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 Arma
