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Sally sent me the following story, which might interest some of you working on the Task Force Olympia Memory Quilt.
While almost everybody has certain hobbies or activities to stay occupied outside of work, it's not every day that a person can put their skills at that hobby to good use to help out a worthy cause.
Sgt. Nicole S. Smith, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 121st Signal Battalion, however is being given a chance to use her sewing skills to raise money for the 1st Infantry Division Foundation. Smith, a native of Marysville, PA, will be making a quilt, which will benefit 1st Infantry Division Scholarship Foundation for children of Fallen Soldiers.
"I hope it brings enough money to make a sizeable donation," Smith said.
Susan Sutter gets a brief mention in the following article.
[Link to Full Article]
By ETTA WALSH
CHICOPEE - Over the weekend, Mabel Charron of Ludlow played hostess to her brothers and sisters for a packaging event in which the group prepared boxes of items requested by troops stationed in Iraq.
Charron and sister Donna Goodreau, an advertising manager at The Republican, had already sent some items to great-nephew Army Pfc. Justin R. Colby, 20, a medic with the 2nd Infantry in Iraq.
Colby had asked his parents, Tammy and Butch Colby of Ludlow, to send some routine items that would make life a little easier.
Susan Sutter gets a brief mention in the following article.
[Link to Full Article]
By ETTA WALSH
CHICOPEE - Over the weekend, Mabel Charron of Ludlow played hostess to her brothers and sisters for a packaging event in which the group prepared boxes of items requested by troops stationed in Iraq.
Charron and sister Donna Goodreau, an advertising manager at The Republican, had already sent some items to great-nephew Army Pfc. Justin R. Colby, 20, a medic with the 2nd Infantry in Iraq.
Colby had asked his parents, Tammy and Butch Colby of Ludlow, to send some routine items that would make life a little easier.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 25, 2004) – The Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 16 people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Sunday in northern Iraq.
Multi-National Forces and soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard conducted a series of cordon and search operations in the cities of Hammam Al Alil and Tal Afar and detained 16 people wanted for planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities. The suspects are in custody with no injuries reported during the operation.
Multinational Forces from Task Force Olympia continue to work together with members of Iraqi Security Forces, leaders and citizens of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic nation. Local citizens should cooperate with security forces by providing information that leads to the capture and arrest of anti-Iraqi forces. Anyone with information should call the Joint Coordination Center in Mosul at 125 or 513462.
Green Bay woman tries to balance reports from war
By Nathan Phelps
The photo of Spc. Ryan Burkhart from Maine is one image of the war in Iraq that doesn’t garner the national headlines.
In the photo, the member of the Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion is saying goodbye to an Iraqi child after spending two months helping to rebuild a school in northern Iraq.
Sgt. 1st Class Julie Friedman of Green Bay, who is deployed to Mosul, Iraq, took the photo.
“Our main focus is just trying to show everyone all the good things the soldiers are doing and to show the soldiers what they are doing is appreciated,” she said. “The attacks, the bombings, the deaths make the headlines everyday, but you will also find … at the hometown level, our stories are picked up a lot.”
Friedman is part of the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Battalion, which has been sending back photos, video and stories since they arrived in Iraq earlier this year.
The importance of what she does was demonstrated by her coverage of an Alabama-based signal company that helped reopen a school. She heard about it from one of the GIs who worked on the project.[...]
Dear Friends,
One addition to yesterday's report. Julie was photographed with Diana Ross and the Supremes at the post office here yesterday. Well, actually it was the three female clerks dressed like them. They were certainly not disgruntled, but very much enjoying themselves with the party decorations, the nice outfits and the music going all day.
Back to today.
[Link to Full Article]
By Bob Hill
[...] One of those soldiers is David Hill, 28, a St. Xavier graduate who earned a degree in political science at the University of North Texas. He then enlisted in the service, earned his wings in airborne at Fort Benning, is now driving an armored vehicle with the 25th Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade in northern Iraq. He married his girlfriend of four years one month before he went over; he won't get home until next October.
"David's always talked about the military," said his mother, Ellen Eirk. "He played soldier as a little boy. ... Now he's already been shot at and you name it."
About six weeks ago, she saw a television segment about a program called Cell Phones for Soldiers — see cellphonesforsoldiers.com. It was started in Massachusetts by two children, who, after hearing a news report about a local soldier running up a $7,600 phone bill, started a campaign to raise money for calling cards.
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Hundreds of Army medics gathered Friday to formally say goodbye before their second trip to the Middle East, as 1,100 Stryker brigade soldiers arrived back at Fort Lewis after a year in Iraq.
“This is kind of a bittersweet morning,” Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, the post commander, noted in his remarks to the outbound troops of the 62nd Medical Brigade and their families.
Over the next several weeks some 800 soldiers from the 62nd will head back to year-long assignments in Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar. About half will make their second trip to either the Middle East or Afghanistan since the onset of the U.S. war on terrorism in October 2001, officials said.
Other units across the Army are also due for return trips to Iraq, most notably the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, Ga. They captured Baghdad in April 2003 and spent the next five months patrolling the Iraqi capital before coming home in August. They’re due to return as soon as next month.[...]
TFO Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 30, 2004) – Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained two people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and foiled a roadside bomb attack Friday in northern Iraq.
Multi-National Forces conducted a cordon and search in the northern Iraqi village of Daynach and detained a known weapons smuggler suspected of planning and conducting attacks against MNF in Fallujah. The suspect is in custody undergoing questioning.
More from Fort Lewis brigade return after nearly a year in Iraq
By M.L. LYKE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
FORT LEWIS -- Even in the sea of beige camo uniforms, red, white and blue balloons, hyper toddlers, and teary spouses, it was hard to miss Mindi Pearson at yesterday's welcome home for members of the Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The 26-year-old artist was standing on a metal chair in strappy, spiked size 4 heels, her petite body wrapped in a Versace knockoff she and a friend had created with five layers of fire-engine red sheer fabric and ribboned corset.
"My goal was to be the prettiest woman here," said Pearson, as she waited inside the base's Sheridan Gym for ceremonies to end and her sweetheart, Army Spc. Theodore Nordsieck, to come running.[...]
UPDATE: Steve has added a few new photos to his album.
Dear Friends,
Busy day today, but not really much to "write home about." Breakfast did not arrive (maybe they got the word the Air Force didn't) so the delivery person ran down and got something for him to eat. (These guys have been great about this kind of thing--A soldier wants more of something? They run and get some.)
An excerpt from this interview talks about the Stryker's performance in Iraq.
By James Kitfield, National Journal
[...]NJ: When outsiders talk about Army transformation, they often point to the new Stryker brigade, equipped with its light armored vehicle, as its most tangible product. What have you learned from the deployment of the first Stryker brigade to Iraq?
Schoomaker: First I would stress that the M-1 tank and the Bradley fighting vehicle will be with us until around 2030. So we will continue to have heavy formations, as well as light formations. In terms of the Stryker brigade, it has almost twice as much infantry as a mechanized brigade built around the M-1 and Bradley.
The Stryker brigade in Iraq recently disengaged from combat up in the Mosul area, moved 420 miles, fought a battle in Bacava along the way, and then entered battle in Najaf. They did all that in a 48-hour period. That performance showed tremendous operational agility and a brigade that is mobile, survivable, and very state-of-the-art in terms of communications and command-and-control. I would emphasize once again, however, that the whole Army's not going to be Stryker-based.
In general, I think Iraq has shown us that we need to quit defining infantry by the way it arrives on the battlefield. The parachute, the helicopter, the truck, the Bradley, the Stryker -- they are all just means of movement and transportation. The centerpiece is the infantryman. Every soldier in the Army needs to have fundamental warrior skills. Soldiers need to be able to survive and patrol and to plan and do all the things you have to do at that basic level. That's our emphasis.[...]
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
A Monroe chef is planning to welcome home returning Stryker troops the best way he knows how – with a barbecue dinner for 5,000.
Konrad Haskins, the Northwest representative for a nationwide support-the-troops outfit called Operation BBQ, is soliciting donations and help for the big feed set for Nov. 22 at Fort Lewis.
The pre-Thanksgiving barbecue will follow a 2 p.m. welcome home ceremony for soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division – the Army’s first Stryker brigade – who are returning after nearly a year in Iraq.
[Link to Full Article]
The Associated Press
In Mosul (MOH'-sul), police and the U-S military say two car bombs have hit two separate U-S convoys. Military sources say five soldiers were hurt in the blasts.
Iraqi police say the first attack killed one Iraqi civilian. No word on civilian casualties in the second...
The U-S military isn't yet commenting.
UPDATE: This article has slightly different information. "The US military said two soldiers had also been slightly wounded in the blast, but had returned to duty. A Stryker armoured vehicle was damaged and two cars destroyed."
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Nearly 1,100 members of the Fort Lewis-based Stryker Brigade began returning home Friday morning in ceremonies at the Army base.
A welcoming ceremony for the first of four groups of Stryker soldiers was scheduled to begin at 6 a.m., with three more celebrations planned Friday for families to greet soldiers who have been in Iraq for a year.
About 300 members of the Stryker brigade returned to Fort Lewis last Monday.
The Stryker brigade is in the process of being replaced by about 4,000 other soldiers from Fort Lewis.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 29, 2004) – Special Iraqi Police Commandos from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard detained six people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Thursday in northern Iraq.
Iraqi Police Commandos and Iraqi National Guard soldiers conducted cordon and search operations in Mosul and detained six people wanted for planning and conducting attacks against civilian and military targets. The suspects are in custody with no injuries reported during the operation.
Dear Friends,
A friend asked me some very good questions about Scott's injury which made me think I should explain things a bit better. I also have some new thoughts about how things happened. I'll start with answering his questions and I hope that will explain things better for us all. A good question always makes you think better and work harder to make your ideas understood.
Hello everyone. Another long . day at the hospital running around trying to get everything in line. Hurry up and wait is still the military way. ;-) Michael had a nice chat with Gen Abazaid the other day and I cornered his aid to let him know the soldier next to my son had not received his purple heart yet. Twenty minutes later, this fine soldier received his PH from the General himself. the poor kid didn't get the medal in Iraq, when he got here the first try was a debaucle with someone misplacing the paperwork, so I had to say something to make it right. I guess that was my first Advocacy work outside the family and it felt really good to do this for him. (He is a 2id soldier too, 2nd brg that was sent over from Korea)
There was this brief summary in an unrelated news story from CNN.
[...] In Mosul, a roadside bomb struck an American military convoy Thursday morning and wounded a U.S. soldier, a U.S. military spokesman said. The soldier returned to duty after the blast, the military said.
Mailing a Christmas package to Iraq? Read the DoD recommendations here.
Phil Carter points to an in depth interview of General Peter Schoomaker, the Army's Chief of Staff, in the current edition of Army Times. He says it's a must-read, "if you want to dig beneath the surface of today's headlines about the war in Iraq, the draft, and defense procurement." Excerpt:
You might remember Christopher Loverro as the soldier behind Operation Pencil, Operation Blanket.
[Link to Full Article]
by JENNIFER JACKSON
PORT TOWNSEND -- It was a reunion Wednesday for an effort that spanned halfway around the world.
Chris Loverro, the Army Reserve staff sergeant whose chance meeting with a Port Townsend woman led to community-wide support for humanitarian aide programs in Iraq, is back in the United States.
En route to his California home, Loverro stopped in Port Townsend to reunite with Carrie Pierce -- and personally remove the yellow ribbons tied around her apple tree.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 28, 2004) – A Mosul citizen prevented a car bomb attack after the anonymous individual informed Multi-National Forces of the suspected explosive device in the Mosul neighborhood of Al Wahda Wednesday.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) responded, based on the citizen’s information, and confirmed anti-Iraqi forces rigged the car with explosives. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team destroyed the car bomb.
Dear Friends,
As promised yesterday, some names. The last ocularist (maker of prosthetic eyes) and a very nice man is Vince Przybyla. The Stryker parents we met yesterday are the parents of LT Tissereau (I hope that spelling is correct) of First Platoon of B Troop.
On to today.
There doesn't seem to be much Stryker-related news right now, but I thought I would share the following stories from the Army website.
AUSA lauds Soldiers as core of ‘Army at War’
Army seeking to slow deployment frequencies
True grit keeps amputees on the run in Army Ten-Miler - Great story and photos.
UPDATE: Steve has added a number of new photos to his album (pages 2 & 3), including pictures from the Purple Heart ceremony for Scott and Majors.
Dear Friends,
We knew we were going to have a busy day today, but no idea of how busy it would truly end up being. We had a meeting with administration about Scott moving on with his rehabilitation and wanted to make sure Scott got off to PT okay. He wasn't feeling all that hot, but decided to go anyway (good!). We left for our meeting as he left for PT.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 27, 2004) –Special Iraqi Police Commandos from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 22 people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Wednesday in northern Iraq.
Iraqi Police Commandos conducted cordon and search operations in Mosul and detained 15 suspected terrorists wanted for planning and conducting anti-Iraqi attacks against civilian and military targets in northern Iraq. All 15 suspects are in custody undergoing questioning with no injuries reported during the operation.
Jacksmom was at Ft. Lewis last night to welcome home her son with 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. Included below is her description of the festivities. Thanks to all of you that have provided us with stories and photos of the homecoming ceremonies.
[Link to Full Article]
By Sean D. Naylor, Times staff writer
Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody says the Army thinks switching to six-month tours in Afghanistan and Iraq is important to maintaining the all-volunteer force, but the service will be unable to do so until the security situation in Iraq improves.
The standard unit deployment schedule in the two combat zones is one year in, one year out, but the Pentagon had directed the Army to examine the possibility of shortening deployments. The reason the tours last a year now is that, with the demand for boots on the ground in Iraq, “if we went to six-to-nine-month rotations, we’d be turning inside ourselves,” Cody said.
[Link to Full Article]
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The U.S. military said Tuesday they had discovered a car bomb and secured the area before it detonated in the northern city of Mosul .
“We do have confirmation of one car bomb,” said Capt. Angela Bowman, with Task Force Olympia.
The car bomb was identified on the side of the road by U.S. patrols, she said.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 26, 2004) – Three terrorists were killed Monday when the car bomb they parked near the Mosul Provincial Hall prematurely detonated. No one else was killed or wounded in the blast.
The three men, two dressed in police uniforms, drove through a checkpoint and into an outer parking area near the seat of Mosul provincial government where they parked the vehicle loaded with artillery shells. As one of the men, Sahir Khodhir, walked away from the vehicle, the car exploded, instantly killing the two men inside and wounding Khodhir, who later died of wounds at the hospital.
Wires and a remote detonation device were found on Khodhir’s body. One man killed in the blast was his brother and the other worked as his bodyguard. Reports stating Khodhir was a tribal leader in the northern region of Iraq are false.
By Hal Bernton
The first Army brigade to take the eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles into combat is ending a yearlong deployment that included missions in strife-ridden cities across Iraq.
The more than 3,500 soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division began returning earlier this month to Fort Lewis, and the homecoming continued yesterday as several hundred soldiers showed up at a Fort Lewis gymnasium to be greeted by a brass band and hundreds of cheering relatives and friends. Stryker and Rivera
"You survived the war; now survive the peace," said Lt. Col. Buck James, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, which was based in Mosul in northern Iraq for most of the year but also saw duty in the southern city of Kut, the Sunni Triangle city of Samarra and the Baghdad area.
Before the reunion with awaiting families, there was a moment of silence for those who did not make it home. [...]
Dear Friends,
Shortly after we arrived, Scott was visited by two members of the psychiatric liaison team who wondered why Scott was he still here. We've been wondering that, too, and spent much of the day trying to find out. We know Minnesota is awaiting his arrival and we know other soldiers have gone there, so we don't know exactly what the hold up is.
Annette went to both homecoming ceremonies today for the 1-23 INF and added a ton of new photos to her album. Thank you!
Here's a longer article from KOMO 4 News.
[Link to Full Article]
By Keith Eldridge
FORT LEWIS - A hero's welcome home for several members of the Fort Lewis Stryker brigade. They are just home from Iraq. The soldiers say there's more to the U.S. effort than just what you see on TV.
Three hundred members of the 1st Battalion 23rd Infantry regiment marched in to thunderous applause Monday. It is a big homecoming after the year-long deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The soldiers say this is what kept them going -- when it got tough in Iraq, the thought of coming home to loving arms pushed them on.
If you follow the link there is a video clip from today's homecoming at Ft. Lewis for the 1-23 INF. I'm sure the clip will be on KIRO 7 tonight as well.
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- About 300 more members of the first Stryker brigade returned Monday to Fort Lewis.
They were welcomed by family members at a gym on the Army base.
About 4,000 members of the first Stryker brigade are in the process of being replaced by the second Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis. Soldiers are returning in planeloads over the next couple of weeks.
Three members from the unit that returned Monday died during its year in Iraq. Joseph Blickenstaff of Corvallis, Oregon, Christopher Wesley of Portland, and Steven Bridges of Tracy, California, died December eighth when an embankment collapsed under their Stryker combat vehicles, plunging them into an Iraqi irrigation canal.
[Link to Full Article]
By LES STEWART
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP -- With some of its units formed during the Revolutionary War, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Brigade, 28th Infantry Division yesterday officially became part of the nation's military future.
During ceremonies that formally recognized formation of a new unit, the 56th Brigade became the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
"We unveil today's future for the Army," said Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, adjutant general of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Winds of Change has also published its latest Iraq Report, with link to news and analysis of recent developments there.
Arthur Chrenkoff has published his latest edition of Good News From Iraq. As always, this will keep you busy for a while.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 25, 2004) – Mosul city government and Iraqi Security
Forces were the targets of two car bomb attacks today that failed to disrupt
government operations in Mosul. The near simultaneous car bomb attacks
occurred at approximately 11 a.m.
The first car bomb occurred in an outer parking area within the Ninevah
Provincial Hall compound in the center of Mosul. Two people were killed in
the blast and one person was injured who later died of wounds at a local
hospital. All three are suspected of being responsible for the attack. The
Governor was conducting a Ninevah Provincial Council meeting at the time.
The Provincial Hall building sustained no damages, and government business
continued.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 25, 2004) � The Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained two people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and collected a variety of weapons and munitions Sunday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard and MNF Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment conducted a joint cordon and search operation in the Mosul neighborhood of Tal Al Ruman and detained two people including a terrorist cell leader with known terrorist links to Abu Yousif, Abu Talah, Abu Mohammad and Sheik Abdullah Aziz. The suspects are in custody with no injuries reported during the operation.
Greetings everyone,
First off I have to tell you it is driving me crazy to be here at Walter Reed Med ctr without my rifle. Man this is a target rich environment. Big rats, grey squirrels all over the place and tonight we saw the biggest possum I have ever seen. If it was legal to have a gun on this base I would almost pay money to hunt here. LOL. Pretty tough being an Oregon boy in the big city of DC. ;-)
Dear Friends,
As I arrived this morning, I saw an officer who had been very helpful to us when Scott was on another floor. He was happy to see me and asked if Scott was up for a visit in about a half-hour. I discovered that he was. The visitors were representatives from Huntsville, Alabama, Major General and Mrs. Pillsbury from Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The general talked to Scott about the unit, the Strykers and about how he was being treated. The general appeared impressed and saluted Scott. (I've been working with Scott on saluting, but I guess he was a little surprised by this to return the salute.)
Provided below is a description of yesterday's homecoming from Schules. She and her husband were there to welcome home their son with A Troop, 1-14 CAV.
UPDATE: Schules has also created a homecoming album with some great pictures.
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
LSA ANACONDA, Iraq — Last month, 20,000 people passed through the Personnel Processing Center at LSA Anaconda and Balad Air Field.
The travelers included servicemembers and civilians, in units or on their own, heading home, into theater, to rest and recuperation trips or on some kind of emergency leave.
“Essentially, it’s like an airport,” said Army Capt. Kevin McPherson, commander of the 21st Replacement Company, 13th Corps Support Command Special Troops Battalion, which operates the processing center.
As one of the major entry points into the theater, flights from around the world and across the region come to Balad.[...]
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) A car bomb exploded Sunday near a U.S. patrol in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, the military said. No casualties were reported.
The car blew up when attackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a U.S. patrol in eastern Mosul as the soldiers checked reports the vehicle was rigged with explosives, said Capt. Angela Bowman of Task Force Olympia.
No Americans were injured and no civilian casualties were immediately reported, Bowman said. Witnesses said U.S. soldiers sealed off the blast site.
Annette has added the first set of photos to the gallery we created for homecoming. We'd love to get more, so let us know if you have any to share.
UPDATE: Michelle has added a handful of new photos from yesterday to Annette's album.
Dear Friends,
We arrived after the ten a.m. scheduled start of PT, so we decided to split up to see where Scott was. I went to the PT room while the ladies (I include Alyson in this category, of course) went to Scott's room. The PT guys said they thought Scott was supposed to be there today and have Sunday off. Back in the room it was thought he was supposed to have today off and go to PT on Sunday. It was sorted out soon enough and Scott went to PT. Things were pretty routine: Upper Body Cycle (I noted the correct name today--took me long enough), stretches, walking up and down stairs. However, the finish was anything but routine.
[Link to Full Article]
By MEREDITH GOAD, Portland Press Herald Writer
So you think you've suffered as a Red Sox fan? Try watching your favorite team finally make it to the World Series from a desert country half a world away.
That's the situation for Spc. Chad Haskell of Augusta and his buddies in Iraq. A Sox fan since 1969, Haskell has been getting up at 3 a.m. to watch every playoff game, and plans to do the same during the coming week, no matter how worn out he is for duty the next day.
Dear Friends,
Scott got a late start this morning. He got to PT a bit late, but did well. He worked the arm cycle and didn't spend much time looking at his right hand. It didn't slip off once. Scott did a few squats between the parallel bars but was concerned about his head and so stopped after a few reps. He went to a new exercise wherein he stepped onto a platform with one leg and then the other while standing between the bars. Coren Point (the PT) put the opposite foot on the same time Scott put his foot on to make it more like a game. I told them all they needed was a jump rope to make the game complete.
It's a bittersweet news day. Our thoughts and prayers are with these soldiers.
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - A car bomb exploded Friday near an American armored vehicle in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, wounding five U.S. soldiers, the military said.
The blast hit the Stryker vehicle as it returned to a coalition base after operations near Mosul, said Capt. Angela Bowman, a spokeswoman with Task Force Olympia.
Bowman had no reports on the condition of the wounded.
(TFO Press Release)
UPDATE: Here's a photo from Yahoo! News related to this story.
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 22, 2004) – Soldiers of the Iraqi National Guard conducted operations in northeastern Mosul at approximately 12:30 p.m. today. ING soldiers acted on information that confirmed bomb makers had sought sanctuary in the Al Norain mosque.
ING has detained suspected bomb makers for further questioning. As the ING soldiers were searching the mosque, terrorists fired small arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortars at them.
No Multinational Forces/United States forces entered any area of the mosque building or surrounding grounds at any time. MNF served in a security role only and were not stationed near the mosque.
One civilian was injured and is being treated for minor wounds.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 22, 2004) – Approximately 2,000 Iraqi Regular Army soldiers from 4th Brigade graduated during a ceremony held Oct. 15 at the Al Kisik military installation in northern Iraq.
The soldiers underwent approximately four months of extensive training with the assistance of members of the Multi-National Forces.
During this time, soldiers were taught basic rifle marksmanship, how to conduct patrols, individual and team movements and how to secure and clear buildings. The soldiers also learned basic first aid and leadership skills.
The graduates will become part of the 3rd Infantry Division, Iraqi Regular Army and will be able to provide greater security for the citizens of northern Iraq. The addition of new soldiers is important for the Iraqi security forces in their responsibility for the security in Iraq.
I think this is the article many of you have been waiting a year to read.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
They turned on the tap at Fort Lewis late Thursday, and for the next two weeks or so, the soldiers and the happy tears of reunion will be flowing.
The 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, is coming home after a year in Iraq.
About 200 soldiers arrived Thursday night to cheering family members and friends at the post’s Sheridan Gymnasium.
They’re the first since an advance party got in Oct. 5, but now the return will move into high gear as the Stryker brigade’s more than 4,000 soldiers make their way home.
Dear Friends (you, too, James),
Today was another mixed day. Things got off to a good start with Scott up and ready to go. When I arrived, he was being interviewed by a woman who performs combat stress interviews on all the soldiers at Walter Reed. Dr. French and the TBI folks (lots of them) were outside, but didn't get the chance to see him. We discussed with them our adventure with the PEBLO folks yesterday and felt confident that we had averted a disaster there. They agreed and one even winced at the paperwork problem.
[Link to Full Article]
By Lin Noueihed
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Rebels have fired several mortar rounds in Iraq's northern city of Mosul in an attack possibly aimed at visiting interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
Journalists accompanying Allawi on Thursday heard about five blasts as the prime minister's party was about to leave the city. Moments later a small blaze and plume of black smoke could be seen by those aboard the helicopters taking his entourage away.
The following is front-page article in Eugene's The Register-Guard newspaper regarding Michael Oreskovic. It provides an excellent summary of Michael's military career, his current condition at Walter Reed, and his future plans. The Register-Guard has graciously allowed us to reprint the entire article here.
[Link to Article]
By Jeff Wright, The Register-Guard
A 23-year-old soldier from Eugene will undergo an eighth surgery today at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after losing his left arm in a suicide bomber's attack near Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 11.
Michael John Oreskovic, a corporal with the Army's 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division based at Fort Lewis, Wash., was injured on his final mission after a yearlong stint in Iraq. The attack came four days after he was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in a similar attack Oct. 5.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 21, 2004) –Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one person wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and foiled a roadside bomb attack Wednesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment foiled a roadside bomb attack when they noticed a large suspicious barrel near the side of the road in northern Mosul. The U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team destroyed the device with no injuries reported.
Dear Friends,
Sometimes, I forget to put everything in the update that happened and I get to correct it the next day. Today is one of those days. While eating lunch in the dining facility yesterday, I noticed the neurologist who showed me Scott's CT Scan on 9/23/04 (I think I described him as honored to do his best to heal the wounded than came his way). I told him about Scott's being up and walking with a walker (Ha! Yesterday's news...) and he asked how he was doing verbally. I told him he talks better on the telephone than in person and seems to be more polite with the please and thank yous. However, every once in a while lets loose with a blue streak. The doctor laughed and said, "That's disinhibition." He said the God of Neurology (actually, he used his professional name, LTC Armanda) was back over at Walter Reed for a week or two and was going to try to see him. That would be nice.
Okay, on to today.
Liz Jackson of Patriotic Pastime has organized a Washington State Stomp this weekend to promote the Hero to Hero project. Follow the link to read more and see how you might be able to help. The 3-2 SBCT received many of the t-shirts from last year's campaign - be sure to check out the photos from the soldiers in Iraq.
As I mentioned previously there are a couple ways we can help Michael Oreskovic as he begins his recovery. Click below for all the details.
(edited in May 2005 by Mike Oreskovic)
As with Scott Thorne, we've created a new category for updates regarding Michael Oreskovic. Provided below are a few short updates Mike has either emailed to me or posted previously on our Bulletin Board. In a follow up entry I will include a couple different ways we can support Michael and his family as they start down the long road to recovery.
The October 18 edition of The Olympia Observer, the official newsletter of Task Force Olympia, is now available for download. There are four new stories that haven't been published before.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The flow of federal construction dollars isn’t slowing at Fort Lewis even though the two new Stryker brigades – the post’s highest priorities the past four years – are finished products.
Officials who gathered Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting at a new $32 million strategic deployment facility said there’s more than $585 million worth of projects in the pipeline over the next four years.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 20, 2004) – The Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one person wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Tuesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the 109th Iraqi National Guard Battalion and U.S. Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment conducted a joint cordon and search in Tal Afar and detained one person wanted for planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities. The suspect is in custody with no injuries reported during the operation.
Multinational Forces from Task Force Olympia continue to work together with members of Iraqi Security Forces, leaders and citizens of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic nation. Local citizens should cooperate with security forces by providing information that leads to the capture and arrest of anti-Iraqi forces. Anyone with information should call the Joint Coordination Center in Mosul at 125 or 513462.
(From now on we will be posting Steve's updates individually. You can view all entries related to Scott here.)
Dear Friends,
Today was a pretty good day. Amazing in places, even. Scott was up and finished with Occupational Therapy (OT) by the time I arrived. The speech therapists arrived sometime later and went for a short session just to make sure he got some work done before PT. Scott still has some trouble getting the right word out, but you know he knows the right word. Sometimes, he starts to draw it with his finger on his leg or on the blanket and you guess half way through. I can't say I noticed any significant improvement with speech today, but then I was out of the room most of the session so as not to distract him. The three of us peeked into his room at times and he was having an animated discussion with them every time. We're taking this as "good," especially since he's starting to gesture with the right hand more often. On a scale from Joe Friday to Joe Pesci, I'd say he's closer to Friday right now.
Today we get a visual update on Scott. Steve has added three new photos to his album of Scott during his PT session.
You'll also notice that we have added a new category called "Scott Thorne". Rather than adding all of the daily updates to one entry, we will now post each progress report individually. Follow the link above to view all of Scott's updates on one page.
Jerry Jimenez served as a civil affairs sergeant with Task Force Olympia and describes his homecoming in the following column.
[Link to Full Article]
By JERRY JIMENEZ
Well, I'm back in the United States for good. We hopped on a C-17 a week ago and took it all the way to Fort Bragg, N.C., stopping only in Germany to refuel.
A C-17 is a gigantic military aircraft with enough space to play basketball in. Its seats weren't as comfortable as a commercial plane's, but it had a large, open space in the middle, and some soldiers stretched out on the cold metal floor and dozed off -- most likely comforted by the knowledge they were headed home.
It felt weird to walk around the American post in Germany. Of course, the place was secure, but I had left Iraq only a few hours before. As cars passed by in the street, I felt totally exposed without weapons or an infantry platoon near me.
Dear Friends,
I understand there has been a misunderstanding about "Official Visits." We estimate that we've missed about twenty of these since being here. We missed Miss America, for example. Most of this missing is due to the fact that Scott is in a part of the hospital where he's the only OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) patient. The rest of the patients are waiting to have their ivory harvested. In other words, you have to work to go see Scott.
[Link to Article]
By Kathleen T. Rhem, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2004 -- The pace of reconstruction projects is picking up in Iraq as officials make commitments for the $18.44 billion Congress allotted to the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund.
Army officials responsible for managing reconstruction programs and administering contracts said today that they have so far committed -- or set aside for specific projects -- $10.5 billion in reconstruction monies.
Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee briefed reporters in the Pentagon today that $7.7 billion are already obligated, "which means we have actually signed contracts." He added that officials also already have more than $1 billion in "construction work in the ground."
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
[Link to Article]
By Staff Sgt. Russell Bassett
FORT EUSTIS, Va. (Army News Service, Oct. 15, 2004) -- The wife of a Fort Eustis Soldier has decided to tell a side of war that doesn’t receive much publicity: the story of mothers and wives left behind when their sons and husbands deploy.
Patti Correa, spouse of Sgt. 1st Class Edward Correa, truck master with the 155th Transportation Company at Fort Eustis, has written a book, “From a Pebble to a Rock,” in which she tells the true-life stories of wives and mothers forced to deal with life without their husbands and sons when they deploy.
“Usually we just hear the story about the Soldiers,” said Correa, whose book was released by Xulon Press this month. “The Soldiers’ story is important, but we need to tell the story of the wives and mothers on the home front.”
The October 11 edition of The Olympia Observer, the newletter for Task Force Olympia, is available for download. All of the stories are new, including one regarding the advance party homecoming at Ft. Lewis.
Provided below are links to recent videos released by Army Public Affairs in Mosul.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 18, 2004) – A car bomb detonated on a Mosul bridge Sunday killing five Iraqi citizens and injuring 15 others.
The car bomb detonated at approximately 10:30 a.m. on the western side of the bridge between the neighborhoods of Al Matlan and Al Shefa and the Mosul amusement park. The blast occurred after the driver of the car bomb collided with another car. Several other cars were destroyed.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 18, 2004) – Soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard detained six in separate incidents and Iraqi police discovered a large weapons cache in a Mosul neighborhood Sunday.
Guardsmen with the 102nd Iraqi National Guard Battalion conducted a cordon and knock operation near the northern Iraq city of Al Hadr in an attempt to capture subjects suspected of planning attacks against Iraqi and Multinational Forces. Soldiers detained three individuals, who remain in custody.
[Link to Full Article]
By Jed Babbin, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
[...] Spc. Herman Breuer of Warren, Ohio, patrols Mosul with fellow members of the Pennsylvania National Guard's Alpha Company, 1st of the 107th Military Police Brigade.
Mosul, 225 miles north of Baghdad, in recent days has seen another surge in deadly insurgent attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqis, including children.
Spc. Breuer, 36, first joined the Army in 1990. He re-enlisted last year but admits to having been a bit surprised when the 107th, based in Newcastle, Pa., got orders for Iraq in February.
It was hard to leave his wife, Tara, and children, Bailey, 5, and Emily, 10 months. The strain is relieved by his Guard unit's access to e-mail and Web cams. Spc. Breuer talks with his wife "pretty regularly," at least by computer linkup.
Is morale low among troops in Mosul?
"Quite the contrary. It just can't be," Spc. Breuer says in a Sept. 29 interview, before the renewed violence. "The fact of the matter is that what we do every day is extremely dangerous.
Dear Friends,
The day started well enough with Scott just waking up and getting ready to eat. The scrambled eggs were rubbery, the cinnamon roll was ruined by some mysterious process involving heat, but the rest of it, Scott gobbled down, or as close as he can get to gobble by eating left handed.
Ladymaine sent this timely article today that I wanted to share.
[Link to Article]
By Samantha L. Quigley, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2004 -- They've been gathering at Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse in the Capital Hilton here on Friday nights for a year now, but this week was different.
On Oct. 15, a group of injured servicemembers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., were joined by family and friends to be recognized by dignitaries, veterans service organizations and Iraqi citizens.
Hal Koster, co-owner of Fran O'Brien's, opened "A Tribute to U.S. Troops" with praise for the troops he said have become like family.
This lengthy article from Michael Gilbert of The News Tribune describes the struggles of various Stryker Brigade soldiers as they recover from battle injuries. Some of the names will be very familiar to our site's visitors. I know this story has been in the works for some time and I would like to thank Mike for taking the time to tell these stories, which need to be heard. I'm not sure if the link below is working properly, so I will include the full-text of the article below.
"Buoyed by Army iron will, Stryker soldiers and their loved ones struggle to make their families whole when some of the pieces never come home"
[Link to Article] (Full text provided below)
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Families from all over the country will be coming to Fort Lewis in the next few weeks to welcome home their Stryker brigade soldiers who spent a year in Iraq.
The first troops to return, the advance party, were greeted by cheering loved ones and an Army band on Oct 5.
But others have come back under much less joyful circumstances, one and two at a time. The most critically wounded soldiers and their loved ones have had to make reunions at military hospitals in Germany and Washington, D.C.
Dave & Charlotte have tackled numerous projects to benefit the Stryker family. This summer they designed a car magnet for the 3-2 SBCT and recently completed a design for the 1-25 SBCT. Provided below are all the details about how to get one (or five or ten), including a photo of the design. Thanks you guys!
UPDATE 02/16/05: Dave and Charlotte are all out of magnets.
Apparently there is a glitch in the online version of this story and what is posted is a small part of what ran in the paper. We will update this post when it becomes available.
[Link to Full Article]
Michael Gilbert, The News Tribune
Officials with the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division said they were too busy preparing for their return home while still conducting combat operations in Iraq to provide The News Tribune with statistics on the number of wounded and injured soldiers. The brigade will release the information when all 4,000 or so soldiers have returned to Fort Lewis, said executive officer Lt. Col. Barry Huggins. Based on preliminary figures, Huggins said, about 250 soldiers have received a Purple Heart, the medal awarded to those wounded in action. About 28 were hurt seriously enough to be flown out of Iraq to Germany and the United States. Brigade sources, though, said those numbers are probably low.
We also learn that Spc. Alan J. Burgess was the soldier who died yesterday in Mosul. Spc. Burgess was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Brigade. Our hearts go out to his family and friends as we grieve the loss of another Task Force Olympia soldier.
The DoD identified Maj. Charles R. Soltes, Jr. as the second soldier killed in Mosul last Wednesday. Maj. Soltes was assigned to the Army Reserve's 426th Civil Affairs Battalion. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and his fellow soldiers he leaves behind. If we find any additional information we will add it to this entry.
The DoD has identified Lt. Col. Mark P. Phelan as one of the two soldiers killed in Mosul last Wednesday. Phelan was assigned to the Army Reserve's 416th Civil Affairs Battalion. I'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time. Please check this entry for updates as we find additional information.
October 15, 2004
Dear Friends,
First, we have some corrections from yesterday's report. Scott was on the treadmill and not the parallel bars and Tiffany was able to give me some more details about the visit by Paul Wolfowitz. Scott was trying to talk about something and became frustrated about not being able to get the word out he was thinking of. He used an appropriate military term to express his frustration. Later, he tried to get the cap off a dry erase pen and used a second military term. Tiffany suggested he be careful about his language and Mr. Wolfowitz patted her shoulder saying, "That's okay, honey. He's earned it." He also told Mr. Wolfowitz and the assembled generals and other officers that "I'm not done" being a soldier. One of the generals had been with the 101st Airborne and knew Mosul well. They discussed their memories of the city and their experiences there.
By BETH IPSEN, Staff Writer
U.S. Army Sgt. Reyes Fernandez was already an American citizen in his heart, now he's one on paper.
As an infantryman, Fernandez has been willing to sacrifice his life for a country of which he wasn't a citizen. Fernandez--who moved to the United States from Honduras when he was 10--changed that on Friday.
The 27-year-old was among a group that included 10 soldiers from Fort Wainwright, an Eielson Air Force Base airman and seven civilians who took an oath of allegiance to the United States at the post chapel.
With their right hands raised, they swore to defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, bear arms in defense of the country if needed and perform noncombative service in the armed forces when required by law.[...]
BAGHDAD, Iraq A U-S soldier assigned to Task Force Olympia has died of wounds suffered in a car bomb attack in the northern city of Mosul.
A U-S military statement today says the blast occurred Friday in the east-central area of Mosul, 225 miles north of Baghdad.
Greetings everyone. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest Thank You to all of you, My Stryker Family. The amount of emails, comments, messages and prayers for my family and especially for my son has been more than I could ever have imagined. Although my heart is heavy and burdened by the loss of so many good men from TFO I know they will not be forgotten.
Michael is progressing well and his latest operation was a success. That means he will be heading stateside soon and through the Grace of God and all the prayers and efforts from all of you, his mother and I will be able to be at his side. All I could think of yesterday was Get me off this rollercoaster soon. Then, the phone rang, a few extra emails, and like a miracle, everything fell into place. :-)
I forgot to post this article yesterday by Michael Gilbert regarding the incidents on Monday and Wednesday.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Two more U.S. soldiers were killed and five wounded Wednesday in Mosul in another suicide car-bomb attack – the second fatal strike in three days.
This time an insurgent drove a car packed with explosives into an Army convoy about 2:20 p.m. Mosul time, or 4:20 a.m. PDT, according to a military news release and published reports.
The attacker waited in an alley and then sped his vehicle into the second of three armored Humvees driving along a main road in the northeast section of the city, the Army Times reported. The paper has a reporter embedded with Task Force Olympia, the Fort Lewis-based headquarters in charge of coalition operations across northern Iraq.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 15, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces will soon receive a helping hand in combating terrorism in northern Iraq after soldiers of the 109th Iraqi National Guard Battalion were officially activated during a ceremony held Oct. 10 outside of Tal Afar.
The nearly 500 national guardsmen underwent extensive training, including basic rifle marksmanship, patrol operations, individual and team movement, clearing and securing structures and basic first aid. Multi-National Forces from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) assisted in training the Iraqi soldiers.
UPDATE: We're bring this old entry back to the top because we have confirmed that the date for the Homecoming Ceremony has changed to 11/22. We wanted to pass this along in case you are making travel plans.
We've posted the following information on our bulletin board, but I think it's become necessary to post it here as well.
Specific return dates for units of the 3-2 SBCT are not public knowledge and should not be disclosed here. One date that has been approved for distribution is November 22nd, when an official homecoming ceremony for the entire brigade will be held. You can assume that individual units will be returning in a staggered fashion until that time.
The past few days we've had to edit a number of comments discussing return dates. If you have any questions regarding why this issue is important, please feel free to read our OPSEC Guidelines and this OPSEC Parable.
From strykerdad172nd.
[Link to Article]
Cpl. Douglas DeMaio
FORT WAINWRIGHT – For the past four weeks, more than 30 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers spent their physical training sessions at Melaven Gym honing their skills in close quarters combat.
This week, those Soldiers are earning certification as basic instructors in Linear Infighting Neural-override Engagement system, a variation of hand-to-hand combat used by the U.S. Army Special Forces.
“LINEs is something else to add to your combatives knowledge base,” said Staff Sgt. Cody Stowe, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, a student in the LINEs course who is Skill Level 3 certified in the Modern Army Combatives Program.
Dear Friends,
This is going to be a short update as I'm still not packed for my return to DC via redeye and my ride arrives in 60 minutes. Whew! (faster, faster, faster!).
Dear Friends,
This is going to be a short update as I'm still not packed for my return to DC via redeye and my ride arrives in 60 minutes. Whew! (faster, faster, faster!).
[Link to Full Article]
Reported by: Jennifer Steiner
A Sycamore Township firefighter who risks his life everyday to help fight fires in Iraq says he'll do it all over again in an instant.
For three months Zach Van Lieu has been working to keep members of an Army engineering detachment in Mosul safe from the constant threat of fire.
9News interviewed Van Lieu three months ago when he first left for Iraq and recently spoke again with him in a phone interview about the constant danger in Iraq.
The following article provides an update on the condition of Chaplain Timothy Vakoc.
Four months after he was critically injured in Iraq, the Rev. H. Timothy Vakoc has returned home to Minnesota for treatment at the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center.
The 44-year-old Army chaplain and Catholic priest was transferred from a military hospital in Washington, D.C., to the Minneapolis VA on Oct. 1, said his sister, Anita Brand. [...]
StrategyPage has a brief column regarding the relative advantages of the Stryker vehicle.
October 14, 2004: The U.S. Army’s new Stryker armored vehicles have taken a lot of criticism because of their cost, susceptibility to rollovers, and not being much different, in terms of combat capability than the older (and much cheaper) M-113 tracked vehicle, or the newer (and more expensive) M-2 Bradley. But in one area, the Strykers have proven much superior. Since they run on rubber tires, not metal tracks, the Strykers are a lot quieter, and faster. This has proven scary for hostile Iraqis, and very useful for American troops out on night operations. U.S. soldiers prefer to operate at night, mainly because of very effective night vision devices, because it’s cooler, and the very quiet Strykers allow American troops to literally sneak up on the enemy. The Strykers have another advantage, which has little to do with the vehicle itself. The Stryker brigades are being used to try out new communications gear, and some new weapons. The Stryker troops like this, because the new stuff works. As a result, communications between the Stryker vehicles is better than in other units.
Winds of Change has published its most recent Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
There seems to be a constant question about which calling card is best to use from Iraq. While it porbably depends quite a bit on where your soldier is located, the following article provides some useful information.
UPDATE: Some good information in the comments. Bottom line - find out from your soldier what facilities are available before you buy anything.
[Link to Article]
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2004 -- Looking to buy a prepaid phone card for a servicemember deployed to Southwest Asia, but confused about which one to buy?
Take comfort in knowing you're not alone. With so many competing companies offering different calling cards, picking the best one can be a tough call.
Yahoo! News features a couple of photos of Strykers repsonding to incidents in Mosul this week (one, two).
The October 4 edition of The Olympia Observer, Task Force Olympia's newsletter, is now available for download.
Dear Friends,
Well, I'm back home and re-learning to type on my main computer (a desktop) instead of typing in the dark (so as not to wake her) on Julie's laptop.
Today was a very long day (I'm writing this at 2 a.m. PDT), but a good one in many ways.
I wanted to let everyone know that we have been adding new articles to SSG Burbank's entry, and will continue to do so. We've learned from past experience that is best to collect all related information in one spot for future reference.
Frontline Photos again features soldiers today from 5-20 INF. Start here and move through the album - there are five photos total from Mosul.
[Link to Article]
Story and Photos by Spc. Jessika Ross
MOSUL, Iraq- Marking the end of a chapter in their history, the 44th Corps Support Battalion (CSB) is heading home to Fort Lewis, Wash., after completing an 11-month tour providing logistical support as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
The 44th has been replaced by the 17th Corps Support Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. During a transfer of authority ceremony in Mosul, on Oct. 5, the 44th relinquished its logistical support duties in the northern region to the 17th CSB.
Matthew Cox reports from Mosul on today's convoy attack.
[Link to Full Article]
By Matthew Cox, Times staff writer
MOSUL, Iraq — Insurgents here drove a car bomb into an Army convoy of up-armored Humvees today and detonated it. The blast killed two soldiers and injured five others. The names and units of the dead and five wounded, who were attached to Task Force Olympia, will not be released until the family members have been notified, said spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Hastings.
This is the second car bomb attack here in two days. On Monday, ;a suicide bomber detonated a pickup truck full of explosives next to a Stryker column, killing one soldier and wounding nine.
First a brief explanation of why I'm posting this now. This summary of positive developments in Iraq was originally published on Monday, but it didn't seem appropriate to share given the tragic news coming from Mosul this week. It's been a very difficult time for everyone. However, I keep remembering an email I received from a soldier about six months ago during another particularly rough stretch. He asked if we could please post some good news for a change. Progress was being made, but it didn't seem to make it to the headlines on our site.
Consequently, if for no other reason than to honor the sacrifices being made by our soldiers and their Iraqi allies, I wanted to share Chrenkoff's Good News From Iraq, Part 12. This is what they are helping make possible.
We just received the following official press release from Task Force Olympia.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 13, 2004) – Two Soldiers assigned to Task Force Olympia died following a car bomb attack on a Multinational Forces convoy today at approximately 2:20 p.m. The attack occurred in the northeastern area of Mosul.
A suicide bomber drove the car bomb loaded with explosives into a vehicle in the convoy where it detonated.
Dear Friends,
Forgot to mention this the other day, but interesting stuff is distributed to wounded soldiers from school children around the country. On Scott's wall is a little story about a Hunter B. from the First Grade at Oak Ridge School in Michigan. Hunter writes: "Thank you for fighting for us. I hope you feel better." Well, thank you Hunter. I'll e-mail your teacher and let her know how we're doing.
There are a number of photos of soldiers from both Stryker Brigades operating in Mosul. Start here and go forward through the photo gallery.
Thanks to everyone that sent this link.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 13, 2004) – The Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 23 people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and foiled a roadside bomb Tuesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the 109th Iraqi National Guard Battalion conducted a cordon and search in Tal Afar and detained 18 people wanted for planning and conducting attacks against Iraqi Security forces and Multi-National Forces. All suspects are in custody with no injuries reported.
By Sara Jean Green
Two months ago, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Lee Burbank gave up a relatively safe assignment directing troop enlistment in Iraq for a place on the front lines.
The Bremerton High School graduate was supposed to come home late next week for an eight-month leave. His wife had booked vacations to Disneyland, British Columbia and Texas. Now, she has to plan a funeral.
Burbank, 34, and 10 other men were riding in a Stryker vehicle, one of three returning to an Army base south of Mosul after a Monday morning patrol. [...]
The Department of Defense just put out this press release. Our thoughts and prayers are with this soldier and his family. We will add any subsequent articles we find about SSG Burbank to this entry.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Michael L. Burbank, 34, of Bremerton, Wash., died Oct. 11 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker military vehicle. Burbank was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Provided below are additional articles and links.
Michael Gilbert reports on yesterday's incident.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT The News Tribune
A Fort Lewis soldier was killed and nine others wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a Stryker convoy Monday morning in Mosul, according to military and news media reports.
A pickup full of explosives drove into the path of the convoy and detonated, leaving a 5-foot crater in the roadway, according to reports. [...]
As many of you may have heard by now, one of the soldiers injured in the car bomb attack yesterday is Mike Oreo's son, Michael. Just so there is no confusion, "Oreo" is not his real last name, but it does begin with "O" - we'll leave it at that. Mike is one of the founders of this site, so the news became very personal for those of us that have gotten to know his family this past year.
Michael was flown to Germany where is currently being treated. Mike and his wife were able to speak to him on the phone last night and reported that his condition is improving, which we are very thankful for. Apparently Michael wants to be able to get messages from his buddies in Iraq, but he can't access his email right now. Consequently, those of you in his unit who want to say hello can send a note to his dad at mike(at)strykernews.com . Mike will try and get those messages to his son as soon as possible. I also wanted to pass this along from Mike:
Please let everyone know that he is doing better and thanks everyone for their thoughtfullness and prayers.
Finally, there are many others hurting today as well. For the families and friends of the fallen soldier and those wounded, you remain foremost in our thoughts and prayers.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 12, 2004) – The Iraqi National Guard detained eight people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and collected a variety of weapons Monday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the 109th Iraqi National Guard Battalion conducted a cordon and search in Tal Afar and detained eight people wanted for planning and conducting roadside bomb attacks against civilian and military vehicles. ING soldiers seized three AK-47s during a search of the residence and reported no injuries during the operation.
Iraqi National Guard forces continue to work together with members of the Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army, leaders and citizens of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic nation. Local citizens should cooperate with their security forces by providing us with information that leads to the capture and arrest of anti-Iraqi forces. Anyone with information should call the Joint Coordination Center in Mosul at 125 or 513462.
Dear Friends,
Today's update begins very early this morning ("oh dark thirty") with a telephone call from Scott's room to someplace several time zones away. (I can do some interesting things with a telephone when properly motivated. I've passed on some of my skills to one of the nurses with the usual "Don't get caught" warning/disclaimer!) The call did all parties a lot of good and raised morale on two continents. Some good news followed via e-mail message to me, but I didn't tell Scott the news until this morning when we arrived in his room. "There you guys are," he said as we came in. I made the announcement and he was the happiest I'd seen him in some time. We'll wait for formal announcements later when the paperwork catches up.
There are three photos of the 1-14 CAV at Frontline Photos today. Start here and go forward. Thanks to Carla for the link.
The following is a more detailed article about the incident from Matthew Cox of Army Times.
[Link to Full Article]
By Matthew Cox, Times staff writer
MOSUL, Iraq — Insurgents steered a bomb-packed pick-up truck toward a Stryker combat vehicle and set off the deadly cargo, killing one soldier and wounding nine others in the southwestern part of the city. The attack came this morning as a unit with the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division was returning from a combat mission to clear a section of the Al Amel neighborhood of people who have been using the area to mount attacks on coalition forces along main roads here.
[A]bout a battalion’s worth of Stryker vehicles from Task Force Olympia, along with about 250 Iraqi National Guard soldiers, began the hunt for insurgents just before 8 a.m. near the intersection of two main roads here just west of the Tigris River.
A recently returned Stryker soldier represented the Army yesterday at the Seahawks game. There's a great photo included as well. From the website:
Sunday was Military Appreciation Day at Qwest Field for the Seahawks-Rams game, and the Seahawks welcomed several special guests to midfield for a halftime ceremony, where members representing each branch of the Armed Services were presented with their own Seahawks jersey. Prior to the game was an induction ceremony for new Navy recruits, who received a standing ovation from Seahawks fans following the swearing in. [...]
The following is an official press release from the Task Force Olympia public affairs office. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and comrades of this fallen soldier. Let's hope for a fast and complete recovery for those wounded as well.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 11, 2004) – A Soldier assigned to Task Force Olympia died following a vehicle bomb attack on a Multinational Forces convoy today at approximately 11 a.m. The attack occurred in the southwestern area of Mosul.
A suicide bomber drove the pick up truck loaded with explosives into the path of the oncoming convoy where it detonated, leaving a five foot crater in the road.
The following is an official press release from the Task Force Olympia public affairs office. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and comrades of this fallen soldier. Let's hope for a fast and complete recovery for those wounded as well.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 11, 2004) – A Soldier assigned to Task Force Olympia died following a vehicle bomb attack on a Multinational Forces convoy today at approximately 11 a.m. The attack occurred in the southwestern area of Mosul.
A suicide bomber drove the pick up truck loaded with explosives into the path of the oncoming convoy where it detonated, leaving a five foot crater in the road.
Leslie forwarded this blessing of the 1st BDE, 25th ID written by the Rev. David Graham.
I haven't seen any press releases from the military regarding this incident. If anyone does please let us know.
MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) - A car bomb struck a US army convoy in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, causing casualties, the military and Iraqi officials said.
A US military spokesman said there was a "a complex attack" on a convoy in Mosul but declined to give further details about the bombing or casualties.
A pick-up truck sped up beside the US convoy and exploded in Mosul's southern Yarmouk district at 11 am (0800 GMT), said Iraqi police officer Jarella Mohammed Said.
UPDATE: See this entry for additional information.
FYI - I guess there was some sort of hacker attack on part of the network (i.e. - the internet) that our server is connected to, which slowed down our site and perhaps made some pages unavailable. I think they've got a handle on the situation now.
Dear Friends,
I learned this morning that the "updates on Scott's progress" section of www.strykernews.com has received over 5,000 visits. If the much-anticipated Tacoma News-Tribune article about our wounded in the Stryker Brigade ever hits Mike Gilbert's front porch, I suspect the number will jump considerably. (Head's up, Todd!) I told Scott this news first thing today. He seemed confused at first and then a bit amazed. I asked him if he knew 5,000 people I didn't know about and he shook his head "no." Later in the day after speaking to some relatives, his brother and two of the men who were injured in his patrol by phone, he said, "All my friends want me to do good." Oh, it's more than that now. We're way beyond just friends, my son.
This is a very nice tribute to a fallen Stryker Brigade soldier.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) _ Six months after a Bridgeport soldier was killed in Iraq, her hometown dedicated a street in her honor.
About 100 people gathered as Orange Street was dedicated to the memory of Army Spc. Tyanna Avery-Felder on Saturday morning. The 22-year-old city woman was killed on April 7 in Mosul, Iraq, when her convoy vehicle hit an explosive device.
"It means a lot to me to have the community come together today to remember her and the ultimate price she paid. I lost my best friend that day," her husband, Adrian Felder, said. The couple were married for less than two years when she died.
Here's another article from James Glanz of The New York Times describing recent operations south of Baghdad that include elements of the Stryker Brigade. Thanks to Elizabeth for the link.
[Link to Full Article]
By JAMES GLANZ
Al YUSUFIYA, Iraq, Oct. 9 - House-to-house raids in this dangerous swath of territory about 30 miles south of Baghdad are turning up few men of fighting age, leading American commanders to believe that insurgents are melting away ahead of troops who are trying to bring the area under Iraqi control.
At the same time, intelligence here has been sketchy, leading to nighttime raids on what appear to be no more than frightened farm families. And the rural terrain - irrigation-soaked roads that are either too narrow for armored vehicles or too weak to support their weight - partly negate the Americans' vast technological advantage.
In at least one case, the problem with the Iraqi back roads led to a disastrous eight-hour ordeal in which new armored vehicles called Strykers became mired in an irrigated field as they were chasing an insurgent who had just fired mortar shells at them. The attacker escaped. Overnight Friday, they searched two towns just east of the Euphrates River and found that they had been deserted, virtual ghost towns.
Dear Friends,
First, to follow up on yesterday's very obscure Jubal Early reference with respect to haircutting. General Early wasn't exactly bald, but there's a strong comb-over possibility. Also, on July 11 and 12, 1864, Confederate troops under his command attempted to take Washington, DC, and there's a marker on the campus here where a tree once stood that was used as a signal station and by sharpshooters. So, there you have it.
Last Wednesday we posted an article from The New York Times that describes a recent mission by elements of the Stryker Brigade south of Baghdad. Since then a number of people have emailed the article to me. It wasn't very obvious what the article was about if you only read the brief excerpt provided (sorry!). So, if you haven't already, you might want to follow the link above and read the whole thing.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October, 7 2004) – Iraqi National Guardsmen and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained four people suspected of planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities today.
National Guardsmen and soldiers from Company C, 52nd Infantry Regiment (Anti-Tank) conducted a cordon and search in the vicinity of Al Hawd, where they detained four individuals. One subject was positively identified as a suspected anti-Iraqi Forces facilitator. During the search, soldiers confiscated two AK-47s, two rifles, a machine gun, ammunition, a pistol and a protective mask from the location. The subjects remain in custody and no injuries were reported during the operation.
Multinational Forces from Task Force Olympia continue to work together with members of Iraqi Security Forces, leaders and citizens of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic nation. Local citizens should cooperate with security forces by providing information that leads to the capture and arrest of anti-Iraqi forces. Anyone with information should call the Joint Coordination Center in Mosul at 125 or 513462.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 9, 2004) – Iraqi Security forces and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) foiled a car bomb attack and detained 14 people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Friday in northern Iraq.
Iraqi Police foiled a car bomb attack in the Mosul neighborhood of Palistine after they noticed a vehicle with exposed wires parked on road. When police attempted to investigate further, anti-Iraqi forces attacked them with a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire injuring nobody. Police engaged the enemy and secured the location around the vehicle. Later, the U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team arrived and conducted a controlled blast of the car bomb with no injuries reported.
(Did you know that Steve was the one that wrote the "letter to the editor" we posted last July? Still one of my favorites.)
Dear Friends,
We start with an update from Scott's wife, Tiffany, about yesterday. She went back to the hospital to be with Scott after dinner. We left him asleep, but he awoke and was asking for her. She arrived soon after this and they watched a movie together on the hospital movie channel (The airline versions of films are shown). She said Scott laughed with her at scenes in the movie.
Thanks to Jennifer for the following story.
[Link to Full Article]
Commentary by Scott Rutter for FOX Fan Central
8 October 2004 — Offensive operations and joint patrols performed with the Iraqi National Guard continue daily within Northern Iraq. Task Force Olympia and its subordinate units maintain peace and stability by demonstrating commitment and obligation to the people of Northern Iraq, including the towns of Mosul, Tal Afar and parts of the Kurdish area. The main enforcers of the task force are a maneuver brigade combat team and its combat support units. The make up of Task Force Olympia also includes a dedicated Civil Affairs unit that concentrates on rebuilding and reconstruction efforts. These unsung heroes ensure critical infrastructure projects are planned and executed. These projects include the refurbishment of schools, hospitals and other immediate needs of the community. One particular project that I witnessed firsthand was the construction of a new housing area and school for displaced Arabs who were planted into the Kurdish area in the North by the former regime as part of the “Arabization” of traditional Kurdish areas. In addition, long-term projects are forecasted and resourced by a joint effort between the military and the U.S. Department of State.
Operation Support Our Troops has posted its October newsletter where you can read about the group's recent activities. In particular, OSOT helped raise over $20,000 for Trevor Phillips, a Stryker soldier seriously injured in Iraq.
Strykerdad172nd found this photo at Army Images. Caption:
Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division roll up to a suspected enemy hideout in their Strykers in Samarra, Iraq. Photo by Pfc. John S. Gurtler.
UPDATE: In the comments section someone said this photo was taken in Mosul, not Samarra.
[Link to Article] (Photos included)
Story and photos by Cpl. Douglas DeMaio
FORT WAINWRIGHT – As troops from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment return from their field exercise, they discover damaged, broken and dirtied equipment.
Examining, cleaning, repairing, and maintaining equipment becomes a top priority, a course of action called refitting or recovery. This helps commanders determine combat readiness and helps validate the battalions deployability with 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
“Every time we come out of the field we have to go through a refitting process to get our equipment, supplies and personnel back to the level in which they need to, so we can deploy,” said Maj. Craig Triscari, executive officer, 1st Bn., 17th Inf. Reg.
Dear Friends,
Yesterday's update was long and hard to write. So much so I left out the two very nice Red Cross volunteers who came by. They come by with a cart of goodies every Wednesday. They've got cards, books, magazines, clothes, Girl Scout cookies (and no, they're not made with real Girl Scouts), you-name-it. The American Red Cross has been very good to the troops and their families here and I would suggest helping them out in return if you're able. I know about the hurricanes in Florida, but they're also helping the war wounded here. There's two good reasons to help them out, if you can.
This article has additional information regarding Operation Phantom Fury.
[Link to Full Article]
By Scott Peterson, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
MUSAYYIB, IRAQ – The US Marines and Iraqi forces launched an offensive south of Baghdad Tuesday, aimed at cutting insurgent "rat lines" that feed the capital with explosives, cash, and militants, and establishing control over broad swaths of hostile rural territory.
Operation Phantom Fury is a key element of a wider US-led rolling offensive to stamp out insurgent strongholds before January elections. Conducted in volatile and relatively unpatrolled rural areas, the operation - involving more than 3,000 troops, a quarter of them Iraqi units - may prove critical to solving Baghdad's security puzzle. Though overshadowed by urban insurgencies that have swept the Sunni triangle north and west of the capital, the bloodletting here has been extensive, and the transit route, commanders say, has been enhanced by anti-US feeling that is especially pronounced west of the Euphrates.
BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States plans to station a new Stryker armored vehicle brigade in southeastern Germany as early as 2006, just as it starts withdrawing some 30,000 troops from the country as part of a major force realignment.
Andrew Hoehn, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, told reporters on Thursday the new brigade would include about 3,000 troops and would be the centerpiece of a slimmer, more modern U.S. force in Europe.
"We are looking at forces and capabilities that can move to the fight. The Stryker brigade here in Germany will be the centerpiece of that posture," Hoehn said. [...]
[Link to Full Article]
By Meghan Vogel The Times-Standard
FORTUNA -- Since he was 5 years old, Spc. Donald Arminio's father has had a nickname for his son -- "K.G.B.," or "kind, good and brave."
"He's a very good, kind person," said John Arminio. "He's always talked about going into the Army. He'll be making sergeant someday soon."
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October, 7 2004) – Iraqi Security forces and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 20 people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities and foiled a roadside bomb attack Wednesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the 109th Iraqi National Guard Battalion conducted a cordon and search in Tal Afar and detained eight people wanted for planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities. During a search of the residence, two 100lb. grain sacks filled with dynamite, four paint cans in various roadside bomb fabrication stages, three 2-way radios rigged as roadside bomb initiation devices, three AK-47s and various documents and videos describing how to make bombs including car bombs were confiscated. All suspects are in custody and no injuries were reported during the search.
[Link to Full Article]
DEBBY ABE THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Sgt. Ian Bernard knows his new pen pal, third-grader Daniel Damian, has a 5-month-old puppy named Buster.
Lt. Kyle Pennington and third-grader Sang Lam know they both like to play the video game Full Spectrum Warrior.
Third-grader Fernando Velazquez knows Spc. Edgar Rosales’ favorite movie is “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Rosales knows Fernando likes the “Pokémon” movies.
By HEMA EASLEY
WHITE PLAINS — Iraq is on everyone's mind on this typical Sunday in the Eilen household.
A dozen men and women surround a long table filled with by magazines, toiletries, candy bars and all kinds of junk food. Friendly instructions fly around as cardboard boxes are packed and finally sealed with the sharp, tearing sound of sticking tape. Nearby, a man fills out postal forms and a woman ticks off names from a list.
"They want snacks, just junk food. Good old beef jerky is on top of the list," says Kiki Maria of White Plains, who teaches composition at Manhattanville College.
She and 25 others are volunteers for a chapter of Operation Support Our Troops that sends goodies to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East.
Led by Dr. Bonnie Eilen, a physician who lives in White Plains, they donate time, money and material to send to soldiers boxes filled with crackers, Pringles, lima beans, DVDs, compact discs, mouthwash, magazines, batteries, over-the-counter drugs and any other items soldiers could need. The men and women, some of whom have children in the military, say gestures like these go a long way in boosting the morale of soldiers[...]
Dear Friends,
Well, today was looking a bit bleak at first, but ended up being very positive. Scott was only supposed to be on a medical ward overnight after a night at ICU to transition after being returned from Bethesda (lost yet?). He's been there for longer than anyone thought, in part because there are no beds available in the ward where he is supposed to be before being sent to the VA for inpatient traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. This is because soldiers keep getting wounded in Iraq and the beds are full. I went to this ward (called P.M. & R.) this morning and saw for myself that this was true. They haven't forgotten him. They're full with higher priority cases. This hit me twice, as it keeps Scott where he is (more later) and it means there's soldiers injured worse than he is, a thought truly awful to contemplate.
Very interesting article.
[Link to Full Article] (Registration required)
By JAMES GLANZ
AHMAD AL HAMADI, Iraq, Oct. 6 - About 2,500 marines and soldiers set up camps and conducted night raids on Tuesday and Wednesday over a wide swath of territory roughly 30 miles south of Baghdad, rolling over desert terrain in armored vehicles, taking gunfire from insurgents and uncovering at least two large caches of weaponry.
At 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the results of one of those raids, on an isolated farmhouse nestled among desert dunes near this tiny hamlet, were spread out on the ground like wares at a fish market: 193 rocket-propelled grenades, 84 mortar rounds and 14 large artillery shells, along with blasting caps, copper wire and other weaponry. [...]
[Link to Full Article]
HEATHER WOODWARD THE OLYMPIAN
TUMWATER -- Kindergarteners and third-graders at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School spent hours in the spring collecting toiletries and munchies to send to soldiers serving in Iraq.
Some students wrote a letter; others wrote four or five. Many parents donated money to cover the postage.
The effort was personal.
[Link to Full Article]
By JEFF LESTER, Senior Writer
The American media isn't reporting enough of the progress being made in rebuilding the war-ravaged nation, both Virginia Army National Guard soldiers say.
Johnson, of Jonesville, and Bledsoe, of Big Stone Gap, came home on leave in early September, after six months working in the broiling sun and dust of northern Iraq.
Their unit, B Company of the 276th Engineer Battalion, has been on the move since arriving in the city of Mosul in early March.
[Link to Full Article]
CHRISTIAN HILL THE OLYMPIAN
FORT LEWIS -- Anticipation built as family members waited Tuesday night for the scheduled arrival of the first Stryker brigade soldiers returning from Iraq.
Then a soldier announced a hitch: The long-awaited reunion would have to wait up to two hours while 130 members of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, cleared customs at McChord Air Force Base.
A murmur of discontent coursed through the bleachers at the Sheridan Fitness Center gymnasium, but family members waited it out.
MICHAEL GILBERT The News Tribune
It was Lt. Ricky Vittitow’s job to deliver the good news, and then the bad news.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the plane has landed,” he announced to the crowd assembled late Tuesday to greet the first 130 or so soldiers to return home after a year in Iraq with the Army’s first Stryker brigade.
And then a few minutes later came word that the 130 or so soldiers would have to go through a customs inspection at McChord Air Force Base, a process that could take another couple hours. But after a year apart – minus a couple weeks of R&R in there somewhere – what’s another two hours?
They arrived about 10:10 p.m. and entered to the strains of “When The Saints Go Marching In.” After a few short minutes standing in formation they were turned loose to reunite with their families.[...]
We got word that Mosul (and the rest of Iraq I'm assuming) turned back the clock on October 1st, so we've adjusted the time on the sidebar. The time difference is now +10 hours between Ft. Lewis and Iraq.
Dear Friends,
Well, the lab results are back and Scott does have a urinary tract infection. I hate being right. I also hate pointing out why I think it happened. We're not sure if the catheter was changed since he had it put in, presumably at the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad. Come on people, it's easier to prevent this than it is to cure it.
Tracking Mount St. Helens? Be sure to bookmark the VolcanoCam provided by the Forest Service, which is updated every five minutes. (Sorry, back to regularly scheduled programming now.)
[Link to Article]
by Spc. Blair Larson
MOSUL, Iraq- When he came to Iraq in March 2003, Master Sgt. Bill McGuckin didn’t know what to expect. Following the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) north to Mosul after the liberation of Iraq, this civil affairs Soldier jumped into the task of sorting through the remains of Saddam Hussein’s tumultuous reign to begin the process of rebuilding a nation.
“The civil affairs Soldiers have done a lot here for the local people,” he said. “I’ve seen many improvements during my time in Iraq.”
McGuckin is an Abington, Pa., native and member of the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Norristown, Pa. During his 20 months in northern Iraq, he demonstrated to those around him the qualities of an outstanding leader as he worked to improve the lives of the Iraqi people.
[Link to Full Article]
BY RICK JERVIS, Chicago Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq - (KRT) - Lt. Col. Damon Arnold's hands spin magic in this northern Iraqi city.
They unlock backs twisted from carrying too much gear and body armor. They ease stomach pains and knotted necks. Sometimes they even chase away the nightmares.
As medical director of the first aid station at Camp Freedom, headquarters for the 7,500 American troops in northern Iraq, Arnold leads a team of seven medics who treat the usual cases of dehydration, diarrhea, rashes and allergies. They also treat the wounds of soldiers returning from battle.
The 29th Signal Battalion is a Ft. Lewis-based unit currently deployed to central Iraq that supported the Stryker Brigade throughout its training. Consequently, we wanted to highlight some of the great work it's performing right now.
LSA Anaconda, Balad, Iraq – Anaconda-based Soldiers are helping local Iraqi children start the new school year with new schools and new school supplies during October.
Soldiers from the 29th Signal Battalion kicked off the new school year Oct. 2 by distributing school supplies to 130 children in Al bu Hassan. The first day of classes at the battalion sponsored $78 thousand new school was made extra special by the visiting Soldiers’ donations.
The 29th Signal Battalion is a Ft. Lewis-based unit currently deployed to central Iraq that supported the Stryker Brigade throughout its training. Consequently, we wanted to highlight some of the great work it's performing right now.
LSA Anaconda, Balad, Iraq – Anaconda-based Soldiers are helping local Iraqi children start the new school year with new schools and new school supplies during October.
Soldiers from the 29th Signal Battalion kicked off the new school year Oct. 2 by distributing school supplies to 130 children in Al bu Hassan. The first day of classes at the battalion sponsored $78 thousand new school was made extra special by the visiting Soldiers’ donations.
(TFO Press release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 5, 2004) – In an attack at noon today, a car bomb exploded on a passing Multinational Forces convoy in the Yarmouk traffic circle in the Yarmouk neighborhood of Mosul.
Three civilians were killed when the blast from the bomb destroyed their vehicle as they were driving behind the convoy.
Immediately following the explosion, the convoy was engaged with a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire.
Four Multinational Forces Soldiers were wounded and have been evacuated to a military hospital in Mosul. All are expected to be returned to duty within the next 24 hours.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 5, 2004) – Soldiers from the 416th and 426th Civil Affairs Battalions delivered 20 bags of wheat seeds to the Ninevah Agriculture Directorate Saturday in an effort to improve farming conditions in the “breadbasket” of Iraq.
The project was a culmination of three months of work to deliver eight varieties of wheat and barley from the United States directly to the farmers in Ninevah Province. The World Wide Wheat corporation and Texas A&M, University of Colorado State and University of Kansas State, contributed the Arizona-grown cultivars. Arizona wheat was chosen because it has adapted to a climate similar to that of Iraq.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 5, 2004) – Iraqi Security forces and Multi-National Forces from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) foiled two roadside bombs Monday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment discovered a roadside bomb during a patrol southeast of Mosul that consisted of a rocket with protruding wires hidden under a cloth. Engineers from the 101st Iraqi National Guard Battalion secured the device for future destruction.
Dear Friends,
The list of recipients gets larger all the time. Please feel free to send this along to others whom you know that might be interested or to known friends of mine whose e-mail addresses I'm unable to recall/obtain by remote.
From Strykerdad172nd.
[Link to Full Article]
By BETH IPSEN, Staff Writer
Some Fort Wainwright soldiers are living in style in newer barracks while others are making do with housing that was built in the 1950s and is in need of a face-lift.
A year ago, the old barracks were slated to be demolished, so routine maintenance was halted, said Mike Meeks, director of public works at Fort Wainwright.
"Pipes that were leaking now need to be fixed, walls and rooms that have gone unpainted for years now need to be painted," Meeks said. "Old flooring that had broken tiles need to be replaced."
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report. One of the items they link to is Belmont Club's analysis of recent fighting in Samarra. A successful joint Iraqi/American mission seems to be a very positive development.
A few of you have sent links to this photo from the scene of today's car bombing in Mosul. The date on the photo is October 4, but it looks awfully similar to the photos we posted over the weekend - same photographer, same landscape. You decide.
Here are the latest video interviews with soldiers courtesy of Army Public Affairs.
The following article is another reminder of the tremendous history of Iraq.
[Link to Article] (Photos included)
By Spc. Crista Birmingham
UR, Iraq (Army News Service, Oct. 1, 2004) –The coalition is preserving both the old and new at southern Iraq’s ancient city of Ur.
Now the site of Tallil Army Air Base, Ur was the birthplace of Abraham, revered as a patriarch in the Bible, Torah and Koran. Ur was also an ancient royal burial site and boasts the Ziggurat of Nanna, a monument to the ancient Sumerian moon god.
[Link to Full Article]
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer
[...] Two car bombs also exploded Monday in Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
Two people believed to be transporting explosives and a civilian bystander were killed in one of the blasts, said Capt. Angela Bowman, a military spokeswoman. Hospital officials said they treated 11 wounded in the blast.
The second bomb targeted a U.S. Army convoy, injuring one American soldier, Bowman said.
The soldier, who was not identified, was evacuated to a military hospital. There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 4, 2004) – A ceremony was held October 3 to formally dissolve the Turkish peace monitoring force, marking the end of its seven-year mission to contribute to the security of northern Iraq. The PMF was formed in 1997 to monitor a cease-fire between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Members of the Iraqi government were present at the ceremony to recognize the contributions of the Turkish government.
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.
Ladymaine sent us a link to the website of a great project called Soldier Ride. Chris Carney is currently riding his bike across the country to raise money for American troops severely wounded in the line of fire. Take a few minutes to learn more about this great project.
Here's some additional information that came in the email.
Dear Friends,
Well, today Scott was moved to a general medicine ward on the 7th floor of Walter Reed. He will likely only be there for tonight. He has his own room for now and he's already enjoying the peace and quiet compared with the bustle of the ICU. We watched TRON again this morning and the movie for this afternoon was Kids in the Hall Brain Candy (which is semi-appropriate under the circumstances). He seemed pretty sleepy most of the day. We were pretty wiped out, too, and left for the Mologne House at 3:30 p.m. to take a nap. We got up late and went to see him, but he was sleeping through Twister on cable TV when we arrived so we let him rest.
TFO Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 3, 2004) – Members of the Iraqi Border Patrol battalion along the Syrian border received 40 Jeep Liberties and 1,500 body armor vests September 29, from Multi-National Forces.
The body armor vests were purchased by Task Force Olympia with funds from the Commander’s Emergency Response Program and cost $832,500. The vehicles were purchased in Baghdad by Multi-National Security and Transition Command, Iraq. The equipment will be used to assist the IBP in conducting their duty in patrolling the border.
Training and equipping the Iraqi Security forces is the key to ensuring the safety and security of Iraq as its citizens prepare for the elections in January. Multi-National Forces are working with Iraqi government officials to ensure the IBP are prepared to provide security during the upcoming elections.
TFO Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 2, 2004) – More than 2,500 Republic of Korea (ROK), Zaytun Division Soldiers assumed safety, stability and civil/military operations in the northeastern province of Irbil on October 1.
Authority was transferred from Soldiers of Multi-National Brigade Northwest (MNB-NW) in Mosul to the ROK during an official ceremony held on the ROK compound in Irbil.
“The arrival of Soldiers from the Republic of Korea into this great nation demonstrates the strong partnership between Iraq, Korea and the Coalition Forces,” said Maj. Gen. Andrew Farquhar, Deputy Commanding General of Multi-National Corps Iraq and acting commander of Task Force Olympia. “As Soldiers, it is all of our duties to improve our conditions day by day. I know that our partnership will only improve the security situation in northern Iraq, and by supporting the Iraqi people we can help to develop the true potential of this great country.”
A large number of the Korean Soldiers deployed to Irbil are engineers and civil/military Soldiers, who will be responsible for the construction and repair of infrastructure in the area.
Dear Friends,
Scott was transferred to Walter Reed today about noon. He was transported in a civilian ambulance by a driver who was obviously in no hurry to get him there. Once he arrived, Scott was put back up in the same ICU where he was before going to Bethesda. I had the impression they were very pleasantly surprised to see him back and a bit amazed at his progress. The vasospasm problem was apparently more serious than we knew, but that's fine with me. A little brute force and ignorance goes a long way in the Army. It's nice to see neurologists smiling and shaking their heads at the same time.
We've put together the following list of information regarding our site for those of you that may be visiting here for the fist time. We will likely add to the list over time, so we will display a link prominently on the main page for future reference. Thanks for joining us and we hope the service we provide is good enough to make you a return visitor.
Last Updated: 06/15/07
By Kim Henderson
The winters are cold, often snow-laden, the summers scorching. The culture is almost 180 degrees from our own. Then, of course, there's the war.
Michael Ricchiuti of Gantt, a soldier in the Army's 2nd Infantry Division - 3rd Brigade, knows all too well what goes on in the battlefields of Iraq.
Having been stationed there since November 2003, Michael recently returned home for a brief 15-day respite.
"I've been all over Iraq," the 2002 Red Level High graduate explained Friday.
His company's official station is in Mosul, a large city that lies along the Tigris River in northern Iraq.
Because this site provides news and information regarding military units currently deployed, we must always be concerned with Operations Security, or "OPSEC". Websites are available to anyone with access to a computer (bad guys too!), so we must always be mindful of the information we publish here.
We have an official Comment/OPSEC Policy that is based on guidelines provided by the Army. Please be sure to read that. Additionally, Ranger Joe has written the following OPSEC Parable, which illustrates why it is so important to maintain OPSEC here.
The following information was provided by one of our contributors, Ranger Joe, as a brief explanation of the various units within the Stryker Brigade, and the structure of the Army in general. If you have comments, corrections or additions, please feel free to let us know.
Clarification 08/15/05: This explanation has not been updated to reflect the structure of the 172nd SBCT. The basic structure remains the same for all Stryker Brigades, however.
Throughout the weekend I'm going to try and post a number of (hopefully) useful messages regarding features on this site and information about the Stryker Brigades in general. I'm guessing that as the two brigades transition we will have a number of new visitors who might find this helpful.
An article from The Associated Press regarding Samarra also contains this excerpt.
[...] Another car bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy around the northern city of Mosul, 225 miles from Baghdad, on Saturday wounding two American soldiers, the military said. Some vehicles were damaged in the blast, Iraqi police said.
Photos of the incident can be found at Yahoo! News (one, two, three, four).
Dear Friends,
A friend of mine suggested that I include some demographic information about Scott to put some dimensions on the flat screen you're looking at now. No problem. Scott Thorne is the youngest of three children, born on 11/19/80 at William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Ft. Bliss, Texas. His sister, Gretchen, died five days after her birth on 6/8/74, in the same hospital where his daughter, Alyson, was born on 7/31/04 (Madigan Army Medical Center). His older brother, Daniel, was born at William Beaumont on 1/27/77. Scott is a 1999 graduate of Orange Glen High School, in Escondido, California where his parents, brother and nephew still reside. Scott played Pop Warner football from the age of seven until he became a Freshman football player. When Scott was 13, he broke his right arm playing football at school (like his father told him not to do) during the season and missed four games. He came back and finished the last two games. His return was not quite emotional enough to help his team win, but the opponents knew they were in a ball game. Scott left home (amicably) to enlist in the Army on 9/14/99 and was shot while leading a patrol in Mosul, Iraq exactly five years later.
Frontline Photos has one picture of 2-14 CAV as it departs from McChord. Thanks for the link Tina. Caption:
Approximately 400 soldiers assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team depart from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., for Operation Iraqi Freedom on Thursday. Among them are Sgt. Amanda Rogers, left, and Spc. Larry Lambert, waiting in line to board the DC-10 chartered aircraft. (Bruce Kellman, The News Tribune / AP photo)
How can we ignore this local story? After a week of rumbling, Mount St. Helens spewed steam and ash today (this is NOT a repeat of 1980). View articles, photos and videos at KIRO, KOMO or KING.
Carla found a few additional combat camera photos featuring this group.
How would you like to see this in your rearview mirror? Thanks Strykerdad172nd.
The September 27 edition of The Olympia Observer is available to download. Two of the stories we've posted before, but two others are brand new.
Strykerdad172nd sends a link to this article describing the training taking place in Alaska for the 172nd.
[Link to Full Article] (Photos included)
Cpl. Douglas DeMaio, 20th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT GREELY – For the past two weeks, troops, from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, spent much of their time in the field receiving platoon external evaluations during battle drill training at Donnelly Training Area.
From reacting to hostile fire to dealing with civilians on the battlefield, each platoon is tested on its capacity to deal with adversity.
As senior leaders in the battalion assesses the platoons’ performance and ability to adapt to the battlefield environment, one obstacle stands out in the minds of many: a majority of them have spent their career being foot Soldiers, light infantry.
[Link to Full Article]
ANGIE LEVENTIS; The News Tribune
Lt. Daniel Burkhart spent the last few days before his deployment to Iraq with his parents who flew in from Massachusetts to say goodbye.
His mother, Sandra Burkhart, didn't break down until it was time to go over the final details of the 24-year-old's will.
"But they're behind me 100 percent," the Fort Lewis soldier said. "All of us see purpose to this, even though it's going to be tough. It's for the good of us, and for the good of the nation."