“The assessments we make at this camp will be sent to other agencies and NGOs who provide relief to the displaced people living here,” said Capt. Mike, a team leader of a Special Operations civil affairs team operating in the area. “The reports we produce help keep these relief organizations better informed about the actual needs of the people.”Civil affairs teams attached to the 82nd Airborne Division have been partnering with non-governmental organizations, the U.N. and other relief agencies to ensure vital aid is being delivered to Haiti’s citizens who are most in need.

Civil affairs specialists said their assessments in the camp are concentrated on community governance, medical conditions, and security.

“It’s important for us to actually go in these camps and get direct feedback from the people,” said Capt Mike. “We find out there are things they do quite well as a community, despite the circumstances they’re in, while in other areas they may need more assistance.”

On any given day, that assistance may vary. While visiting the camp, a Special Operations combat medic assigned to the team had the opportunity to provide medical care to a young Haitian girl who had fallen ill.

“I’m here to do medical assessments, but there’s a point where you just have to help people when you see a need,” said Staff Sgt. Michael. “It was a small gesture, but we did our part to make conditions better for people in this camp today.”

STUTTGART, Germany (Special Forces News, Feb. 11, 2010) – Three 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Soldiers were presented with Bronze Star Medals.

“We just did what we were trained to do,” said Aflague, a communications sergeant from Sinajana, Guam, who reached Vose first and provided first aid. In the ensuing firefight, Chief Warrant Officer Douglas Vose, their patrol leader, was mortally wounded.

The Soldiers were cited for enabling their patrol to suppress the insurgent attack and allowing for the medical treatment of Vose.

“We tried to make the best out of the situation we were handed,” he said. “Unfortunately, we took a big hit with Doug. It was like losing a family member.”

While Aflague rendered aid to Vose, Stovall, a senior medical sergeant from Troy, Mont., and wounded in the left leg early in the enemy assault, engaged the insurgents with his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, took charge of four ANA soldiers and eliminated the enemy’s position with a fragmentation grenade.

He then provided medical care to Vose until the medevac arrived. 

“What I did was based on the training I’ve received — some of the best training in the world. I feel lucky to be here and still be able to walk,” said Stovall, who was struck by enemy fire a second time on Sept. 5 while on a special reconnaissance mission in Kabul Province, Afghanistan.

Stovall received two Purple Hearts for his wounds and an Army Commendation Medal for his actions in the Sept. 5 engagement.

Shewey, the point man on the patrol, who engaged the enemy with M4 fire and M203 rounds, is credited with single-handedly providing the security needed to allow Aflague to begin treating Vose.

Cited for poise under intense fire, Shewey said the key is staying focused. “You can only worry about one thing at a time,” said the senior weapons sergeant from Chiefland, Fla.

Sgt. 1st Class Sean Laske, an intelligence sergeant, also earned the Bronze Star Medal, but was unable to attend the ceremony.

Capt. Anthony Heisler, Sgt. 1st Class Nick Atkins and Staff Sgt. Jacob Lindholm were also awarded Purple Hearts for injuries sustained when their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle struck an improvised explosive device Oct. 6 in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. 

FORT CAMPBELL, KY. (USASOC News Service, Feb. 2, 2010) - A multi-million dollar construction project is currently under way to give the Soldiers of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) new, specially designed buildings. These updated facilities will accommodate both growing battalions and improve the overall preparation for future missions.

"The constant maintenance requirement made it virtually impossible to keep the facilities in decent repair," said Maj. Milton Kinslow, 5th Group Engineer Officer." The old facilities were originally built in 1952 and were not designed to last 60 years without significant renovation and refurbishment.""The facilities we have now are over 50 years old," said Sergeant 1st Class Patrick Marek, 5th Group Engineer Operations NCO."Having these new buildings will cut down on maintenance costs and will give the teams modernized office space."

Each battalion will be assigned a new building that will provide each team with its own office and deployment bay. Having these separate areas allow the teams to keep equipment needed for deployments in the bay, and gives them more room for their personalized equipment.

The old buildings were 35,000 square feet, depending on the floor plan and past renovations."This was part of the challenge of the old buildings," said Kinslow."They were buildings that were designed for a different purpose. Everything was very disorganized and hard to operate out of." Each new building will be around 120,000 square feet and hold approximately 450 people.

"We have better temperature control in these buildings," said Sergeant Dustin DeShaney, 3rd Battalion S2 Clerk."In the old buildings, the heat wouldn't work right in the winter and the air conditioners wouldn't work right in the summer.""I feel this is a step in the right direction," said Kinslow."These are purpose built facilities, made to house a Special Forces battalion. They are easy to operate in and deploy out of. They are much more efficient than the old buildings."

Before the new buildings were constructed, the entire battalion could not fit into one building. The battalion staff was located in one and the line companies were in another. Now, the entire battalion's assets are centrally located, providing unrealized benefits.

"Having the whole battalion in one place helps me because now I don't have to worry about securing two different buildings and it allows for easier access," said DeShaney.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (USASOC News Service, Jan. 21, 2010) - For the second year in a row, a Soldier from 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was named the United States Army Special Operations Command Special Forces Medic of the Year.  Sgt. 1st Class Owen Wendelin of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th SFG (A) received the award for actions performed while serving in Afghanistan and at Fort Campbell.

Wendelin raced to each man rendering life saving measures, placing his own life at risk.  He gave medical treatment while returning effective weapons fire.  Wendelin continued these actions until a helicopter could medically evacuate his injured team members. While on patrol in Helmund Province in northeast Afghanistan, Wendelin's Operational Detachment-Alpha came under heavy and accurate fire from machine guns, small arms and rocket propelled grenades.  Several members of the patrol were injured by small arms.