Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4C
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010
Soldier provides unique example
to Iraqi military at reenlistment
REENLISTS IN IRAQ
Brig. Gen. Nadhem Lefta, the senior Iraqi air force
officer at Camp Taji, congratulates Spc. Igor Pinto
Machado for reenlisting there May 5. Jefferson resi
dent Pinto Machado, a native of Brazil and veteran of
the Brazilian air force, reenlisted in front of several
senior officers of the Iraqi Air Force, providing them
with insight into how the U.S. Army recruits and
retains soldiers.
CLEAN-UP AT ALBERT GORDON GRAVE
Vice commander Bennett (left) and finance officer Mack Cates (right) of the Albert
Gordon, Post 56, of the American Legion, Jefferson, salute following clean-up and
flag placement at the grave of Albert Gordon. Gordon was the first resident of
Jackson County killed in World War 1. This follows the century and a half tradition
of Memorial Day Observance.
Armed service members have another
year to utilize homebuyer tax credit
By Spc. Roland Hale
CAB, 1st Inf. Div PAO
CAMP TAJI, IRAQ - A
Chinook maintainer with
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1 st
Infantry Division, afforded
some visitors at his reenlist
ment ceremony on Camp Taji
May 5 a unique opportunity.
As Spc. Igor Pinto
Machado, a Jefferson resident
who is a native of Brasilia,
Brazil, and veteran of the
Brazilian air force, raised his
right hand for an additional
five years in the U.S. Army
during a Cinco de Mayo cel
ebration, Iraqi Air Force per
sonnel witnessed how U.S.
leaders reward their enlisted
Soldiers. Pinto Machado said
the timing was perfect for
him.
“I’m glad I got to be a part
of this,” said Pinto Machado.
‘‘It’s great to see the different
cultures come together.”
The Cinco de Mayo cel
ebration was organized to
strengthen the social partner
ship between the CAB and its
Iraqi Air Force counterparts.
The reenlistment ceremony
added a different element to
the celebration.
The Iraqis received a
glimpse at the U.S. ceremony
and the gratitude bestowed
upon enlisted Soldiers for
committing themselves to
the service of their nation - a
practice far different from the
Iraqi version.
As responsibility for Iraqi
security steadily shifts from
coalition forces to the Iraqi
Security Forces, the nation’s
air force and other branches
of the military are looking
to the U.S. military to learn
about how to recruit and
retain personnel in a volun
teer service. With Iraqi ser
vice members often targeted
by insurgents for their ser
vice and cooperation with
the American military, it has
been proven difficult to sus
tain a large force.
Service in the Iraqi mili
tary was a mandatory obliga-
LZ FRIENDLY Vietnam
Vets, Inc. will celebrate its
25th anniversary with a mili
tary reunion May 28 - 31.
The reunion will feature the
‘‘Some Gave All Wall,” a mov
ing tribute to the global war
on terrorism and the fallen
heroes of Desert Shield, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Desert Storm
and Beirut.
‘‘Our mission is to honor
our nation’s KIA’s in every
conflict and all 911 (police
officers, firefighters) men
tion under Saddam Hussein’s
rule; young Iraqi males were
obligated to serve, unless
they were pursuing a college
education. After the 2003
invasion of Iraq, Saddam’s
military was disbanded and
re-established as a volunteer
service.
While the new military has
discarded conscription and
become an all volunteer ser
vice, many characteristics
of the former force remain.
Unlike U.S. Soldiers, Iraqis
enlist for the entirety of their
career - once a Soldier signs
up, he is committed to serve
until retirement. The average
Iraqi troop serves between 20
and 30 years.
Brig. Gen. Nadhem Lefta,
the senior Iraqi Air Force
officer on Camp Taji, said
that the most essential part of
sustaining an effective mili
tary force is the morale of its
soldiers.
“The morale has changed
with the situation. The
Soldier in the war - if he
has a goal - it increases his
morale,” Nadhem said. “Our
goal now is safety for our
country.”
The relationships between
woman and children, our
unsung heroes,” officials said.
“We hope it will be a healing
process. Please join us in hon
oring those who sacrificed.”
The “Some Gave All Wall”
will be led into Madison
County with a police escort
of motorcycles which will
leave Cycle World in Athens
at 5 p.m. Thursday, May
27. The wall is expected to
arrive at LZ Friendly’s camp
on Johnny McElroy Road
between 5:30 and 6 p.m.
enlisted Soldiers and com
missioned and warrant offi
cers are also important to
morale, Nadhem said. The
Iraqi military has constantly
evolved for the past 40 years,
and had adopted a Soviet
philosophy on discipline, he
said.
In the past, enlisted per
sonnel were strictly forbid
den to interact with officers.
Any offense or disrespect
rendered to an officer by
a soldier meant immediate
punishment, usually by mili
tary confinement.
Soldiers have since gained
more rights and privileges,
Nadhem said. The nation’s
military now follows the U.S.
model. Like U.S. Soldiers,
Iraqi troops are now allowed
much more leniency in their
relationships with officers
and superiors.
“When the enlisted have
a good relationship with
the officers, it increases the
morale,” said Nadhem.
Moving forward, Pinto
Machado and the CAB will
continue their mission of
assisting the Iraqi Air Force in
providing air support to secu
rity forces on the ground.
The escort will be led by
Marine Sgt. Doug Capps of
LZ Friendly and Mike Newell
of Cycle World.
Officials say all cyclists are
invited to ride in the escort.
For more information, con
tact Bose Griffith at 706-
367-5646 or 706-658-7266 or
Doug Hill at 706-795-3421,
or visit www.somegaveallinc.
org or www.LZFriendly.org
The LZ Friendly camp
is located at 1050 Johnny
McEloy Road, Colbert.
By Stan Beeco, President
Jackson County
Builders Association
FOR MOST Americans, the
homebuyer tax credit expired
on April 30. But Congress,
recognizing that many mem
bers of the military, foreign
service and intelligence com
munities may have missed out
on the opportunity to take
advantage of the credit due
to being posted overseas, has
given service members more
time to take advantage of it.
The law provides qualified
service members who served
on official extended duty out
side of the United States for
90 days or more at any time
between Jan. 1, 2009, to April
30, 2010, another year to buy
a home and claim the credit.
“Qualified service members”
are defined as a member of
the uniformed services of the
United States military, a mem
ber of the Foreign Service
of the United States, or an
employee of the intelligence
community.
Qualified service members
who are eligible for the home
buyer tax credit now have
until April 30, 2011, to sign a
sales contract, and until June
30, 2011, to settle and close
on the home. Both the $8,000
first-time and $6,500 repeat
homebuyer tax credits are
included in this rule.
For married couples, only
one spouse, not both, needs to
be a qualified service mem
ber who served the required
amount of extended duty out
side the United States.
In many cases, the rule that
requires buyers to repay the
credit if they move out of
their home within three years
has also been waived for ser
vice members. If the home
owner or their spouse receives
government orders for quali
fied official extended duty
service and have to sell their
home, they do not have to pay
back the credit. This applies
even if they have to sell in the
same year they purchased the
home. The new place of duty
must be at least 50 miles from
the principal residence being
sold.
The IRS also made sure
that soldiers and other service
members who are wounded
overseas, or have to return
to the United States for other
medical reasons, are not
denied the credit if their time
spent overseas ends up less
than 90 days.
For more informa
tion on the homebuy
er tax credit, go to: www.
FederalHousingTaxCredit.
com. To find homes for sale in
Jackson County, contact your
local builder or realtor.
Athens Social Security office has moved
THE SOCIAL Security Administration, for
merly located in the Robert G. Stephens Federal
building in downtown Athens, will be moving
to a new office building on Prince Avenue in
Athens.
According to District Manager Kelli Smith,
the new office located at 1650 Prince Avenue,
Athens, 30606, will officially open to the public
at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, April 26. The main
entrance will be on Prince Avenue while visitor
parking will be located behind the building.
“We are excited about our new space,” Smith
said. “It will truly allow us to serve our public
effectively and efficiently.”
“In addition to coming to our office, the pub
lic may also access Social Security services by
visiting www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling
1-800-772-1213.”
For more information contact Smith at 866-
964-3968.
Military reunion planned at LZ Friendly
82-mile ‘Paddle Georgia’
to traverse area waterways
AREA KAYAKERS and canoers are set to paddle 82 miles this
summer as part of Georgia River Network’s Paddle Georgia 2010
on Northeast Georgia’s Broad and Savannah rivers.
The annual canoe and kayak adventure brings together more
than 300 people each year from across the Southeast and the
country for a week-long journey. This year, paddlers launch from
Franklin Springs on June 19 and complete their trip June 25 in
downtown Augusta.
Fashioned after the annual Bicycle Ride Across Georgia,
Paddle Georgia is more than just a canoe and kayak trip. The
event will include educational programs on the rivers’ cultural
and natural history, tours of facilities and historic sites located
along the river, nightly games and entertainment, and even a
research program in which participants will help collect chemical
and biological data to give a snapshot of the current health of the
Broad and Savannah.
In the past, paddlers participating in the trip have ranged in age
from 4 to 74 and family groups are common. At an all-inclusive
cost of about $59 per day per person (includes meals and reg
istration fees), the trip is a vacation value, and one that will not
soon be forgotten, according to event organizers.
“We’ve had people come on this trip that have never paddled
before and now they are life-long paddlers,” said Joe Cook, coor
dinator of the event. “This is an adventure that changes peoples’
lives.”
The trip also serves as a fundraiser for Georgia River Network
and local watershed groups, including the Broad River Watershed
Association and Savannah Riverkeeper.
Georgia River Network is a non-profit 501c3 organization
working to ensure a clean water legacy by engaging and empow
ering Georgians to protect and restore our rivers from the moun
tains to the coast. For more information, visit www.garivers.org.
Diamond Hill Church Road Closure Notice
Diamond Hill Church Road is scheduled for closure at the bridge over the North Oconee River for the purpose of
bridge deck replacement and painting. The closure will begin on Tuesday, June 1, and is expected to remain in
place for approximately 6 weeks. The detour route provided will be signed to direct traffic on a safe alternate
route.
DIAMOND HILL
CHURCH ROAD
DETOUR MAP
•AREA OF CLOSURE