Mr. Jeremiah J. Clark

Desert Mesh : 2 : March 2013

COMMAND CORNER

Wayne C. Grieme, Jr.Commander

Area Support Group - Qatar

Behind every great man, is a great women or so it is said. However, I believe this phrase is incorrect. It should read, next to every great man, is a great woman. This month is Women’s History Month. It is a time for us to reflect on the extraordinary accomplish-ments of women and their role in shaping the course of our nation’s history and to look at the infinite possibilities that lie ahead as we prepare the young women of to-day with the skills and knowledge needed to reach the promise of the future. We live in a world today where women now comprise nearly half of our workforce and are the major-ity of students in our colleges and universities. They are astronauts, business leaders and some hold the highest ranks in our Armed Forces and government. These are posi-tions that their mothers and grand-mothers could only have dreamed. Take Mary Edwards Walker as an example, a surgeon born in 1832. She and her husband opened a surgical practice together, but were unsuccessful because society at the time did not accept female

doctors. However, she did not give up. Mary volunteered to assist the Union Army during the American Civil War. At first, she was not allowed to practice as a surgeon, only as a nurse. It wasn’t until after prov-ing herself time and again that she would eventually become an as-sistant surgeon on the front lines. During this time, she frequently crossed into enemy territory to aid the wounded, when on one such oc-casion after assisting a Confederate surgeon in an operation, she was ar-rested, charged as a spy and taken prisoner of war. At the end of the war she was nominated for the Medal of Honor. It was on November 11, 1865 when President Andrew Johnson signed a bill to present her with the award; however, it wasn’t until 1977, under President Jimmy Cart-er, that she received it. This year’s theme, “Women In-spiring Innovation through Imagi-nation: Celebrating Women in Sci-ence, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” brings another wom-an to mind who battled the same constraints as Walker in the field of science-Marie Currie, physicist and chemist. Currie was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the first person to share the prize in two separate fields. She refused awards and donated the money to other causes because she considered the research more important than the money involved. Albert Einstein often said she was the only person who was uncorrupted by fame. As I said before, women do not stand behind us; they march for-ward with us through history as our equal and often as our leader. Take this month to read and research the many great females from our his-tory. This observance reminds us of the progress made and of the work still to be done to ensure there are no limits for our daughters and granddaughters in the future.

Charles A. Holliday, Sr.Command Sergeant Major

Area Support Group - Qatar


This month in U.S.Third Army History

As Americans, we believe in fairness and justice for all. It is written in our Declaration of In-dependence and it is with this spirit that drove women through the years to challenge injustices and push the gender boundaries in pursuit of unconditional equal-ity. We celebrate this courage and boldness each March during Women’s History Month. We honor their struggles, their prog-ress and rededicate our commit-ment to the rights, security and dignity of women in America and around the world. Our nation stands stronger because of the dynamic women who came before and shaped our present. Today, women serve as leaders throughout industry, civ-il society, and politics; and their outstanding achievements are an affirmation to our children that you can be whoever you want to be in this world. During this month, we remem-ber the legacy of our grandmoth-ers and great-grandmothers. We recall the courageous vision championed by women of gen-erations past and let them inspire

us to defend the dreams and op-portunities of those to come. We tend to think back to fa-mous women throughout our history, but what about the wom-en of today who are building a brighter future and keeping the legacy alive? There is Mad-eline Albright who became the first female Secretary of State of the U.S. in 1997; Major General Jeanne Holm who was the first woman promoted to Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force in 1971 and the first female ma-jor general in any armed forces in 1973; General Anne E. Dun-woody who was the first woman promoted to General in the U.S. Army in 2008; Drew Gilpin Faust who was the first female president of Harvard University when she was named its 28th president in 2007. The list goes on and on. As a society we need to em-phasis these positive role models and the importance of women from all backgrounds. We need to understand the critical link between knowing the histori-cal women and making a posi-tive difference in today’s world. Recognizing the accomplish-ments of women has a notable impact on the development of self esteem for girls and young women today. This year the National Women’s History Month theme is: Wom-en inspiring innovation through imagination. It honors the gen-erations of women throughout American history who have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder and tenacity to make extraordinary contribu-tions to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields. Let us not only honor those in the past, but inspire those young women of the future. Christabel Pankhurst, a well known Woman Suffragette in the 1900’s said it best, “Ability is sexless.”

March on Camp As Sayli-yah is a great month for ex-ploring the cultural places of Doha as well as training for the upcoming months. Did you know that Army Central Command spent the month of March prepping the Third Army Zone in Colbenz dur-ing 1919 after their victories in Germany? In March, routine duties of occupation and training were carried on; an Army horse show performed; Army, corps, and divisional educational centers were es-tablished in the Third Army Zone. The Coblenz port com-mander took over the duties of the Coblenz regulating of-ficer; the 42d Division was released from IV Corps and was placed in Army Reserve.

A young George S. Patton stands in front of a Renault FT in 1918.


By Mr. Jeremiah J. ClarkASG-QA, Photojournalist

DOHA, Qatar - Mr. Abdulla Mohammed Al-Naama of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs meets with Chap-lain (Col.) Jonathan C. Gibbs, command chaplain for Army Central Command, and Mr. Raed Barghouti, a member of the Area Support Group-Qatar’s host nations office.

see SOLDIERS’ NEEDS on page 10

Religious leaders meet to discuss Soldiers needs

“The only way to really take care of Soldiers spiritual needs is to be available to them when-ever they need you, wherever they are,” said Chaplain (Col.) Jonathan C. Gibbs, who was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1987 after five years of being a civilian pastor. “You have to go where they go. As a civilian pastor, you can’t do that. Only chaplains can.” As the Army Central Com-mand, Command Chaplain Gibbs visited Camp As Sayliyah in hopes of engaging local reli-gious leaders so that he could better understand how things

worked in the host nation.“One of my goals as the U.S. Army Central Command, Com-mand Chaplain is to develop and foster good relationships with military and civilian religious leaders of our host and partner nations in the ARCENT area of responsibility,” Gibbs said. “I think most Soldiers here are aware of how much religious belief and practice influence the operational environment in our region,” he said, who be-came a chaplain in order to aid the religious needs for Soldiers and their families because of their unique challenges they face. “Engaging with military and civilian clergy is one of the ways that we as chaplains sup-

port the commander’s campaign plan objectives. I have actively pursued these types of engage-ments since I came to ARCENT just over a year ago. The idea to meet with representatives of the Qatari Ministry of Endow-ments and Islamic Affairs is part of this overall approach to developing relationships with religious leaders in the region.”To Gibbs, meeting with the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs was important for a number of reasons.“First, the meeting gave us an opportunity to express our in-terest in maintaining cordial

(Photo by Mr. Jeremiah J. Clark)

INSIDE THE WIRE


ITT Exelis employees taught a Incident Command System, or ICS, course to Soldiers and ci-vilians on Camp As Sayliyah in February. “During my 10 years in the Massachusetts Army Na-tional Guard, units I’ve served in have been activated in re-sponse to hurricanes, tornados, floods, snow storms, terrorist threats, and supporting large civic events. The information I learned in National Incident

Management System ICS 300 and 400 was invaluable to un-derstanding how different enti-ties come together to effectively respond to and manage these types of situations. As the na-tional guard’s role in domestic responses continues to expand, the need for Soldiers to be ex-posed to this material is vital,” said Cpt. David A. Falvey, com-mander, 972nd Military Police Company, Massachusetts Army National Guard. According to Mr. John Britt, medical services manager, Area Support Group - Qatar, and one of the instructors, NIMS was

ITT Exelis teaches Incident Command System CourseBy Mr. Jeremiah Clark,ASG-QA, Photojournalist

developed in 2003 after a presi-dential directive requiring a national incident management system be created. NIMS itself builds on ICS and has become the overall system that provides a consistent nationwide tem-plate to enable Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, the private sector, and nongov-ernmental organizations to work together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, loca-tion, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life, property, and harm to the environment.

DOHA, Qatar - Mr. Wilson Velez, deputy fire chief for Camp As Sayliyah, hands out an exercise during the Incident Com-mand System course.



Camp As Sayliyah hosts German Armed Forces Proficiency BadgeBy U.S. Army Cpt. Nicholas SorokaASG-QA, HHC Commander

In a 20-year career, few Soldiers get the chance to earn a foreign award, es-pecially one as coveted as the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. However, recently on Camp As Sayli-yah, Master Sgt. Mario Martinez had that rare opportunity and was chal-lenged technically and tactically in a way most Soldiers only wish to ex-perience in their careers. An infantry Soldier for 19 years, Martinez was no stranger to adversity. Sponsored by the Bundeswehr, the German Army, many desire the Ger-man Armed Forces Proficiency Badge because it displays prominently on their Army Service Uniform, but un-forgiving standards and international coordination in today’s high-tempo Army at war make it hard to find. Although stationed in Germany, the home of the Bundeswehr, Camp As Sayliyah would be Martinez’s first op-portunity to earn the coveted badge. “It’s something I never thought I’d see, especially here on deployment” said Martinez. He and every candidate knew they faced a significant challenge. The German Proficiency Badge tests eight aspects of a Soldier’s holistic fitness. “Every Soldier has their strengths and weaknesses. The GAFPB tests them all,” said Martinez. To earn the badge, he would have to undergo three days of intensive testing separating partici-pants into four classes: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and those not receiving the badge. The first day of testing, designed for those working day-shift hours, started on Thursday, February 14, 2013 at the CAS pool. “The swim is a big

discriminator. It’s easy to see who’s comfortable in the water and who’s going to struggle earning the badge,” said 2 Lt. Mark Garcia, a Gold GAF-PB holder and event grader. Partici-pants also took a First Aid test proc-tored by the Troop Medical Clinic Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Sgt. First Class Gappa who is a holder of the German Shutzenshnur Badge for Weapons Proficiency, another cov-eted German Award that U.S. Soldiers may earn. Pistol qualification followed the next morning, aided by local Spe-cial Forces Operators who normally train the Qatari military, but this day worked closely with making the U.S. Soldiers dreams a reality. For those waiting to qualify, the operators also trained basic and intermediate pistol marksmanship culminating with par-ticipants individually clearing a multi-room shoot-house under a hostage scenario. With only a few hours rest, the candidates then tested their sports skills with a high-jump, 100-meter

sprint, 3-km distance run, and shot-put. For those candidates that passed all of the eight mandatory events, the next morning held a 33lb-ruck march from 3.8 to 7.5 miles; the distance de-pending on the level of badge. As he crossed the 7.5-mile finish line, Mar-tinez celebrated earning his badge, but for many, the events were still not finished. The next weekend, February 21-23rd, held the same events designed to fit into the schedule of those Sol-diers working on the night-shift. It also served as a second-chance for those who needed to make-up events or improve their scores. Of the 87 participants who started in the first week and the 69 who started the second week, he was one of the 101 to earn the proficiency badge. Mar-tinez and all 156 candidates seized a rare opportunity and in doing so creat-ed great memories, built camaraderie and esprit de corps; and some could now proudly wear the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge for the rest of their military careers.

INSIDE THE WIRE

DOHA, Qatar - The last task of the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge is a 33lb-ruck march that varies from 3.8 to 7.5 miles.

(Photo by U.S. Army Maj. D. Marshall Bornn)


Women’s History Month is celebrated each year during the month of March and serves as an opportunity to honor and celebrate the historic achievements of wom-en. This month strives to educate Americans of the contributions of women from all aspects of life, in which they may not have other-wise been informed. Congress de-clared March as National Women’s History Month in 1987, after states lobbied congress to pass this law as 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month. Each year the theme for Women’s History Month changes; the 2013 theme is Women Inspiring In-novation through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. According to the National Wom-en’s History Project website, al-though women now outnumber men in American colleges nation-wide, the reversal of the gender gap is a very recent phenomenon. After the American Revolution, the notion of education as a safe-guard for democracy created op-portunities for girls to gain a ba-sic education; based largely on the premise that as mothers, they would nurture the minds of male citizens and leaders. In scientific research and discov-

ery, the contributions of women were omitted from text books, un-dervalued, or even falsely attrib-uted to male peers. However, there were several women scientists, as well as mathematicians throughout history. We as Americans, lack his-torical role models to guide aspira-tions and show little girls that they have gone on to do great things in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The National Women’s His-tory Project has announced the names of 18 honorees for National

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 2013By U.S. Army Sgt. First ClassTamara MarshallASG-QA, EO

Women’s History Month 2013. They were all chosen for their ex-traordinary visions and roles in the Science, Technology, Engineer-ing, and Mathematic fields where women are still underrepresented. These women represent a wide range of accomplishments in a di-versity of specialties to include medicine, robotics, computer pro-gramming, architecture, and atmo-spheric chemistry. They represent American history and come from different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.

One bold look can make you quiver.

I’m the executioner and I am your deliverer.

I tell them to approach me if they dare, and

state immediately whom they seek.

I desire an OD on intensity; I’ve developed in-

tolerance for the weak.On any given day, she who was yesterday you

may not find-For I may be caught, entangled, and utterly

bound into the neural oscillations of my mind.

Just take one look at me. What exactly is it that

you see?The hint is you can’t use science, pseudoscience,

or computational neuroscience to try and de-

fine me.But being on the block is very lonely, and ex-

ecuting the “strong” is not fun.

And for the sake of my appetite, I do issue the

disclaimer to all who dare approach me-

Run!!

DevastatorBy Sin Ge Raw


DOHA, Qatar - Members of the U.S. Forces team get motivated as they come together with a team cheer to start the Qatar All Armed Forces Tournament. From Left to right: J. Sueng, Combined Media Processing Center-Qatar; Specialist T. Va, 850th Military Police Battalion; Maj. D. Bornn, Area Support Group-Qatar; Staff Sgt. Jason Peterson, Medical Logistics; Sgt. First Class Kim Nguyen, 850th Military Police Battalion; Master Sgt. Kenneth Brockman, 850th Military Police Battalion; Staff Sgt. J. Sharples, United states Army Medical Material Command-Southwest Asia; Specialist Johnathan Watts, Joint Tactical Ground Station.

It is a chance of a lifetime to play on a local or regional all star team. An honor that after high school or college is generally not an option; this is especially true for those who serve their country in today’s military. There are many reasons why service members would never think of the possibility of playing on such a team once they join the military; high Operational Tempo ongoing throughout the world to name one. For some, being considered for a coveted spot on an All Army or Armed Forces team in the states is only possible for those lucky enough to posses the talent and be in the right place at the right time. That scenario became a reality for Camp As Sayliyah and Al Udeid Airbase service members when they came together to represent the United States Forces in the Qatar Armed Forces Volleyball Tourna-ment held at the Al Ariba Olym-pic Volleyball Stadium, 6 January through 10 February 2013. The best players the U.S. had to offer in Qatar were selected in the October tryouts. For three months, three times a week, they practiced and grew together as a team; de-veloping into a formidable force on the court. Led by college and semi-professional coaches, the soldiers and airmen that comprised the U.S. team dedicated their limited time and energy towards one goal-representing the United States against the nine best volley-ball clubs and teams that Qatar had to offer. The Qatari teams, comprised of semi-pro and professional players, serve in the Land Forces, Navy,

Air Forces, Special Forces, Emiri Guard and Qatari Military Acad-emies to name a few. Included in the tournament was the Qatar Na-tional Volleyball Team A and B; the best of the best in Qatar. Both developmental teams will one day be used to comprise the Qatari National Team that will compete in regional championships around the world and ultimately the next Olympic Games in 2016. The U.S. team performed bril-liantly against this caliber of play-ers in every match. Improving and challenging their opponents in every game throughout the en-tire tournament. The U.S. took the Qatari A and B teams to within 3 points in several matches; garner-ing the respect and admiration of the Qatar national players and their coaches.

The team captain, Sgt. First Class Kim Nguyen, 850th Mili-tary Police Battalion, deftly led the team through every match. Stand out U.S. players from the tourna-ment were Specialist Johnathan Watts, Joint Tactical Ground Sta-tion; Master Sgt. S. Kauth, 379th Air Expeditiary Wing, and Staff Sgt. Jason Peterson, Medical Lo-gistics. The entire team enjoyed a rare opportunity and honor to rep-resent their country in sport in a foreign land against Olympic cali-ber competition. The team’s “Inspirational” award went to Master Sgt. Kenneth Brockman who stated in the end, “It was an experience that will al-ways be remembered by the play-ers on the team…never thought I would do something like this while deployed here in Qatar.”

U.S. Forces volleyball team shine in QatarBy U.S. Army Maj. D. Marshall Bornn, Jr,ASG-QA, S2

(Photo by Mr. Jonald Lalas)

INSIDE THE WIRE


DOHA, Qatar - Above: Soldier’s from Camp As Sayliyah bow their heads in prayer for the 2013 National Prayer Break-fast held at the CAS dining facility. Bottom Left: Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Albert Downing, command chaplain for the U.S. Army Garrison at Schweinfurt, Germany, inspires the Soldier’s. Bottom Right: Spc. Shannon Jones sings the national anthem during the service.

Camp As Sayliyah National Prayer Breakfast Photo essay by Mr. Jeremiah J. ClarkASG-QA, Photojournalist


SOLDIERS’ NEEDS (continued from page 4)

relations with religious leaders in one of our partner nations,” said Gibbs. “I see this as a sim-ple application of our Army value of Respect. We can con-tribute to good relations with our host nation when we respect their religious beliefs and mo-res.” “Secondly, the meeting al-lowed us to determine how the Qatari military provides for the religious needs of its ser-vice personnel,” he continued. “Some of our partner nations have uniformed military clergy and we have military to mili-tary relationships with them for training and coordination. With other nations, we are in a learn-ing mode finding out about their military religious support capa-bilities. This was the case with Qatar.” Furthermore, Gibbs under-stands the importance of creat-ing a relationship with a host nation’s religious leaders. “The Qatari’s do not have uniformed military clergy,” Gibbs said. “But provide for the religious needs of their mili-tary through the Ministry for Endowments. The meeting was helpful in bettering our under-standing of how their support system works” In the end, Gibbs gained a better understanding of how the host nation military aids its Sol-dier’s religious needs.

Greetings! Over the next few weeks we’ll be reviewing all of the drinks that are avail-able on base, giving an idea of what to expect from the beer before you try it. We’ll hit all types of adult beverages even-tually, but we’re going to start off with beer. I always disagree when I hear people say, “I don’t like beer.” There are 28 distinctly different styles recognized by the industry, each with their own flavors and characteris-tics. A much more accurate statement would be, “I haven’t tried a beer that I like yet.” We all have individual tastes for food, clothing, and cars. Why should beverages be any differ-ent? What one person enjoys in a beer might differ tremen-dously from what you enjoy. Don’t hesitate to try something different even though your friends might not like it. You just might find something you really enjoy. The ingredients in beer haven’t changed since it was first brewed in 3000 B.C.

They are:

Grains – Usually roasted Bar-ley, but it also includes Wheat, Rye, Rice, Oatmeal and other cereal grains that are soaked in hot water to break them down into malt, the simple sugars that ferment into alcohol.

Hops – Hops give an organ-ic aroma and flavor to a beer ranging from citrusy to piney to grassy, depending which one of the roughly 200 varieties the brewer uses. They provide beer’s bitterness, which is mea-sured in International Bitterness Units from 1-120. Yeast – These single-celled organisms do all of the work of fermentation. Many of the sub-tle flavors from the beer and for wine come from the yeast. Read any description of a fancy wine and you’ll see what I mean. Water – While modern brewer-ies can alter their brewing water any way they want, breweries as few as 50 years ago brewed with their local water supply which varied wildly from region to region. I’ll be rating each beverage in the following five categories. The first three are self explana-tory, the last two are not. Appearance - Color, Clarity, Head, and a few other criteria Aroma - Believe it or not, your nose greatly affects the way you perceive a beer’s flavor Flavor - Not only the overall flavor of the beer, but how well the sweetness and bitterness are balanced together. Mouthfeel - How the beer im-pacts your palate in ways other than taste. Drinkability - A general or ‘miscellaneous’ category to de-scribe a beer’s ease of drinking, or how likely you are to enjoy another one…or two.

The Gnarly BarleyINSIDE THE WIRE

By Mr. James Hobbs


Are the women of today really rec-ognized? Some would say yes, while others would say no. Our women leaders who are experts in the Sci-ence, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics industries are said to still be undermined. In the early 1970s, women’s his-tory was really unknown to the gen-eral public and addressed by the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County California Commission on the Status of Women which initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978. Chosen as the focal point of the observance, March 8th was named In-ternational Women’s Day. It was then followed by presidential and congres-sional support in February 1980 when President Carter issued the first Presi-dential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week. By 1986, 14 states had declared March as Women’s History Month. This momentum and state-by-state action was used as the rationale to lobby Congress to declare the entire month of March as National Women’s History Month. One woman to note, Laura Eliza-beth Ingalls Wilder, brought great in-spiration to people and is well known by many in the public education sys-tem. Who is Laura Ingalls Wilder you say? Well, you remember Little House on the Prairie, right? Laura Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American novelist, author, and school teacher whose expertise was histori-cal fiction. She was well known for

her works of the Little House series and influenced other well known writ-ers and novelists such as Rose Wilder Lane and Aprilynne Pike. Today, Lit-tle House on the Prairie sits in practi-cally every American classroom pro-voking thought to growing adults. From equal opportunity rights to powerful political leaders, our daugh-ters, sisters, mothers, and wives have transformed the wrongful view of women being incapable and power-less. History shows their resolve and accomplishments which in result has established their recognition. Today, there are still many women across the globe that experience oppression, but their sisters are ready to stand strong and ready to fight for their injustice.

Letter to Laura

Dear Laura, I have loved you for a long time. You may be 116 years older than me, but you have always been so familiar to me. Sister, I admit that I am a bit en-vious that you became famous before me. And though I’ve always longed for your talents, I am not overly jeal-ous of you. Since grade school, I’ve been told that I write very well; mom told me that I was very much like you. But when Mary suggested you write a book and you stated you didn’t want to, you said that just to throw me off, didn’t’ you?! When I was really young, I tried so very hard to emulate you. I tried to play the games you played, and sing the songs you sang. Sis, no one in this world knows you like I know you- we’re connected in some way. Pay it no mind that I was born in the ghettos of an inner-city, that I’m no frontier girl. Because when I had nothing and no one, I had imagination; I had you. When I was alone, a phantasmagori-cal tidal wave came upon me and took me over. I washed up on the shores of the prairies of Kansas and South Dakota. It brought me to you, and we were together. It is very difficult for me to write this

to you. In my heart and mind, you are alive and living in South Dakota, pio-neering new adventures that you will ultimately write and tell me about. You’ve a beautiful heart, and the spir-it of a fighter. I admire you more than any other woman of my generation. You’re my best friend, and sometimes, my only friend. And you’re my sister- if not by blood, then by spirit. I wish you were here, in this life, so that I may tell you. I do aspire to be better than you, Sis. I’ve a fire in my heart that is akin to yours, and I cannot sit by and idol-ize you without making my own mark on the world. Were you here, you’d be an anachronism; it’s my time now. I appreciate you, but I believe that I was placed in this world, at this time, to continue paving the road you be-gan. And I will do just that, sister. I will never ever forget you. Though you’re the sister I’ll never meet in this life, I will always miss you. And it’s so important to me that you know that I probably wouldn’t be me if there hadn’t been you first.

With True Love Always,Your Sister.

My letter to my love, Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Women in perspective By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ortland L. Meadows III,ASG-QA, All Source Chief& Suvi Minx


INSIDE THE WIREMilitary volunteers train tomorrows leaders todayBy U.S. Army Maj. D. Marshall Bornn, Jr,ASG-QA, S2

On a sunny Saturday morning in Qatar, 35 boys from the ages of 11 to 17 converge on the American School of Doha seeking one thing; the oppor-tunity to be challenged, measured and prepared for the ultimate adventure in scouting-being a boy leader in a troop. Facilitating that end, were eight adult military volunteers from Camp As Sayliyah and Al Udeid Airbase who provided instruction, mentorship and advice through the offering of the newest Boy Scouts of America junior leader training module, the Introduc-tion to Leadership Skills for Troops. The purpose of the ILST course is to teach scouts who are currently in or wish to seek leadership positions in the troop about their new roles and how to most effectively reach suc-cess in that role. It is intended to help Boy Scouts understand the individual responsibilities in numerous leader-ship capacities within the troop and to equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities. ILST is the first step in the series of leadership training of-fered to Boy Scouts. Completion of this training is a prerequisite for Boy Scouts to participate in the more ad-vanced leadership courses; National Youth Leadership Training, National Advanced Youth Leadership Experi-ence and the Kodiak Challenge Trek. This course is an innovative and interactive training that uses games, classroom instruction and discussion to open the minds of the Scouts to new ideas and concepts that can make them confident leaders. It uses these three modules: troop organization-describing each leadership position

in the troop to include: roles and re-sponsibilities, troop organization, and introductions to vision and servant leadership; tools of the trade-covering core skill sets to help the Scouts lead, including communicating, planning, and teaching; and finally leadership and teamwork-incorporating leader-ship tools, including discussions of teams and team characteristics, the stages of team development and lead-ership, inclusion/using your team, ethics and values of a leader and an in-depth review of the individuals and troop vision for the future. Every module has three to five team build-ing and leadership in action games to backstop the lessons learned in the in-struction; and every game is followed by in depth discussion and reflection that ties the lessons to practical appli-cation.

The military volunteers brought a wealth of leadership experience; drawing from their time as Scouts, stu-dents, teachers, mentors and of course military service members. Scoutmas-ter Tim Yearout stated, “The course was a great way to lay the foundation of leadership in the boys that will help them their entire life; and our military volunteers are perfect examples of servant leadership for the boys.” At the end of the course, every boy was more confident and prepared to lead in their troop. They earned the coveted “trained” tab denoting they met all the requirements of ILST and were ready to become future leaders of their troop. Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 970 Jonathan M. stated, “The military volunteers were a pivotal part to the development of that success.”

DOHA, Qatar - Boy Scouts from Troop 970 conduct the “Helium Stick” team building and communication exercise designed to strengthen synchronization and clarity through accomplishing a complex task.

(Photo by U.S. Army Maj D. Marshall Bornn)


CAS HOUSING CORNER

Some helpful DOs and DON’Ts as an Ambassador of the United States from our friends in ASG-QA S5: Do avoid conversations about religion and politics in this part of the world. Do sit with the soles of your feet flat on the ground. If you wish to cross your legs, do it in a manner that does not have the sole of your feet facing the person sitting next to you. Do expect males to hold hands, kiss, bear arms as a sign of friend-ship. Do get permission before you take a picture of any-

Cultural Information Contact information: CAMP AS SAYLIYAH 4460-9869 + 7 DIGIT EXT

BUILDING 418 FRONT DESK 432-2663

BUILDING 106-A FRONT DESK 432-2351

DPW Director 432-2391

HOUSING Director 432-2392

FIRE— 432-2758 OR 5588-2801

POLICE— 432-3534 OR 432-2337

TMC—432-2255/3506

one in Qatar.. Do not take pictures of ANY Govern-ment looking building (Most Govern-ment buildings have big Qatari flags on top of them). Do not take a picture of a woman unless you first get permission. Do not ask questions about the women of the family, if you are a male. Do not stare at or make advances to women in public or private. Do not engage in overt public display of affection with the opposite sex.

Do not use the Western way of beck-oning with one finger. It is very offen-sive. Do not point to anybody with a fin-ger. Use the en-tire right hand in-stead. Do not point upward with the middle finger. It is ob-scene in the U.S. and equally so in Qatar. Do not use obscene or indecent lan-guage within earshot of Qatar citi-zens. Many Qataris are familiar with American slang. Do not say anything negative about their country, government or ruler.

Your ITT Housing Staff: Supervisor: Margarita Rasool 432-2700

Asst. Housing Supervisor: Sharyn Adams 432-2351

Off Post Housing Specialist: Samantha Navo 432-2700

On Post Housing Specialist: Jesusita Flores 432-2663 On Post Housing Specialist: Shineka Washington 432-2663

Provost Marshall Office DPM: 5586-3906 NCOIC: 5586-6542 MP: 5557-2074 If you observe suspicious activities, please contact the numbers listed above.

Conduct for Personnel in On-Post Housing: The following conduct is prohibited in 414, 416, and 418

Smoking. (Smoking is only allowed in designated smoking areas, which are located a minimum of 50 feet away from all points of ingress or egress)

Burning anything or having any flame. The use of electric heater or heating device (e.g. space heater,

hot plate). Connecting multiple power strips (i.e. daisy chaining). Having any animals or plants. Removing government furniture without prior authorization. Taking apart or altering any government furniture.

ers are asleep at all hours. Occupants are reminded to keep their premises in a clean and safe condition.

Off-post housing Notes The housing director is requesting information from off-post residents if the following issues arise: Force Protection measures at the compounds are unsatisfactory

(guards missing, barriers down) or suspicious behavior is ob-served.

Quality issues are found with the Mylar installed in off post housing (peeling, cracking, air bubbles, etc).

Maintenance issues are not dealt with in a timely manner by the compound management.

Unsafe or unsanitary conditions that exist in any housing area.

Please make sure to clean up after your animals.

Any other major issues that arise in housing. These issues can be reported to the housing office and/or the housing director.

More Housing News and Reminders All personnel are re-minded

to proceed to the nearest exit during fire evacuation drills or actual fire and call 911.

Mass Notification System using email text message (SMS) for off-post residents are tested monthly. Please respond to the text message within two hours to acknowl-edge receipt of information.

Qatar Sports Day February 14, 2013.

When travelling to the latrine facilities in the 400 Block, wear-ing a towel as an outer garment is prohibited. The minimum dress requirements are shorts, short sleeve shirt and foot-wear. Robes are authorized for wear, but must extend one inch above the knees or longer.

Sponsors will request approval in writing to the ASG-QA Com-mander via Housing Office to allow non-family members to reside in AFH.

Desert Mesh : 14 : February 2013

Eat your way to losing weightBy U.S. Army Master Sgt.Montgomery MillerASG-QA, Installation Master Fitness Instructor

DOHA, Qatar - Do you ever wonder why you cannot lose any weight? For most of us this is an ongoing issue that can only be solved through exercise and diet. Even if you have an excel-lent workout program, your re-sults will be limited unless you have excellent eating habits. Too

many people eat once or twice a day and this is not conducive to helping you lose weight. What everyone should do is eat 6-8 times a day, but eat smaller por-tion meals. When you sit down to eat, you never consume a serving larger than the palm of your hand at one sitting. Your body is like a car and for your body to run efficiently it is imperative that you have fuel in your body at all times. If you only eat 2 large meals a day, it takes your body a longer time to process it and this is partly the

reason why most people have a belly they cannot get rid of. Your daily diet should consist of fruits, salad and soup every day. If you spread your meals out, you’ll be surprised at how flat your stomach will become and how quickly you will lose the weight.

Editor’s Note: The informationin this article represent MasterSgt. Miller’s experience as a fit-ness instructor.Individual results can vary. Please consult your doc-tor before starting a new fitness program.

FITNESS

This is what right looks like!

This is ‘NOT’ what right looks like!


(Photo by Mrs. Polli Ogilvie)

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Desert Mesh : 15 : February 2013

MWR Operating Hours

• Main and Small GymsOpen all day, every day

• Cyber Cafe, Phone Ctr.Open all day, every day

• Video Hut9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Swimming Pool5:30 a.m. to midnight, closed for cleaning 9 to 10:30 a.m.

• Mini Golf Course6 a.m. to midnight

• Driving Range8 a.m. to midnight

MWR Hours

MWR events and more!

MWR Key StaffMWR Director Mr. Antoine T. Randall DSN: 432-3033

MWR NCOIC U.S. Army Master Sgt.Montgomery MillerDSN: 432-3755

Every Month is Fitness Mania Month

Participate in a different event every day, every month and earn points. Some of the events include Single Darts, 6 on 6 Vol-leyball, and Billiards.

To register for these events or for any MWR-sponsored trip, stop by the MWR office, in building 109, Monday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or call DSN: 432-3049.

You can register for trips up to three days prior to the trip depar-ture date. Payment is required at the time you register for any trip.

MWR

(Courtsey Photo)

President’s Day 5k Run/ Walk Winners(18 February 2013)

Men’s Run: 1st Place: DERRICK MILLER 17:38 2nd Place: DUSTY SPADES 17:553rd Place: JAMES POTTEGER 19:26 4th Place: NICHOLAS SOROKA 19:295th Place: VICTOR SUAREZ 19:566th Place: BILL SCHUYLER 20:05

Men’s Walk:

1st Place: PETER MILLER 35:462nd Place: JEFF MCQUILLAN 37:303rd Place: KRISTOPHER LINDSEY 43:45

Women’s Run: 1st Place: SARAH WITTINJON 21:03 2nd Place: MADISON LOVE 22:42 3rd Place: STEPHANIE SCHENEIDER 23:304th Place: JESSICA GREATHOUSE 23:385th Place: BRITNEY GRAWLANGS 24:106th Place: ERIN KINNE 24:31

Women’s Walk:

1st Place: MARGUISHA STEVENS 44:172nd Place: SHAMIQCA BUSH 44:423rd Place: SARAH JENSEN 49:03 TOTAL NO. OF PARTICIPANTS: 242

DOHA, Qatar - Top row from left to right: Cpt. Nicholas Soroka, Cpt. Louis Tor-res, and Mrs. Sharyn Adams. Bottom row from left to right: Mr. Wilson Velez, Spc. Suzanne Burchfield, and Spc. Cassandra Wyatt. After competing in the Torch Climb, members of the Camp As Sayliyah community show off their shirts.

Public affairs is always looking for content for the next Desert Mesh. If you like to write or

take pictures, send us your work!

Be sure to email us at our new inbox, the ad-

dress is: usarmy.as-say-liyah.asg-qatar.mbx.qa-tassa-asg-pao-group@

mail.mil

We would like your feedback!The editorial content is the responsibility of the Area Sup-port Group-Qatar Public Affairs Office, located in building 112. General comments should be addressed to the PAO Mail box at: [email protected] or calling DSN (318) 432-2572 or (318) 432 - 2800.

Documents

Be sure to read the Doha cultural DO’s and DO NOT’s in ... · DOHA, Qatar - Mr. Abdulla Mohammed Al-Naama of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs meets with Chap-lain