Dear Friends,
More "hurry up and wait" today. We got up early (for those of us who are still in the Pacific Time Zone) and drove over to the hospital. We arrived in time to see Scott and the physical therapist. He described some exercises for Scott's right arm, among which are some that look very much like the quarterback arm drills he's been doing since he was seven. Should be easy to get him to do those. Scott is able to move his right arm above his head (according to his wife), but he still tires easily. He's getting more food intake now that we've discussed what he likes and dislikes with the dietician. The food appears to be more in line with what he's able to swallow instead of "whatever's on the menu for tonight." Scott was too tired to eat dinner, but more on that later.
Dear Friends,
More "hurry up and wait" today. We got up early (for those of us who are still in the Pacific Time Zone) and drove over to the hospital. We arrived in time to see Scott and the physical therapist. He described some exercises for Scott's right arm, among which are some that look very much like the quarterback arm drills he's been doing since he was seven. Should be easy to get him to do those. Scott is able to move his right arm above his head (according to his wife), but he still tires easily. He's getting more food intake now that we've discussed what he likes and dislikes with the dietician. The food appears to be more in line with what he's able to swallow instead of "whatever's on the menu for tonight." Scott was too tired to eat dinner, but more on that later.
The following article is one of many recently that attempts to analyze the progress, and setbacks, in Iraq quantitatively. Mosul is mentioned, which is why I wanted to share it.
If you're interested in this kind of information you should also read Belmont Club's detailed examination of recent attacks against civilian and military targets in Iraq. Is the security situation improving or worsening? He explains how very different outlooks can be supported by the facts presented.
Finally, this seems like a good place to mention a new website, the MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, described as, "a comprehensive database of global terrorist incidents and organizations." You can drill down to individual incidents, or generate a list for a geographic area, such as Mosul.
Another story from Army Public Affairs featuring 1-37 FA.
[Link to Article]
Story and photo by Spc. Aaron Ritter
QAYYARAH, Iraq -- Booms sounded throughout Forward Operating Base Endurance as field artillery soldiers took a break from their typical deployment duties and fired their M198 155mm Howitzers during a training exercise Sept. 8 and again Sept. 11.
Soldiers of B Battery, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) focused the training to keep a high level of readiness and ensure their guns are fully mission capable, despite being given a diverse array of new responsibilities throughout their deployment.
Yahoo! News has a photo from the scene of Wednesday's convoy attack. I still haven't seen any additional news reports regarding those wounded. There are also two photos (one, two) of soldiers responding to the scene of another car bomb on Monday.
Here's a recent press release from a local organization that is sending Christmas packages to deployed soldiers.
KIRKLAND, WA (PRWEB) September 30, 2004 -- A can-do attitude by a core group of volunteers means thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq are likely to receive holiday gift boxes this year from Kirkland’s “Operation Iraq: The Spirit of Christmas” project.
Kirkland retailer Ruth Ann Young, who organized last year’s undertaking that generated more than 6,000 parcels, said volunteers who wanted to repeat the effort this year had to overcome a number of obstacles that until last week left the prospects in doubt.
By MONICA SCANDLEN
NEW PORT RICHEY - Pvt. Adam Harris knew the dangers of serving in Iraq. He told his father he was afraid. He wore his mother's cross to keep him safe.
But Harris died Sept. 22 on a mission in Mosul, shot in the head by a sniper, his family said. He had turned 21 four days earlier.
``It's something I'll never get over. Ever,'' his mother, Denise Michaud Bush, said Wednesday as she prepared for her son's funeral at Trinity Memorial Gardens in west Pasco County. ``I keep thinking someone's going to tell me it's a mistake. But it's real.'' [...]
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF
TACOMA -- The nation's second Stryker brigade intensifies its gradual replacement of the nation's first in Iraq, as about 400 Fort Lewis soldiers are set to depart from McChord Air Force Base tonight.
The soldiers are members of the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment -- part of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, one of two of Fort Lewis' Stryker brigades.[...]
The Stryker brigades, each with about 4,000 members, are named for their quick, new, light-infantry vehicles and were first developed at Fort Lewis.
The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division gradually will replace the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and serve its own one-year tour of duty in Iraq. Elements of the first Stryker brigade will begin returning next week, Army officials said.
Dear Friends,
Another busy day for Scott and a long wait for us. He had a PET Scan (tests brain activity using radioactive markers--takes 1 to 3 days to read/interpret one), a brain ultrasound test, which went well enough to pull the pads off his head, and a visit from two speech pathologists. He had some cereal for breakfast, which we heard he enjoyed very much. We don't know what kind of cereal because we weren't able to see him until about 2 p.m.
Provided below are links to the latest video interviews courtest of Army Public Affairs.
Not sure how I missed it, but the Scimitar is available in PDF here.
There is an article about Aco, 5-20th and A and C co, 1-23rd Inf. that includes a few pictures.
Remember to check out the Scimitar link from time to time on our links page for more articles. Also, PDF files are pretty download intensive, so anyone with a dialup connection needs to be patient. Text of article below...
There is contact information included in the article if you know someone that might be interested.
[Link to Article]
By Sgt. Lorie Jewell
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 29, 2004) – The Army’s Operation Tribute to Freedom program is recruiting Soldiers willing to go out into their hometowns or local communities to share their experiences in fighting the Global War on Terrorism.
“We’re moving forward with efforts to strengthen the bond between American Soldiers and citizens of the nation they serve,” said Capt. Robert Kuster, who heads the speakers service. “To do that, we want Soldiers who will volunteer to go out and share their stories and personal experiences with their fellow Americans.”
Katy sent this story from Fox News.
[Link to Full Article]
By Scott Rutter for FOX Fan Central
Aggressive effort in Mosul has fostered security and marked improvements in essential living conditions, governmental infrastructure and services. One particular battalion in Task Force Olympia, the 2nd Battalion 3rd Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team (Stryker) of the 2nd Infantry Division, continues to execute its campaign of targeting terrorist, training and partnering with the new Iraqi National Guard, and facilitating the rebuilding of needed infrastructure projects.
Security operations directed at the insurgency are now executed together by U.S. forces and the Iraqi National Guard. A comprehensive, U.S. directed combined and individual training program has allowed U.S. forces to perform supporting operations in order to allow the Iraqi's to execute final assault operations on the selected target or objective area. Combat multiplier assets such as attack aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are integrated into the operation in order to provide continuous over watch of the objective and target area.
Another good R&R story.
[Link to Full Article] (Photo included)
By YONIKA WILLIS, Tribune Staff Writer
MISHAWAKA -- As a child playing with G.I. Joes, 20-year-old Spc. Seth Oppelt knew he wanted to some day be a "real American hero" himself.
It was in November 2003, just months after he graduated from Mishawaka High School, that his fantasy became reality when he was deployed to Iraq.
After more than a year of training to earn his combat certification for the Army's newest war vehicle -- the Stryker -- Oppelt became part of the 1st Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Strykerdad172nd and Carla both sent a link to this Defend America photo essay featuring B Troop, 1-14 CAV.
P.S. - Mike, they refer to them as 1st Battalion here as well. ;)
Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq - A car bomb exploded in the northern city of Mosul as a U.S. military convoy was passing by, wounding six American soldiers, the military said Wednesday. [...]
Capt. Angela Bowman of the Army's Task Force Olympia said five of the wounded soldiers have since returned to duty
[Link to Article]
By Spc. Gretel Sharpee
The United States Army and its Soldiers remain the strongest fighting force in the world due to it’s flexibility to accommodate a changing battlefield. Nowhere is this flexibility more apparent than in field artillery units that are currently deployed overseas, like the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), who is making FOB Endurance their last stop before they redeploy to the states.
The 1-37th, out of Fort Lewis, Wash., has spent the last 10 months serving in Iraq in three key locations, Samarra, Mosul and Qayarrah in operations that involved more than artillery efforts. They are one of the many artillery units that have been challenged to adapt to a battlefield that may not require their artillery skills, but does require their excellent Soldiering skills.
[Link to Article]
by Sgt. 1st Class Julie Friedman
MOSUL, Iraq – One of the most culturally and historically significant sites in the Ninevah Province is the ancient walled city of Hatra, in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers known as Al Jazirah.
Originally built as a fortress, it guarded the two main caravan routes connecting Mesopotamia with Syria and Asia Minor between the first century BC and the second century AD.
CBFTW shares an email he received from his Battalion Commander - very much worth reading. For a bit of background you can read this first.
Strykerdad172nd found another recent photo at the Army website. Caption:
Spc. Dalray Bingley of 1st Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, patrols Mosul, Iraq
September 27, 2004
Dear Friends,
Scott had to go for a second angiogram this afternoon. This process involves injecting a contrasting dye into the blood vessels of his brain and taking an x-ray of them. It pretty much wipes him out for the rest of the day. We were able to see the comparison of the two tests this evening when we met with the God of Neurology, LTC (Lieutenant Colonel, O-5) Armanda, for the first time. When I told him he was underpaid (he's a neuro- and vascular-surgeon so he cuts from the outside and he's an interventional radiologist so he runs things into the blood vessels to fix them from the inside), his response was "I have other motivations." This is exactly the man we want on Scott's case. Plus, he's a soldier, not just a doctor in an Army suit. He has been in Baghdad and that counts for something with us. I told him about what Scott was doing in Iraq and he asked me to write this up for him so he can introduce him properly at case reviews. (Darn, I should have asked how many volumes he wanted!) It was nice to see an Army doctor in a Navy facility, too. We can't wait to get back to Walter Reed, which could happen as early as Friday if Scott continues to hold up.
A number of in-depth summaries to browse.
Be sure to read the entry regarding Pfc. Adam Harris again. His parents, Denise and Steve, have left a message thanking everyone for their kind words.
George found another combat camera photo at the Army website. Caption:
A Soldier of Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, fires his 240B machine gun at insurgents during a combat operation in Tall Afar, Iraq.
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - A car bomb exploded in the northeastern city of Mosul on Monday as an Iraqi National Guard patrol was passing by, killing at least four guardsmen and wounding three others, police said.
At least three vehicles were damaged in the blast, witnesses said.
Police Capt. Mushtaq Abdul-Karim said the explosion killed at least four guardsmen and wounded three others and also hurt a civilian.
I think the key word here is "may", but at least there is discussion.
[Link to Full Article] (Registration required)
By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 - Fearing a sharp decline in recruiting and troop retention, the Army is considering cutting the length of its 12-month combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, senior Army officials say.
Senior Army personnel officers, as well as top Army Reserve and National Guard officials, say the Army's ability to recruit and retain soldiers will steadily erode unless combat tours are shortened, to some length between six and nine months, roughly equivalent to the seven-month tours that are the norm in the Marine Corps.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 27, 2004) – The Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) foiled a roadside bomb and collected a variety of weapons and munitions Sunday in northern Iraq.
Iraqi National Guard soldiers foiled a roadside bomb attack when they noticed a 155mm artillery round in the median of the road 20 kilometers north of Qayarrah. The Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal team destroyed the round with no injuries reported.
(TFO Press Release)
By Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 26, 2004) – Multi-National Forces are currently planting seeds for the future of agriculture in the Ninevah Province. In cooperation with the universities of Texas A&M, Colorado State, Kansas State and the World Wide Wheat Company, Multi-National Forces will distribute more than 1,000 pounds of wheat seeds to Iraqi farmers by October.
The Ninevah Province is considered to be the wheat belt of Iraq, producing 50 percent of the country’s wheat. Over the past 10 years, this region has not been able to keep up with Iraq’s wheat demand. During the Saddam Hussein regime, farmers were expected to continuously produce wheat, never leaving their fields fallow. This tactic degraded the soil, leaving few nutrients for the next year’s crop, increasing the chances for crop disease and fungus, and eventually resulting in fewer yields.
I thought this was a nice local story - saw it on the news last night.
[Link to Full Article]
By Karen Jowers, Times staff writer
A Seattle-area bridal shop has joined other shops around the country that have offered free wedding gowns to military couples to show their support for those in uniform.
La Belle Mariee Bridal will give away 100 wedding dresses on Sept. 26 to eligible military couples.
The shop, in Kirkland, Wash., will open its doors at 10 a.m., when the first 50 people will be allowed to shop for any dress among 400 in the store, ranging from size 4 to 26, worth an estimated $1,200 each.
You may have noticed that there is always a long delay when you post comments here on our site. Explanation: Spam has become a problem not only with email, but on sites such as ours as well. Spammers have discovered that they can boost their search engine ranking by leaving bogus comments on blogs that include their site's web address. To combat this, we have been using software that compares all text in every comment against a list of known spammer websites. The comparison takes a while (it's a long list!), which is what causes the delay after you click "Post".
(TFO Press Release)
By Spc. Blair Larson
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 26, 2004) – Iraqi National Guard soldiers from Mosul, Irbil and Dahuk received 1,032 body armor vests and 1,500 protective helmets September 25.
The equipment was purchased by Task Force Olympia with funds from the Commander’s Emergency Response Program as part of a larger effort to equip the Iraqi security forces.
Dear Friends,
Today was a reminder that no matter how well things go one day, they do not necessarily go that well everyday. Today was a difficult one for Scott because he had to go for another CT scan. This entails being taken to the basement of the hospital at Bethesda and moved to the table of the CT device and then back again to his bed and rolled back to the ICU. A nurse, corpsman and a doctor are required to be present before he can be moved anywhere, so it makes quite an expensive entourage. He is made uncomfortable by this process and it takes him some time to recover afterward. He takes it well, but cries out during the table changes. The good news is that the CT scans and the readouts of the other devices attached to him still indicate that he is doing well. The bad news is that Scott is only dimly aware of this and we get the impression he feels he is taking a step backward because of the need for tests and monitors.
You might recognize a site or two mentioned in this article.
[Link to Full Article]
By Ellen Simon, AP Business Writer
Iraq war blogs are as varied as the soldiers who write them. Some sites feature practical news, war pictures and advice. Some are overtly political, with more slanting to the right than to the left. Some question the war, some cheer it. While some military bloggers (or milbloggers) say their commanders have encouraged their online literary ventures, a few say their commanders have shut them down.
For the folks back home, soldier blogs offer details of war that don't make it into most news dispatches: The smell of rotten milk lingering in a poor neighborhood. The shepherd boys standing at the foot of a guard tower yelling requests for toothbrushes and sweets. The giant camel spiders. The tedium of long walks to get anything from a shower to a meal. A burning oil refinery a hundred miles away blocking the sun. A terrifying night raid surprised by armed enemies dressed in black.
This article might be a repeat - if so I apologize.
[Link to Article]
By Spc. Blair Larson
TAL AFAR, Iraq (Army News Service, Sept. 24, 2004) - A coordinated offensive operation by Multi-National Forces and Iraqi security troops this month have chased the terrorists out of Tal Afar in northern Iraq, after six months of violence there.
Houses are riddled with bullet holes along Route Santa Fe, a main highway running through the outskirts of Tal Afar, used by terrorists to attack Multi-National Forces and Iraqis in recent months.
Dear friends,
If this is the first of these updates on Scott that you have received, you can go to www.strykernews.com to read the previous ones. Sorry, but there's new addresses to add all the time, so...
Steve, the father of a 1-14 CAV soldier, is someone I've come to know over the past year. He has provided me with invaluable advice, which I'll always be grateful for. Consequently, my heart skipped many beats on September 14 when I received an email from him informing me that his son, Scott, has been seriously injured in the same incident that took the life of SGT Demand. Very few details were available at the time.
Steve has allowed us to post his email updates as a way to keep those who know Scott informed of his progress. We don't often hear the stories of the wounded. As Steve mentioned in one of his messages to me, we might not hear the stories, "but they're getting great personal and medical attention from the staff here. Everyone has been wonderful to us. No exceptions. If you want to see dedicated staff helping our warriors recover, you can see it at Walter Reed every second of the day." As we mourn the fallen, let's also say a prayer for their wounded comrades.
These updates are listed in reverse chronological order. To read Scott's story from the beginning, scroll down to the September 14, 2004 entry and work your way up.
UPDATE: We have now created a separate category for Scott's progress reports. From now on we will be posting daily updates as individual entries rather than adding them to this one (it's getting too big!). Follow the link above to read the latest.
George sent a link to this photo. Caption:
Spc. Fernando Legaspe of Company A, 5th Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, scans Tall Afar, Iraq for enemy activity.
Another Stryker Soldier has been featured by Soldier Stories.
Maj. Michael Helwig and other Army medical professionals in Iraq distributed about 500 donated textbooks to nurses from the Ninevah Province Ministry of Health Sept. 21.
The textbooks will be divided between the area hospitals and universities in Mosul, Irbil and Dahuk, officials said.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 24, 2004) – The Turkish peace monitoring force, which was formed in 1997 to monitor a cease-fire between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), will be dissolved in early October. A ceremony will be held to formally recognize the contributions of the Turkish government and the successful efforts of the force to contribute to northern Iraq’s security.
The conflict between the KDP and PUK intensified in 1996, drawing the attention of the global community. During a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, a cease-fire agreement was established by representatives of the two parties and representatives from the United States, Britain and Turkey. The cease-fire, known as the Ankara Peace Process, called for a Turkish force to enforce the cease-fire and monitor relations between the two parties.
Another article about the citizenship ceremony yesterday.
ANGIE LEVENTIS; The News Tribune
Spc. Owusu Gyamfi enlisted in the U.S. Army two months after his cousin was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.
Although he wasn't a U.S. citizen, the Ghana native felt compelled to serve his adopted homeland in memory of his fallen relative.
On Thursday, three weeks before his scheduled deployment to Iraq, the 24-year-old Fort Lewis soldier finally became a citizen of the nation for which he was already willing to put his life on the line.
Gyamfi was one of 10 soldiers in the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division who took the oath of allegiance at Fort Lewis' first citizenship ceremony.
[Link to Full Article]
By Keith Eldridge
FORT LEWIS - Local soldiers who are about to be sent to Iraq are taking something brand new with them; their U.S. citizenship.
The men are members of an elite group of soldiers from Fort Lewis who are willing to die for a country that is not officially theirs.
"I can honestly say this is one of the proudest days in my life," says Spec. Theopolis Abraham.
These ten Stryker soldiers are just days away from being sent to the tense fighting in Iraq, yet they are all smiles because they are about to become naturalized citizens. [...]
As Mike mentioned in the previous entry, the DoD has identified the soldier killed in Mosul yesterday as Pfc. Adam J. Harris, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment (see below). Our thoughts and prayers are now with the loved ones he leaves behind. We will add any subsequent information we find to this entry.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Adam J. Harris, 21, of Abilene, Texas, died Sept. 22 in Mosul, Iraq, when he was shot by a sniper while on patrol. Harris was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
The incident is under investigation.
Provided below are links to the latest videos of soldier interviews provided by Army Public Affairs.
My friend Marcel, who is a Vietnam veteran, penned the following poem for us as a tribute to fallen soldiers. Thanks for these moving words Marcel.
The September 20 edition of The Olympia Observer, Task Force Olympia's newsletter, is available for donwload. Two of the stories have already been posted here, but the others are new.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, laying out his government's security, economic, and political aspirations Thursday to a joint meeting of Congress, said elections for a transitional national assembly will be held in January, as scheduled.
"Elections will occur in Iraq on time in January," Allawi promised.
He mentioned the doubts many have expressed about Iraq's achievements over the months and said, "We will prove them wrong again."
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Sgt. Jacob Demand didn't go with the rest of the Stryker brigade when it left for Iraq last November. After eight years in the Army, he'd done his part and was ready to move on to other things.
But then came the Pentagon's stop-loss order. By January, Demand was among 175 or so Stryker soldiers loaded on planes and sent to catch up with their buddies in Iraq.
He didn't complain when he landed in Mosul, and he went about his duties in the war zone with enthusiasm, his friends said at a memorial ceremony for him Wednesday at Soldiers Chapel at Fort Lewis.
They remembered the 29-year-old infantryman as a loving father, a bright, funny friend and a dedicated soldier.[...]
[Link to Article]
By Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, Iraq – After 10 months of intense driving in a combat zone, the Stryker drivers have developed a knack for steering the massive eight-wheeled beast through Iraq’s narrow alleyways, congested streets and dangerous overpasses. As the first Soldiers to use the Stryker, members of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division have seen the Stryker endure rocket propelled grenades, roadside bombs and small arms fire.
Since crossing the Iraqi border in November, the Stryker has bolstered the Army’s combat power and given battle planners a vital tool in winning the fight in Iraq. On several occasions, because of the vehicle’s combat power and mobility, top generals from Multi-National Forces Iraq have called upon the Stryker Brigade to move outside of its area of operations in northern Iraq to conduct operations in Al Kut, Balad and Baghdad.
[Link to Article]
Story and photo by Spc. Gretel Sharpee
MOSUL, Iraq - It might be hard to distinguish a line medic in a crowd of infantry Soldiers, when only a pair of shears attached to his vest or a large aid bag on his shoulders sets him apart.
Although he carries a weapon to defend himself or his comrades if necessary, the medic’s primary mission is to save lives, a responsibility he does not take lightly. He also ensures that every Soldier in his unit is trained to perform basic lifesaving skills in the event a medic is not immediately available.
We haven't posted links to new videos in a while. Provided below are the latest clips courtesy of Army Public Affairs.
I've been collecting a number of non-Stryker related articles that I thought might be of interest. Rather than post them all separately I've listed the article titles below and will let you click through to read the full article if you see something you like.
The following is a great story from a hometown paper about a soldier home for R&R.
[Link to Full Article]
By DD BIXBY Of the News-Register
A large homemade sign hangs on the front of the Sheridan home of Jamie and Theresa McMahon. "Welcome Home Andy," it reads, in blazing color.
Their middle child, Army Spc. Andrew McMahon, surprised his family Sept. 8 when he capped a 10-month tour in Iraq with a quick trip back.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, Iraq (September 22, 2004) – A Task Force Olympia soldier died at approximately 1 p.m. today from injuries following an attack on a Multinational Forces patrol in Mosul.
The attack occurred at approximately 12 p.m. The Soldier was evacuated to the military hospital in Mosul where the soldier later died of wounds.
No other injuries were reported in the attack.
The name of the Soldier is being withheld pending next of kin notification.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 20, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained twenty people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and collected a variety of weapons and munitions Tuesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment conducted a cordon and search operation in the Mosul neighborhood of Al Intisar and detained 20 people, including three leaders, of a known terrorist network as they conducted a meeting at local office building. During a search of the office, intelligence documents were confiscated. Multi-National Forces reported no injuries during the operation.
By MIKE STARK
There are two American flags outside the Gifford house. The one that's a little more tattered was put out when 21-year-old Justin left for Iraq last fall. The other is for Chris, 20, who's been in Iraq since May.
The flags won't come down until both of Bryan and Ruth Gifford's sons are home safely.
Both soldiers, who serve in the Army in separate units and separate locations, were home in Billings briefly this month - a scheduling feat that their father Bryan chalks up to a higher power.[...]
Adra found another combat camera photo of 5-20 operating in Tal Afar. Caption:
Soldiers from Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, batter through the door of a suspected insurgent hideout in Tal Afar, Iraq.
A special group of folks, known on our Bulletin Board as the Tea Party Society, is creating a Memory Quilt to commemorate the Stryker Brigade and the other Units supporting Task Force Olympia.
This quilt will be made from the uniforms, clothing, flag colors and other memorabilia associated with the heroes who serve with these units. Each square will also contain the signature of the soldier and/or someone participating in the project (wife, mom, friend, fiance etc.)
When the quilt is finished, it will either be raffled off and the proceeds distributed to the families of those who sacrificed their lives for their country - or - donated to the Military Museum. The choice will be made by vote from those participating in the project.
Provided below is additional information on how to contribute to this great project.
[Link to Full Article]
THE OLYMPIAN
Fort Lewis will get a $48 million barracks and training complex as part of a package of $165 million in construction projects for Washington state military bases announced Monday by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. [...]
Jeff Young, spokesman at Fort Lewis, said the Army Corp of Engineers will award the construction contracts for these facilities; construction is expected to begin next summer and last 18 to 24 months.
[Link to Full Article]
By KEN McLEMORE, Hope Star Writer
Editor's note - Following is the second of two parts from an interview with U.S. Army Sergeant Ben Wise of Hope.
Most Americans have little perspective concerning the professional soldier beyond the Hollywood version; but, the Stryker force concept adopted by the U. S. Army in 1999 and now deployed in Iraq is built around the lean, mobile, agile, and forceful attributes of combat as a profession.
U.S. Army Sergeant Ben Wise, of Hope, is among the first professional soldiers who have applied that concept under fire.
