Many new videos to share today. See below for details and links.
The August 30 edition of The Olympia Observer is now available for download.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL , IRAQ ( August 31, 2004 ) – Iraqi Police and Multinational Forces from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) foiled four roadside bomb attacks Monday in northern Iraq .
Iraqi Police foiled three roadside bomb attacks, two in the neighborhood of Al Thubat and one in the neighborhood of Al Noor, when they noticed suspicious items lying near the side of roads. Two of the devices consisted of a 122mm artillery round connected to a timer. In all three instances, the Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal team successfully reduced the devices.
[Link to Full Article]
The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq U-S troops on patrol battled attackers in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul (MOH'-sul) today. The Army says at least one civilian was killed and one was hurt.
A military spokeswoman says assailants detonated a roadside bomb and fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the patrol. U-S troops returned fire, wounding one of the attackers.
The DoD has indentified the Task Force Olympia airman killed on Sunday as Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson Jr., who was assigned to 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska (see below). We would like to pass along our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Rest in peace.
Any subsequent articles will be added to this entry.
An update on Yancey Baker, injured last Friday.
By DAN MURTAUGH
A soldier who grew up in Spanish Fort is recovering in Germany after he was badly burned when a car bomb exploded near his unit in Mosul, Iraq, his father said.
Spc. Yancey Ferris Baker, 25, is in a U.S. military hospital in Ramstein, Germany, being treated for an injury to his left eye, as well as second- and third-degree burns on his left arm, shoulder, neck and face, Charlie Baker said Monday.
I haven't seen a statement from the Task Force Olympia public affairs office regarding this incident, but the following press release was published by CENTCOM.
[Link to CENTCOM Press Release]
August 30, 2004
Release Number: 04-08-37C
MOSUL, IRAQ – One Task Force Olympia Soldier was killed and two were injured after their convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device south of Mosul Aug. 29.
The injured Soldiers were evacuated to the U.S. Army Combat Support Hospital in Mosul where one was released and the other is in stable condition. The attack is currently under investigation.
The name of the Soldier killed is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin.
This is a great column written by Karin - whose husband is an officer with the Stryker Brigade - and published by Army Times. Thanks for sharing.
My husband and I have a true Army story, starting when I met a skinny, stinky, soldier on break from Ranger school. He was caked in dirt but full of energy.
Little did I realize I was looking at my future husband, the man who would be the father of my children.
I had dropped out of college and was staying with friends in Georgia. These same friends were helping out a group of future Rangers, including Jim. While most guys took advantage of the hospitality and slept on the floor, Jim stayed awake and spent the time talking with me — except when he made a phone call to his fiancée.
Chrenkoff has published his latest installment of Good News From Iraq - Part 9.
Additionally, Winds of Change has posted its latest Iraq Report.
Finally, The August 20 & 27 editions of The Coalition Scimitar are available for download. There is one article from Mosul in each edition, both of which have been posted here previously.
(TFO Press Release)
By. Spc. Blair Larson
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 28, 2004) – Members of the Iraqi Border Patrol battalion in Diyanah, Iraq, received 25 sets of night vision goggles and 10 Jeep Libertys August 28 from Multinational Forces.
The night vision goggles were purchased by Task Force Olympia with funds from the Commander’s Emergency Response Program and cost approximately $101,000. The goggles will be used to assist the IBP in conducting night patrols to capture smugglers near the border.
Here is the official press release from Task Force Olympia.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 29, 2004) – In two separate complex attacks today, an unknown number of anti-Iraqi forces attacked two Multinational Forces patrols with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire, injuring 37 Iraqi civilians and resulting in the death of two of the terrorists.
The first attack occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in the city of Tal Afar, about 50 kilometers west of Mosul. Anti-Iraqi forces fired eight rocket propelled grenades at a passing U.S. patrol. At least one of the RPG rounds was fired from the vicinity of a police station while others were fired from the nearby Al Huda Mosque, a violation of the International Law of War which prohibits the use of religious and other protected places from being used as enemy sanctuary.
[Link to Full Article]
Morning Sentinel
EDITOR'S NOTE: On the day he was to fly to California and enroll as a freshman at the University of Southern California, Derek Mitchell took the time to answer questions about his ground-breaking trip as a young journalist in Iraq. Mitchell, a 2004 graduate of Skowhegan Area High School, reported live by satellite three times daily to WHQO 107.9, based in Skowhegan. From June 14 to 25, he was embedded with the 133rd Engineer Battalion, where his father, Capt. Michael Mitchell, is stationed.
[Link to Full Article]
By Chad Swiatecki
Dr. Donald Reed's Crim story is hard to beat.
While nearly 7,000 runners in downtown Flint relaxed in a festival atmosphere after their 10-mile runs, Reed followed his run by removing a bullet from an injured soldier.
Reed, of Mt. Morris, is a battlefield trauma surgeon with the Army Reserves in Mosul, Iraq. He and a few comrades held their own quasi-Crim at the same time the race unfolded in Flint.
A letter home from a soldier with the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment attached to Task Force Olympia.
[Link to Full Article]
By MEG JONES
For centuries, soldiers have written home from war zones. They have shared their thoughts, fears and hopes, their pride in their work and their longing for loved ones, a soft bed and food that's not served in a mess hall.
Today, instant messaging and satellite phones bring the intimacy and immediacy of conversation across thousands of miles to American troops in Iraq and Kuwait. But it is their letters and e-mails that create a lasting record of the soldier's everyday life.
by Sgt. Joseph Sanchez (TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 29, 2004) – Multinational Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 11 people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Saturday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment conducted cordon and search operations in Tal Afar, 30 kilometers west of Mosul, and detained 11 people wanted for planning and conducting attacks against Multinational forces. This is in addition to the six suspects that were detained yesterday. Of the 11 people detained, one person was a known anti-Iraqi leader. No injuries were reported during the operations.
by Sgt. Joseph Sanchez (TFO Press Release)
Multinational Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained six people wanted for planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities and discovered a variety of weapons and munitions Friday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment conducted a cordon and search in Tal Afar, 30 kilometers west of Mosul, and detained six members of a known terrorist network wanted for planning and conducting coordinated attacks against Multinational Forces in northern Iraq. The suspects are in custody and no injuries were reported during the operation.
BY MICK WALSH
Soldier considers himself lucky as he recovers from AK-47 bullet that nicked his spine
A millimeter, a centimeter, certainly no more than that.
As for the bullet that left its shadow on Sgt. Paul Schmitz's spine as it passed through his body, it could not have weighed more than a few grams.
"Luck is what it is," said Schmitz, speaking from his room at Walter Reed Hospital, describing his close encounter, if not with death, then certainly with paralysis.
For if that bullet, fired from an insurgent's AK-47, had not deflected off a bony spur attached to a vertebrae in Schmitz's back, what is now being considered a "miracle" recovery might just have become another tragedy of war.[...]
We've talked about it for a while now, but we are finally able to offer some Stryker gear for sale. Read the details below.
We've talked about it for a while now, but we are finally able to offer some Stryker gear for sale. Read the details below.
There are a number of new interviews today. See below for details.
Susan recently sent me an email with updates on a couple projects she's working on. Read below for all the details.
Follow the link below for more details on the march.
[Link to Full Article]
CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
LACEY -- The Hawks Prairie Rotary will have its second Military Family Support March on Sept. 11 and expects a much larger turnout than last year.
The event has grown by leaps and bounds since 2003, when it first drew attention to the financial plight of many family members whose loved ones are deployed overseas in support of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yahoo! News has four photos (one, two, three, four) of Stryker soldiers responding at the scene of the car bomb referred to in the articles below. Caption:
U.S. Army soldiers arrive at the scene of a car bomb explosion in the northern city of Mosul, August 27, 2004. A car bomb exploded near a U.S. military convoy in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Friday, wounding at least 10 Iraqi civilians, police and hospital officials said. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen
Thanks to Steve for the link.
An update to the earlier article.
At least 10 Iraqis, including two children, and a US soldier were wounded today when a car bomb blew up in the path of a US military convoy in the main northern city of Mosul, medical sources said.
The car exploded at around 11am (1700 AEST) in the central Yarmuk district of the city as US military vehicles passed. [...]
The US military said one American soldier was taken to hospital for treatment following the attack, but had no information on civilian casualties.
UPDATE: Be sure to check the comments. Yancey's parents have provided updated information on his condition. Thank you for sharing.
By Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) A car bomb exploded Friday in the northern city of Mosul, wounding at least 10 Iraqi civilians, the U.S. military said.
U.S. Army Capt. Angela Bowman said the bomb appeared to target a U.S. military convoy on the western edge of the city.
A few new videos from Public Affairs provided below.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 26, 2004) – Iraqi National Guardsmen and Multinational Forces from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)detained eleven people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities in separate operations Wednesday and today.
Guardsmen of the 101st Iraqi National Guard Battalion, with the assistance of Multinational Forces, detained two individuals Wednesday morning while performing a cordon and search operation in the Mosul neighborhood of Al Shorta. Both subjects were wanted for operating a document forgery ring and remain in custody.
[Link to Full Article]
By Daily News
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE -- A new armored car equipped with a cannon has been dropped by parachute from a C-17 transport plane in a test of whether the vehicle can go into combat with paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division.
For the first time, the eight-wheel Army Stryker armored car, mounted with a 105 mm cannon and called a mobile gun system, was dropped from an Air Force cargo plane Aug. 13 onto the south part of Rogers Dry Lake. [...]
"This is the best birthday present a person could have," were the words expressed by Norbert VanDessel upon seeing his grandson, Ryan. July 7th was the date of the surprise visit home from Iraq for Sergeant Ryan VanDessel. Ryan's Aunt Susan and Uncle Larry held a gathering for 60 family members and friends at their home. The welcome home party was the result of months of secrecy and planning. Ryan, stationed near Mosul, Iraq, first e-mailed Ron and Deb Lineweaver in early March. Larry and Susan were co-hosts in the scheming that would soon take place. To help insure the surprise would come off without a hitch, a "web of lies" would be necessary.[...]
Quite a story.
By Leslie Slape
As their 19-ton armored Stryker tipped nose-first, then plummeted off a 30-foot cliff in Iraq, "I knew it was going to hurt -- a lot," Army Spc. Nick Vernon wrote. "That's when I grabbed Justin."
In an e-mail he sent Monday to The Daily News, the Castle Rock native was modest about his role in pulling Sgt. Justin Little of Longview to safety.
"I don't feel like I saved his life," he wrote. "We are all trained, and trained well. I did my job and everyone made it out alive."
Provided below are links to the latest videos made available by Public Affairs.
The August 23 edition of The Olympia Observer, the newsletter published by Task Force Olympia, is now available for download.
The DOD has identified the soldier killed in Mosul yesterday as 2nd Lt. Matthew R. Stovall with the Army National Guard’s 367th Maintenance Company, 298th Corps Support Battalion (see below). Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
The MNF website has two photos of Stryker soldiers taken with the combat camera. One is with C Co., 1-23 INF, while the other is with A Co., 5-20 INF. Rather than post links directly to the photos (they are high resolution and would take a while to download), just follow the link above and scroll down to August 19 to view the thumbnails and captions. Once you're there you can click the photo for the high resolution version.
We mentioned journalist Michael Weisskopf earlier this year. He was a Time magazine correspondent embedded with the Army's 1st Armored Division when he lost his hand trying to dispose of an enemy grenade that landed in the Humvee he was riding in. Weisskopf was recently honored by the Army with the Fourth Estate Award.
[Link to Article]
By Sgt. Lorie Jewell
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Army News Service, Aug. 19, 2004) – Before the war in Iraq, Michael Weisskopf’s lengthy journalism career was short on Soldier stories.
Three weeks with the 1st Armored Division’s Tomb Raiders in Adhamiya, a powder keg neighborhood in Baghdad, changed that. Weisskopf, a senior correspondent with Time Magazine, was embedded in November and December 2003 with the Survey Platoon, Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment. Earlier reporting from Iraq, in April 2003, peaked his interest in telling the war story from the trench level, he said.
I forgot to post this article from last week related to the Stryker Brigades.
[Link to Full Article]
By Gregg K. Kakesako
Maj. C.J. Pindat Kahele and 1st Lt. Kai Kahele are the only husband-and-wife pilot team in the Hawaii Air National Guard.
By early 2006 they hope to be in the cockpit of a brand-new Globemaster jet transport as the only C-17 husband-and-wife pilot team for the Hawaii Air Guard.
Winds of Change has two recent Iraq Reports with plenty of coverage of events there. The first was published on August 19th, while the second was published today, August 23rd.
Defend America offers this photo essay of Charlie Company, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion conducting a foot patrol in Mosul recently.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 23, 2004) – Following a demonstration of the skills learned over the last three months, 22 civil defense firefighting graduates accepted their diplomas with great pride as they prepare to put their training to the test.
These 22 graduates will become trainers to the more then 650 civil defense members throughout the Ninevah Province , who will then make up the backbone of firefighting in the communities throughout the river valley.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 23, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multinational Forces from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) conducted several operations in northern Iraq Sunday resulting in the capture of eight suspected anti-Iraqi forces members.
Soldiers of the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment detained four subjects while conducting a cordon and search operation in Tal Afar in an attempt to capture a terrorist cell leader. Multinational Forces detained four individuals suspected of anti-Iraqi forces activity, though the cell leader was not among those detained. The detainees remain in custody.
Army private, Purple Heart honoree, says war taught him about himself
John Hacker Globe Staff Writer
Carl Junction High School graduate Travis Delzell went into the Army because he wanted to travel and he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life.
A year and a half later, Delzell, 21, is a private first class in the Army and a decorated combat veteran of the war in Iraq.
Delzell said he has a greater appreciation of what life has to offer after his experiences in Iraq, especially after an Aug. 4 brush with death during a firefight with insurgents near his unit's base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Yahoo! News has two photos of Task Force Olympia soldiers responding to what appear to be two separate incidents. It is unclear from the captions whether these operations are related to the casualties announced earlier today. Links to the photos are provided below.
AP Photo BAG104
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - A roadside bomb detonated near a U.S. military convoy on Sunday outside the northern city of Mosul, killing one U.S. soldier and wounding another, the military said. Two Iraqi children were injured in the blast, said Dr. Mohammed Ahmed of al-Jumhuri hospital.
The bomb exploded as the convoy passed a road west of Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, said Capt. Angela Bowman, a U.S. military spokeswoman in Mosul.
By Terry Boyd, Stars and Stripes
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — If there was ever a base on the bubble, it’s Baumholder.
German officials — noting that Baumholder is a major U.S. Army base close to Ramstein Air Base and the Kaiserslautern Military Community — hope its location will keep it open.
But, as a 1st Armored Division base, it’s future is far from assured.
Senior U.S. defense officials confirmed at a Pentagon background briefing on Monday that the 1st Infantry Division and 1st AD will leave Germany. Pentagon officials emphasized the transformation of forces will occur over 10 years, and so far, there are no appropriations to build facilities in the United States to accommodate the division’s four land brigades, two aviation brigades, division artillery and headquarters that are all currently in Europe.[...]
by Sgt. Joseph Sanchez (TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 22, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multinational Forces from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) prevented terrorists’ attempts to harm the Iraqi people and security forces by locating five roadside bombs inside Mosul today.
Stryker Brigade soldiers located a roadside bomb in the Mosul neighborhood of Al Thubut this morning and notified an Iraqi Explosives Ordnance Disposal team. The device was reduced and no injuries were reported.
Another article regarding Justin Little.
A 24-year-old Longview soldier, who was injured in Iraq on Wednesday when his assault vehicle tumbled over a cliff, was expected to leave Germany for Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., this morning, his father said.
Sgt. Justin Little suffered a broken neck, but did not damage his spinal cord, meaning he likely will walk again, Jim Little said. He was recovering Friday in a German military hospital.
by Sgt. Joseph Sanchez (TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 21, 2004) – Multinational Forces from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) captured two individuals suspected of anti-Iraqi activities Friday.
Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment detained two individuals during a cordon and search operation in Tal Afar Friday in an attempt to capture a person suspected of planning attacks against Multinational Forces. The Stryker Brigade soldiers detained two persons and confiscated a vehicle. The detained individuals remain in custody and no soldiers were injured during the operation.
Some of you may find this helpful while making travel plans for your loved ones.
A local soldier is recovering in a German military hospital after he broke his neck while on duty in Iraq.
Sergeant Justin Little, 24, was on night patrol Wednesday in Mosul, Iraq when the Stryker vehicle he was in went over a 30-foot embankment.
Thursday night Little's family in Longview learned that even though his neck is broken, he will not end up paralyzed. [...]
Provided below are a few new videos courtesy of Public Affairs.
Yahoo! News carries two photos (one, two) of Strykers responding to a roadside bomb attack. Caption:
U.S. soldiers inspect the area where their military convoy was attacked by insurgents using a road side bomb on Baghdad road in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. There are no reports of any casualties. The convoy was hauling generator equipment through Mosul to the south when it was attacked. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ibrahimi)
MOSUL, Iraq - More than 60 residents of Al Kush received a free health screening Aug. 17 during an assessment of the medical needs of citizens in the city and its surrounding areas.
Medical professionals from the Multi-National Force performed the health screenings. Patients were given advice on medical conditions and will be able to receive further medical treatment within a few weeks when the next screening will be conducted.
[Link to Full Article]
By Nathan Phelps
The green grass of Wisconsin faded to the dusty earth tones of Iraq.
But for two weeks Pfc. Brian Garner got a respite from Iraq through a rest program implemented by the Department of Defense.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 20, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces and soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 11 individuals suspected of anti-Iraqi activities from several operations and Iraqi police prevented a roadside bomb attack.
Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment detained three individuals after conducting two cordon and search operations yesterday in Tal Afar in an attempt to capture suspected anti-Iraqi facilitators. The first search resulted in the detainment of two individuals and over $10,000 in US and Iraqi currency was confiscated. Multinational Forces detained a third individual during the second search operation after the person displayed threatening behavior. All of the suspects remain in custody.
[Link to Full Article]
Brad Broders
While serving as a broadcast journalist with the Illinois National Guard, Justin Savage had some heavy stuff to report being under enemy fire numerous times. On Thursday, via satellite, he spoke of his experiences with his parents listening intently to his every word.
Aside from sending his love back home, Savage talked about his achievements in Mosul, and reporting on the building of new schools and pipelines.[...]
[Link to Full Article]
By Tara Meissner, Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC — The Manitowoc County United Veterans Council is erecting a monument to honor service personnel killed in the war on terrorism.
The first name on the monument at the Manitowoc County Veterans Memorial will be Sgt. Charles Kiser, 37, of Cleveland. He died June 24 in Mosul, Iraq, and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, 330th Military Police Detachment from the Fale U.S. Army Reserve Center, Sheboygan. Kiser was the first soldier from Manitowoc County to die in the current conflict.
[Link to Article] (Photo included)
by 1st Lt. Brooke Davis
Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs
8/19/2004 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- An aircrew from the C-17 Globemaster III combined test force here successfully airdropped a mobile gun system for the first time during a feasibility test Aug. 13. The system fits the Army's Stryker engineer squad vehicle.
The Army is testing the 52,500-pound system to possibly equip the armored vehicle to meet operational needs.
[Link to Full Article]
By Mark Sappenfield, The Christian Science Monitor
ATHENS – Like all the American athletes who have come here for the Olympic Games, Michael Anti has made enormous sacrifices for his country. Unlike all but a handful, though, there is a chance that one day he could be called on to make the ultimate sacrifice.
As one of the 17 athletes who is also an active member of the US armed forces, Mr. Anti came to these Games with a unique perspective - and a peculiar fire.
Great, detailed article on recent operations in and around Tall Afar.
[Link to Article]
By Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, Iraq – Their days began before sunrise and the missions did not end until 15 hours after wakeup. The Soldiers said they endured intense heat and sporadic firefights, but completed the largest operation the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) has executed in Iraq to date.
According to Stryker Brigade officials, on August 1 three battalions from the brigade and three battalions from the Iraqi National Guard conducted joint operations to decrease terrorist activity in Tall Afar. On August 2, Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment and soldiers from the 102nd Battalion of the Iraqi National Guard hit the small town of Avgoni, a suspected terrorist haven near Tall Afar. On August 4, the brigade conducted its first ever air-ground combat assault to capture a terrorist cell leader near the Syrian border.
[Link to Article]
By Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (Army News Service, Aug. 19, 2004) -- As part of the Army's ongoing transformation, a total of six brigades, including two Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, will form over the next three years under the 25th Division (Light) patch pending future decisions on unit designations.
Contrary to a recent Army Times article, 3,600 additional Soldiers will not be stationed at Schofield Barracks. Instead, three brigade combat team units of action will be formed under the Tropic Lightning Division, but will be located at other posts.
The August 16 edition of The Olympia Observer, a newsletter from Task Force Olympia, is now available for download.
[Link to Full Article]
Bowker said he is 'just happy to be home ... just happy to be alive.'
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN, VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LORDSTOWN — "He looks good ... real good," a relieved Rachael Bowker said of her husband, Army Reserve Spec. Robert Bowker, who arrived home early Wednesday after being seriously injured July 26 in a suicide car bombing at a U.S. base near Mosul, Iraq.
Holding hands, the young couple sat on the front porch of the home of Rachael's mother, Sherry Kohn, in Warren and talked about his experience in Iraq and of seeing each other for the first time since he was wounded.
JULIA HALL, OF THE NEWS STAFF
BANGOR - Waving miniature American flags in anticipation, about 15 friends and relatives welcomed a Bangor soldier home on a two-week vacation from Iraq on Wednesday evening at Bangor International Airport."It's the best feeling I've had in a long time," Lt. Jeremy White, 28, said after many hugs, kisses and handshakes.
White, an Alpha Company executive officer with the Maine Army National Guard's 133rd Engineer Battalion, has been serving in Mosul, Iraq, since March. That was when the 400-strong battalion left Fort Drum, N.Y., to relieve an Alabama National Guard unit.[...]
