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Dear Friends,
We'll start off today with a "progress note" from Jim Moffet. He describes the Thanksgiving visit.
Dear Friends,
First, an addendum to yesterday's update (because I had a brain cramp and forgot). Julie and I talked to Dr. Champagne about the team meeting last night on our way out of the hospital . We discussed Scott's desire to go on a pass for at least two weeks. She said they seldom went with more than ten days on passes, but discharge had been discussed at the meeting. No set dates were given but she was waving her finger over December 17th on the calendar. (My guess at the time was sometime between the 15th and the 21st.) Julie asked her if she had found any research about cranioplasty and neurological recovery. She said she found two articles and gave them to me.
I guess the Stryker really is an all-terrain vehicle.
Photos by Brian Lepley
The November 29 edition of The Olympia Observer is available for download.
Theres another batch of 1-24 INF soldiers on patrol at Yahoo! News today. Individual links - one, two, three, four, five.
Greetings everyone. Great news from the land of Walter Reed. Michael was discharged from the hospital and is now an outpatient. HOOAH!!! No more IV's and noisey hallways when he tries to sleep. Now the hard work starts I guess. Lots of OT and PT to be done in the coming months as he learns how to use his body and muscles to control the different prosthesis devices.
A couple military officials in Mosul are quoted in the following story.
Link to Full Article
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and JAMES GLANZ
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 29 - Iraqi police and national guard forces, whose performance is crucial to securing January elections, are foundering in the face of coordinated efforts to kill and intimidate them and their families, say American officials in the provinces facing the most violent insurgency. [...]
In the northern city of Mosul, almost the entire police force and large parts of several Iraqi National Guard battalions deserted during an insurgent uprising this month. Iraqi leaders had to use Guard battalions of Kurdish soldiers to secure the city, kindling ethnic tensions with Arabs. Police stations in western Mosul have perhaps several hundred officers in an area that is supposed to have several thousand.
For those brave enough to come to work, "right now, all they're doing is looking out the window and making sure the bad guys aren't coming to get them," said an American military official in Mosul, who did not want his name to be used.
Our prayers are with this soldier and his family as he recovers.
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
ALBERT LEA, Minn. -- A soldier from Albert Lea was recovering at a stateside hospital Tuesday after being seriously wounded in Iraq.
Sgt. Scott Heilman, 36, is a paratrooper with the 194th Infantry Detachment of the Iowa Army National Guard based in Johnston, Iowa. He was stationed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul when he was shot in the head by a sniper Friday.
After surgery in Iraq, he was taken to a military hospital in Germany, then transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
Dear Friends,
First up, a nice note from the Quilter's Guild of Southern Maryland to someone (okay, it was my sister) who sent them a contribution and card to thank them for their anonymous gift of a nice quilt that ended up being given to Scott at Walter Reed.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 30, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 9 people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities during operations yesterday in northern Iraq.
Special Iraqi Police Commandos from the Ministry of Interior and MNF Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment conducted joint cordon and search operations in Tal Afar and detained six people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities. The suspects are in custody undergoing questioning with no MNF injuries reported during operations.
While conducting a patrol in Tal Afar, soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard came under small arms fire by anti-Iraqi insurgents. Iraqi soldiers quickly engaged the enemy and forced them to flee into a nearby building. 2-14 Soldiers responded and searched the building, detaining three individuals suspected of firing on Iraqi troops. The suspects are in custody undergoing questioning with no MNF or ISF injuries reported during operations.
Blackfive has all the details on how you can vote for Pat Tillman as Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Year". My man Lance Armstrong is also nominated, but this year no one is more deserving than Army Cpl. Patrick D. Tillman.
Link to Full Article
By Doug Hunt
A local Army infantryman was recruited by the chain-of-command to be spotlighted on a short CNN Headline News segment, said Daniel Suiter, a 1995 North Montgomery High School graduate.
Suiter related his momentary stardom and the job he does in Mozul, Iraq. The first story was reported Saturday in the Journal Review.
Caroline Suiter, his grandmother, had first seen the segment at 2:45 p.m. Thursday.
This is one of the articles featured in the most recent edition of The Olympia Observer we linked to previously.
Link to Article
Story by Spc. Aaron Ritter
MOSUL, Iraq -- Soldiers with Company C, 25th Brigade Support Battalion, have been in Iraq for over a month now, but the training doesn’t stop for them. The combat medics conducted a mass casualty exercise Oct. 31 to further hone their medical skills.
The “Cyclone” Soldiers are part of 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and are responsible for the operations of the medical clinic at Forward Operating Base Marez in northern Iraq. When the daily sick call duties are complete and patients are sent on their way, the medics use the opportunity to train in preparation for the challenges they may face while serving in Iraq.
Yahoo! News has a number of new photos from Mosul taken over the weekend.
Many of you who live in the Puget Sound region have probably seen the holiday greetings from soldiers in Iraq currently airing on local television stations. Su Ring at KING 5 was kind enough to forward a list of scheduled appearances for this week (see below). If you see your loved one's name, but miss the clip, let us know and she can forward the clip to you via email. As new schedules are compiled she will send them to us. Thanks Su!
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 29, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 24 people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities during operations yesterday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard and MNF from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment conducted a joint cordon and search operation in Tal Afar and detained 14 people suspected of planning and conducting attacks against MNF and ISF. All suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment conducted a series of cordon and searches in small villages south of Mosul suspected of harboring and abetting insurgent fighters. During the searches, Soldiers detained ten suspects and confiscated a large sum of U.S. money. All ten suspects are in custody undergoing questioning with no MNF injuries reported.
Link to Full Article
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 28 - At first the suspect was merely one of 115 Iraqis whom American troops corralled for questioning on Saturday night in a particularly nasty part of Mosul. But his belligerence stood out. And then he made his move.
Sitting where the troops had ordered him to sit - in front of an open-air cigarette store - the suspect flicked out of his pocket several folded sheets of handwritten notes. It was clear he hoped the pages would land unnoticed amid the clutter of the store just a step away.
They did not. A soldier scooped them up and handed them to an Iraqi interpreter working for the Americans. "Who has this? He is an insurgent!" shouted the interpreter, known only to the soldiers as Jeff the Fighting Kurd.
Even though Travis has been transferred to Georgia, I'm happy to know that we will still be able to receive periodic updates on his progress. Angel Moss (what an appropriate name!) and her family were able to visit Travis this weekend, and will hopefully be able to check in with him on a semi-regular basis. Provided below is an account of her visit, which includes a new "new" address for him. Thank you Angel!
Dear Friends,
Lazy start to the day. Scott went to Physical Therapy with "his girls" while I slept in a bit. Unfortunately, Julie woke up suffering from a food counter-attack and was on liquids all day. She ate the same meal Scott and I did last night and we're fine, so we're not sure about the nature of this insurgency.
Link to Full Article
By C. Mark Brinkley, Army Times
MOSUL, Iraq — These days, the violence in Iraq's third-largest city is more like The Sopranos than Black Hawk Down.
About 40 dead bodies turned up across Mosul last week. Most of them had been bound and shot in the head in hit-man fashion, then left in public for local residents to see. Nearly a dozen of the dead were identified as members of Iraq's fragile security forces. Some of the others were contract workers for the U.S.-led coalition. Many are still unidentified.
The message from insurgents to the public was simple: We're here, and we're watching.
Link to Full Article
BY KIRSTEN SCHARNBERG, Chicago Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq - (KRT) - Soldiers joke that the Iraqis see Capt. Bill Jacobson as something of a deity, an omniscient authority in desert fatigues who sits high above them judging whether they have sinned.
The scene in a poor, insurgent-plagued neighborhood of Mosul on Saturday night only added to that perception. Soldiers had rounded up more than 100 military-age men, and Jacobson stood atop an armored vehicle as the Iraqis were brought, one by one, to stand before him.
"Let that man go!" Jacobson would yell, with a dismissive wave, at the majority of the terrified men.
But for a select few, the lanky 31-year-old officer issued a less benevolent directive: "Detain that man. Cuff him."
The November 22 edition of The Olympia Observer, the official newsletter of Task Force Olympia, is available for download. As always, there are a number of in depth articles provided by the public affairs office.
This article profiles a Task Force Olympia soldier home on leave.
Link to Full Article
By ROB DAVIS
The first explosion came close to the cargo plane lifting off into the moonless Iraqi night.
Then came another jolt. And another. And a fourth.
The soldiers inside the pitch-black belly of the aircraft were silent, packed shoulder-to-shoulder in full gear, camouflage and Kevlar.
Potholes, an officer said.
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 28, 2004) – Special Iraqi Police Commandos from the Ministry of Interior and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 43 people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities during operations yesterday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment conducted a cordon and search operation in Hammam Al Alil and detained 20 people suspected of planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities. During traffic control point operations near Hammam Al Alil, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained five anti-Iraqi suspects and confiscated weapons. 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment Soldiers detained one person in Hammam Al Alil wanted for anti-Iraqi activities. Special Iraqi Police Commandos also detained one person for anti-Iraqi activities in Hammam Al Alil. All 27 suspects are in custody undergoing further questioning and investigation with no MNF Soldiers injured during operations.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24 Infantry Regiment conducted cordon and search operations in western Mosul to disrupt insurgent activity in the area. During the operation, Soldiers detained 16 people for suspected anti-Iraqi activities while also confiscating intelligence documents and a 55-gallon drum of bomb-making material. All suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported during the operation.
This article mentions the 56th SBCT, the only National Guard unit to convert to a Stryker Brigade. Although the article implies the 56th already has the Stryker vehicle, I have to admit that I don't know if that's the case. Anyone?
Link to Full Article
By Dawn House, The Salt Lake Tribune
About 500 Utah soldiers in the 222nd Field Artillery Battalion have been placed on alert for possible deployment in January with one of the nation's six newly formed combat brigades. The brigades are more mobile than the Army's traditional heavy-tank fighting forces. [...]
The Triple Deuce is likely to be attached to the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, one of the new Brigade Combat Teams unveiled by the Army in October 1999. Five units have been formed from regular Army active-duty troops. The Pennsylvania brigade is the only combat team comprising citizen-soldiers.
Dear Friends,
Today had us waking to a steady snowfall. I haven't driven in snow for many years so I had to go through the mental checklist before getting in Jim's car. Fortunately, it's a red car! The plan was for Julie to go to the VA hospital with Scott while I took Tiffany and Alyson to Children's Hospital. We went to the Fisher House and picked up Scott. I dropped Scott and Julie off at the hospital and then went back for Tiffany and Alyson.
The following is a lengthy article describing the ordeal of one Task Force Olympia soldier to recover from his wounds at Walter Reed.
Link to Full Article
BY MICHAEL MARTZ, TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
The physical-therapy room was filling up when Dean W. Schwartz walked in, a slight hitch in his gait from the blue titanium leg fitted to his left thigh.
The leg was temporary. So was his time here, six months after a rocket-propelled grenade blew off his leg on a bomb-pocked road in Mosul, in northern Iraq.
Sgt. Robert Faulk motioned toward an empty cot next to an older veteran with graying temples and no right leg. "You can have a spot here if you like, next to Superman," Faulk said.
National Public Radio offers an audio report from Mosul. Click on the "Listen" icon in the upper-left corner to hear it. Summary:
U.S. soldiers are attempting to train new Iraqi soldiers outside Mosul, but threats of violence and anti-American sentiment make the job a daunting one. Some of the soldiers say few in the U.S. understand the complexities or the scale of the insurgency they're confronting. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.
Yahoo! News has more photos of 1-24 INF operating in Mosul today.
Link to Full Article
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 26 - American troops have discovered 32 bodies here in the past two days, the latest sign that insurgents in the north are increasingly focusing their efforts on killing and terrorizing vulnerable Iraqis, especially those working with American forces.
Seventeen bodies were found Friday, after 15 were discovered Thursday, according to a military spokesman here. In the past eight days at least 65 bodies have been found, and one American commander says more than 20 have been confirmed as members of the new Iraqi security forces.
No identification has been made of the newest bodies or whether they were Iraqi soldiers or national guardsmen, said the spokesman, Lt. Col. Paul Hastings. But he called the new killings part of the insurgents' "campaign of fear, intimidation and murder, and doing whatever they can to disrupt operations here." [...]
Dear Friends,
This morning I drove Jim and Audrey's car over to get Scott at the Fisher House. I figured he would still be pretty tired from this morning's exertions with Alyson and would appreciate the ride.
MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) - A "Stop or we will shoot!" sign written in Arabic hangs off the back of the eight-wheel Stryker armoured vehicles rolling down Mosul's streets as US soldiers seek to impose their military might while trying to win people's hearts.
But while the vehicles may save soldiers' lives, residents say they are just another example of US military heavy-handedness.
"It's a light infantry vehicle on steroids," raves Lieutenant Colonel Michael Kurilla, 38, about the Stryker, which is the US army's newest medium-weight combat vehicle developed to fill a gap between light infantry and tanks.
MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) - Holding elections in parts of Mosul could be a challenge, a US military commander for northern Iraq admitted, saying that insurgents are bent on targeting Iraqi forces and fomenting ethnic strife.
"I think clearly there are some areas in the city where elections can be held today. There are some parts of the city where we have significant challenges ahead of us before elections could be conducted," Brigadier General Carter Ham told AFP at the main US base in the city.
"We have a lot of work to do. I am more optimistic in areas out in the province, outside the city," he said Friday.
With so many correspndents in Mosul right now Yahoo! News has many new photos of 1/25 SBCT soldiers. Here is an index page where you can view thumbnails of all the pictures.
There have been a number of articles covering the unit's homecoming yesterday in Michigan (see below). Welcome home!
Dear Friends,
Well, what started as a lazy day had a pretty dramatic finish. Julie and I were at our hotel while Scott was at the Fisher House with "my girls." About 4 p.m., they came over to the hotel to spend some time with us before Jim Moffet came over to pick us up for Thanksgiving dinner at his home. We talked a bit and watched two football teams with atrocious uniforms on television (Chicago and Dallas). Soon it was time to depart for dinner.
There is additional information on Mosul buried in the following article.
Link to Full Article
By MARIAM FAM, The Associated Press
[...] Meanwhile, U.S. forces found 13 more bodies in and around the northern city of Mosul, the military said Friday, bringing to 35 the number of corpses discovered in the past week in the area shaken by an insurgent uprising.
Eleven of the 35 have been identified as members of the Iraqi security forces, who have been targeted by insurgents. The others have not been identified.
"It's a continued campaign of threats, intimidation and murder by insurgents to spread fear into the public. Their campaign has been directed at what appears to be Iraqi security forces," said Lt. Col. Paul Hastings, a spokesman with Task Force Olympia.
Link to Full Article
Chicago Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq - Spec. Chris Espindola had just groused - "Who plans missions on Thanksgiving?" - when the first mortar hit. Then came a rocket-propelled grenade, small-arms fire and another mortar.
On the receiving end was a convoy of U.S. Army officers who were traveling around increasingly unsettled Mosul, visiting American soldiers throughout the city to wish them a happy holiday.
Link to Full Article
By C. Mark Brinkley, Army Times
MOSUL, Iraq — Forget about rain and sleet and snow: Army Sgt. Edmund Savedra had to brave a car bomb to make his Thanksgiving afternoon delivery.
Savedra, a truck driver with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, was less than 10 minutes away from a remote post outside of Mosul, where he was set to deliver hot turkey dinners to dozens of soldiers with no access to the government-contracted chow halls.
Link to Full Article
By ERIC LIPTON, The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 - The Army commanders in Iraq knew roughly where they wanted to position their men in Mosul, but first they had a few questions for Chief Warrant Officer Jason Feser. What alleys might turn into ambush routes? Were there any nearby minarets that could serve as sniper lairs? Where would he place troops to avoid possible friendly crossfire?
Taking soldiers into any urban environment is hazardous. But the Army has been using a new tool before going into Iraq's restive cities, like Mosul and Falluja, that helps officers answer critical questions and make their missions somewhat less unpredictable.
We wanted to share this message from a soldier that was posted on our Bulletin Board:
The dining facility prepared a sumptuous feast and kept it open for 8 hours so that everyone could eat. Actually.....we also flew the meal out to people at remote locations so no one missed out. I am not a master chef or terribly picky about what I eat, but I certainly think that this meal was a very good and tasty one. We had tons of turkey, ham, stuffing, vegetables, pie.......basically anything you would eat at a Thanksgiving in the states.........and the ice sculptures and exquisitely carved pumpkins were a nice touch on the side. There was football playing on the big screen TV (granted, a college game since the NFL games won't start for another hour or two). We even had "festive" Thanksgiving napkins...........kind of weird to be 8000 miles from home but still have "Happy Thanksgiving" napkins.............a nice thought nonetheless.All in all a great meal considering where we are and what is going on around us. The unit commander thanked the troops for the great job they have been doing and personally served troops chow for the last few hours of the meal (an Army tradition that was certainly not ignored here).
I am sure we would all rather be sharing this day with families and loved ones back in the states, but please know that your sons/husbands/daughters/wives are with their sisters/brothers in arms and certainly not alone, nor underfed.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
You can also see a photo of the spread in our gallery.
We mentioned yesterday that "Good Morning America" has a crew in Mosul right now. I still don't know if the segment will be aired today, tomorrow or next week, but keep those VCRs primed.
Jacksmom also sent me this:
I just watched a live report on CNN from Camp Freedom!! The reporter showed clips from a mission he went on last night, embedded with some of our troops. Then he reported live from the Mess Hall, showing soldiers getting their Thanksgiving dinners. He stressed how hard our soldiers are working, commenting that the soldiers that he was with last night got back to camp at 3AM and were up again at 5AM, ready to go. He made mention of the Stryker vehicles.I do not know whether this specific report will be repeated, but when a major cable news network has a reporter in the north, I would bet that he will be making more reports from that area.
Also, there seems to be quick clips of specific soldiers wishing their families a Happy Thanksgiving and I have already seen 3 who said that they were from Ft Lewis!!!
There are several articles today regarding the Thanksgiving holiday and what it means for military families.
UPDATE: We've added a couple new ones.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 25, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained three people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities during operations early today in northern Iraq.
Multi-National Forces from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment conducted cordon and search operations in a west central neighborhood in Mosul where they detained two individuals. Soldiers positively identified one of the subjects as a member of a terrorist cell.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment conducted similar operations in Mosul’s eastern neighborhoods in an attempt to locate other suspected terrorist cell members. They positively identified and detained one individual also wanted for anti-Iraqi activities.
All three suspects remain in custody with no injuries reported during either operation.
I wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the people and organizations that have been particulary generous to the soldiers in the Stryker Brigades, and their families (see list below). I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to visit their sites and learn more about the incredible work they do. Thank you.
MGS A Co., 1-5 INF just added new photos to their album that might change the assumptions you made about the weather in Iraq - at least where they are.
Dear Friends,
First, let me wish all of you safe travel and a great weekend. We're going to miss being with the rest of the family, but we're going to be just fine this weekend.
This morning Julie and I arrived and found Scott with Tiffany and Alyson. He was very hungry and bored with waiting for someone from surgery to come get him. Julie, Tiffany and Alyson left about noon to go to the Fisher House. (Julie had to make some pies for tomorrow's dinner at Jim and Audrey's.)
Word has it that ABC's "Good Morning America" will air a segment from FOB Marez in Mosul tomorrow morning. Tune in and find out.
The following are two recent articles from The Guardian, which currently has a correspondent in Mosul.
Link to Article with photo and graphic
Spc. Corey Strand, Fort Wainwright PAO
FORT WAINWRIGHT – Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will soon save valuable time preparing for their upcoming deployments when it becomes the first Army unit to try out the effectiveness of the Authorized Stockage List Mobility System.
“This system, which will be eventually distributed to all Stryker Teams, is being tested by the 172nd because they are next on the list for deployment,” said Maj. Carlos Correia, assistant product manager, Force Sustainment Systems.
He added that the 172nd has been recognized as the best warehouse in U.S. Army Pacific for the last three years and the data can be applied in future distributions of ASLMS for other Stryker Teams.
Link to Article
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2004 -- With so many military families scrambling to ship holiday care packages to their loved ones deployed around the world, the U.S. Postal Service is stepping in to make things a bit easier.
It's offering a package of free packing materials, including 10 boxes, 10 customs forms with envelopes, 10 "Mili-Pac" shipping envelopes, which are specially printed to reflect the complexities of military mailing addresses, and a roll of Priority Mail tape.
Link to Full Article
By JEFF LESTER, Senior Writer
Dozens of Southwest Virginia National Guard soldiers took on a crucial mission as U.S. Army and Iraqi forces retook government buildings occupied by anti-government fighters in the northern city of Mosul.
Three members of the 276th Engineer Battalion were wounded slightly but returned to duty quickly, according to Capt. Chris Doss of the battalion's Bravo Company.
Here are 3 photos from Army Images and Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson that I've not seen elsewhere. The 1-24 is featured in photos one and two while a soldier from 1-5 is pictured in photo three.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 24, 2004) –Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained six people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities during operations over the last 48 hours in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained two people yesterday at a traffic control point after the vehicle they were driving matched descriptions of one used in attacks against MNF earlier this week. On Monday, Soldiers from the same unit conducted a cordon and search in central Mosul and detained four people suspected of financing and supporting anti-Iraqi activities in northern Iraq. The suspects are in custody with no injuries reported during either operation.
Greetings everyone.
Sorry for being so tardy in my updates, it has been a very trying last couple of weeks. The good news is Michael is on an overnight pass to stay at the Mologne house overnight. (edited the bad news part after reading it) Sometimes discression is the better part of valor. LOL.
Dear Friends,
Dan (Scott's older brother) and I arrived sometime before Scott finished Speech Therapy and so we went to Occupational Therapy with him. Today, Scott finished up the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test he started last week. No surprise, he's doing better with his left hand than his right, but he's still doing well. He also worked out his shopping list for an upcoming field trip to the grocery store. This will take place possibly as early as Friday. He will get to make his delicacy sometime after the shopping trip is complete.
Christi wanted to let everyone know that CNN is running a segment featuring A Co., 3-21 INF. If the network holds true to form the segment should run throughout the day/night.
Cindy sent me a couple recent emails (included below) with information regarding Travis Majors. He successfully made the trip from Walter Reed to a VA hospital in Georgia. Travis also gave Cindy the ok to share his new address with everyone.
Here is some welcome news regarding the 401st Transportation Company, which served alongside the 3/2 SBCT as part of Task Force Olympia. Welcome home!
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. The Thanksgiving holiday will also serve as a long-awaited homecoming for some western Michigan military families.
The 401st Transportation Company out of Battle Creek is coming home Thursday after more than 15 months away -- including a year overseas in Iraq...
The soldiers are scheduled to fly into Detroit on Thursday. They'll take a bus -- complete with police escort-- to the base, arriving late in the afternoon.
Provide below are two extensive compilations of recent news from Iraq.
The following video was included in the list we posted yesterday, but we wanted to highlight it separately. This is a long, very professionally made video that highlights and summarizes the brigade's year in Iraq. If you would like to save a copy on your computer, right-click on the link below and select "Save Target As..." It is a large file, but well worth the wait. Thank you to the 139th MPAD for producing this.
2 ID, 3rd Brigade Deployment Video
Video depicting the deployment and re-deployment of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Narrated by the Brigade Commander and set to music. Features video and still imagry highlighting the Brigades challenges and operations. Produced by Specialist Justin Savage, 139th Mobile Public Affiars Detachment.
Yahoo! News has another large group of photos from yesterday and today. Here are the individual links to photos - one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Next week the 4,000 Fort Lewis soldiers of the Army’s first Stryker brigade will finally get a month of leave. After a year in Iraq, they’ve got it coming.
But first the soldiers’ families, friends and other well-wishers formally said welcome home Monday to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. The troops returned in groups of a few hundred at a time last month and early this month.
Lt. Gen. James Dubik, the Fort Lewis commander, called the gathering a chance “not to celebrate war, but to celebrate warriors and their families.”
Dear Friends,
This morning Scott's brother, Dan, and I got up early and headed off to the VA with Kellan and Julie to follow later. Scott was supposed to have a visual field test at 9:40 a.m. As it turned out, he had a regular eye exam instead. The other test was scheduled for next Monday. As the eye exam ran late, Scott missed Speech Therapy. Not much we could do about that. The eye doctor said he had been working on veterans since Vietnam and was very impressed with Scott's recovery. I'll take that as a positive sign.
I'm sure there will be many stories written about today's official welcome home ceremony at Ft. Lewis for the entire 3-2 SBCT. Provided below are the first I've seen. We will add subsequent articles to this entry.
UPDATE: We've added quite a few new articles below. One of the links has a video clip as well.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 22, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) unearthed one of the largest weapons caches ever found in northern Iraq approximately 45 km. south of Mosul in the village of Shafa’at today.
During their patrol, Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment discovered a huge stockpiles of weapons and munitions that consisted of one anti-aircraft gun, 15,000 anti-aircraft rounds, 4,600 hand grenades, 144 VOG-17M anti-personnel grenade launchers, 25 SA-7 surface-to-air missiles, 44 SA-7 battery packs, 20 guided missile packs, 21 120mm mortar rounds, two 120mm mortar tubes, 10 122mm rockets, six 152mm artillery rounds and two 57mm artillery rounds. Soldiers also discovered a building full of explosive-making materials.
The 3-arce site is secure and still under investigation with more weapons and munitions discoveries expected. Anyone having information regarding the weapons cache or any other terrorist activities should contact the Joint Coordination Center in Mosul at 125 or 513462.
We haven't posted any in a while, but the public affairs detachment with Task Force Olympia releases video interviews and news features that can be downloaded. You'll need some type of media software installed to play them. Provided below are links to, and descriptions of, the latest batch.
UPDATE: We've added a few more to the bottom, including many of the 3-2 SBCT before it redeployed.
Link to Article
By Staff Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, Iraq – Spc. Darline Davis grew up in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country – Haiti. Surrounded by poverty and living in a country where more than 60 percent of the people are unemployed, Davis’ mother wanted her child to have opportunity, to get an education and enjoy a country that stood for freedom. When Davis was 14, her mother died and she began to take the steps to honor her mother’s wishes.
Her father, David Madere, had moved to Miami, Fla., when she was a young child, so she already had a connection in the United States.
This article was featured in the last edition of The Olympia Observer, but we wanted to include the full text here in case you missed it.
Link to Article
By Staff Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, Iraq – On the Iraq-Turkey border, thousands of trucks come through the Habur gate border crossing as they travel between the two countries. So many trucks wait to enter Iraq or Turkey on a daily basis that the main route is often backed up as far as 50 miles with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Some trucks carry supplies for Iraqi and Turkish businesses. Others haul construction materials, fuel and food for Multinational Forces in northern Iraq.
A United States army officer says four more bodies, at least three of them Iraqi soldiers, were found in the past 24 hours by US forces in the restive northern city of Mosul.
"We found them at 23:00 (local time), they had been dead for at least a couple of hours and their bodies set against the sidewalk, shot in the head and hands tied," Lieutenant Colonel Michael Kurilla told AFP, adding that three of them were confirmed as being Iraqi soldiers. [...]
A couple 1-25 SBCT commanders are quoted in the following article.
Link to Full Article
By Luke Baker
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - As U.S. forces try to regain control of Iraq's third largest city, they are turning to their old allies the Kurds to keep the peace in Mosul.
That has caused resentment among some Arabs and Kurdish troops have been killed in at least one incident -- three Kurds were found shot dead in the mainly Arab city on Sunday.
In the 10 days since Sunni Arab insurgents overran parts of Mosul, looting, burning and in several cases blowing up police stations, reinforcements have been sent in from across the nearby northern Kurdish region, especially Dohuk and Arbil.
Dear Friends,
We all got up a little after 9 and went for breakfast downstairs. After he ate, my grandson, Kellan, (with me right behind him) went up the stairs to the second floor, walked down the hall to the elevator and pushed the only buttons he could reach ("down" and "1"). We made this trip about five times before he grew tired of it.
There are a number of photos taken in Mosul at the Yahoo! News site from Friday, Saturday and today. Most feature soldiers from 1-24 and 3-21 INF. Rather than link to them individually, we'll just point you to the index page and you can browse through them.
Dear Friends,
Two months ago, all I could do was listen to Scott's breathing change when I managed to talk a nurse into plugging a telephone into his ICU room at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Today, I went swimming with him in an indoor heated pool in a hotel in Minneapolis.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 21, 2004) – Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) discovered on Saturday in central Mosul the bodies of nine Iraqi Regular Army soldiers. Each of the victims was found with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. The bodies were retrieved and transported to the city morgue.
Initial reports that seven of the victims were beheaded are false.
Cindy was able to visit Travis Majors one last time before he was transferred to a hospital in Georgia. Michael Oreskovic (Jr.) was also there catching up with Travis. Provided below is the email she sent to us following the visit. We've also added a few more photos to Travis' album that Mike Oreo took.
Correspondents from the major news outlets have arrived in Mosul and are now reporting on events that occurred last week. Thanks to John for the link.
Link to Full Article
By Luke Baker
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - If any indication was needed of how events in Iraq can turn on a dime, switching from order to mayhem in moments, it happened last week in Mosul.
The northern city of two million people went from relative calm to the brink of chaos in the space of a few hours, and then stayed there for the next two days.
Groups of up to 50 armed men staged coordinated attacks around the city, storming and overrunning at least seven police stations, robbing them of weapons and vehicles and then setting some ablaze.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Thomas Doerflinger was not the kind of young man anybody expected to join the Army, friends told his hometown paper.
He was a sharp but distracted student, liked to write poetry and go his own way, and was raised in the middle-class Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., The (Frederick, Md.) Gazette reported. His father, Richard, is a policy adviser with the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops.
The upgrade went "ok", but we still need to add a utility that prevents spam in our comments section. Until we get that piece installed we have disabled the comments function. This is only temporary and we'll let you know when we're all set to go.
UPDATE: I think we're all set, so comments are enabled again.
Saturday morning we will be upgrading the software we use for the site, a long overdue task. Ultimately the changes will be invisible to visitors, but there's always a chance things might look a bit out of whack while we upgrade.
Dear Friends,
Julie has been making a lot of phone calls in an effort to bring Scott's cousin, her fiance and two high school friends of Scott to Minneapolis for a birthday surprise. When we arrived this morning, I went up to Speech Therapy to wait for Scott and Tiffany while Julie made more calls.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 20, 2004) – Iraqi Police Commandos and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained people suspected of anti-Iraqi activities as operations continued Friday in Mosul to eliminate remaining anti-Iraqi forces in the region.
Special Iraqi Police Commandos from the Ministry Interior in Baghdad conducted a cordon and search in central Mosul and detained 23 people suspected of planning and conducting attacks against ISF and MNF. The suspects are in Iraqi custody undergoing questioning.
Strykeraunt found the following eight photos featuring the 3-21 INF in Mosul today. Thanks.
This article mentions the 3-2 SBCT.
Link to Full Article
By Steven Field
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 19, 2004) – The concept of modularity is approaching its first true test as units across the country undergo transformation and prepare for deployments overseas.
With four modular brigades set up under the 3rd Infantry Division training and several companies reorganizing and reflagging under the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the time is rapidly approaching when the Army will send a Unit of Execution and subordinate Brigade Combat Teams (Units of Action) into combat, testing the modular, “plug-and-play” vision inspired by transformation. [...]
Dr. Francis J. Harvey was sworn in today at the Pentagon as the 19th Secretary of the Army.
“This is a great honor for me. My top priority will be to serve our Soldiers, civilian employees and family members of the Active Component, Army Reserve and Army National Guard. I look forward to working with the Secretary of Defense, the Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Pete Schoomaker, and the Army senior leadership as we fight the Global War on Terrorism while continuing to transform the force,” Secretary Harvey said.
The Senate confirmed President Bush’s nomination of Dr. Harvey Nov. 16.
Matthew Cox with Army Times has written an excellent account of an operation by 5-20 INF soldiers to rescue two downed Kiowa pilots from 3-17 CAV in Tal'Afar on September 4th. Must read.
I would post an excerpt below, but the article is very long and you'll want to read the whole thing anyway. I'll see if we can get permission to reprint the full text here. Thanks to Keith Whitten for alerting us to this piece.
The November 15 edition of The Olympia Observer, the official newsletter of Task Force Olympia, is available for download.
Provided below is a recent email written by a soldier with the 1-25 SBCT to his parents. We are publishing this with his permission. Thank you for sharing.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 19, 2004) – During routine patrol operations today, Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) inspected a Mosul warehouse which contained the ballot materials after an Facilities Protection Service officer informed Soldiers of the materials destruction.
Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment entered the warehouse and found the materials burned. Efforts are underway to replace the ballot materials for the January elections.
The incident is still under investigation.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 19, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces, with the support of Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), continued operations in Mosul Thursday to eliminate terrorist cell members still in the region.
Commandos with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior’s Special Police Force, conducted a cordon and search at the Al Zaharawi Hospital, in the Al Shefa neighborhood of Mosul, to confirm anti-Iraqi forces are using the hospital to treat their wounded.
Dear Friends,
When Julie and I arrived we immediately noticed that a representative of the 88th Readiness Command (I think that's the group) came in last night and gave Scott a hair cut. I'm happy to report that not one got away.
Greetings everyone,
The last few days have been pretty hectic with a lot of ups and downs. Michael had surgery again today, so he was pretty out of it for the most part. However, he did get down the hall yesterday to visit with Travis Majors for a couple hours. After a few minutes it was like they were back in a Stryker in Mosul recounting some of the missions they were on. We decided to leave the two alone for some time together and I was surprised they talked for so long. Needless to say, it was a very emotional time for them both. Travis is leaving WR tomorrow for a hospital in Georgia that specializes in spinal cord injuries. Please keep this fine young man in your prayers, he has a long road ahead of him.
There are two photos of the 3-21 in this edition of Frontline Photos. Start here and page forward through the gallery until you find them.
Here is a photo of soldiers with B Co., 1-5 Inf, dated Nov. 8th, while they were still near Fallujah. DoD photo by Senior Airman Christopher Marasky, U.S. Air Force.
Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Iraqi insurgents lobbed mortar shells at the provincial governor's office today in Mosul, wounding four bodyguards and igniting a fuel truck, a U.S. military spokesman said by telephone from the northern city.
"Mosul is stable, but there are isolated pockets where we continue to get small-arms fire or indirect fire,'' said Lieutenant Colonel Paul Hastings, Task Force Olympia spokesman. ``I would describe it as tense.''
Here are two recent articles discussing veterans' issues and benefits.
Here is another photo of Stryker soldiers in Mosul, courtesy of Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson and Army Images.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Fort Lewis on Tuesday gathered to mourn the loss of the first servicemen from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division to be killed in Iraq.
Airmen and soldiers remembered Army Maj. Horst Gerhard “Gary” Moore and Air Force Master Sgt. Steven Auchman, who were killed in a mortar attack Nov. 9 on their quarters at Camp Freedom.
Kellie sent the following photos she found at Yahoo! News (one, two, three, four). They are all dated November 18, but some might be repeats of ones we linked to yesterday.
Question - can anyone explain why the soldiers in this photo, dated November 18, have Arrowhead combat patches on their sleeves? Old photo, or are there some 3-2 soldiers still in Mosul?
UPDATE: Question answered in the comments section. Thanks.
[Link to Full Article]
Michael Gilbert, The News Tribune
Stryker troops from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment have rejoined their Fort Lewis-based comrades in Mosul, Iraq, after taking part in the offensive at Fallujah.
The battalion made the 225-mile trip to Mosul over the weekend to return to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, brigade commander Col. Robert Brown said Tuesday. The battalion’s job at Fallujah was to seal off possible insurgent escape routes.
The 700 or so soldiers had been stationed in the Baghdad area as a reserve force since they arrived in Iraq last month, he said.
Dear Friends,
It took me (Julie would follow later as she had a bad headache and needed the rest) a little longer than I thought it would for the shuttle bus to get me to the VA, but since I haven't gone into Speech Therapy with Scott but once since Walter Reed, it wasn't a big deal to be a bit late. I went to his room just to make sure he was gone (he was) and then went up to the 4th Floor. Just so you know, I don't go in because I don't want to be a distraction to him. He works very hard at speaking and there's really no coaching I can do in this kind of session. I know exactly squat about Speech Therapy.
We posted a press release earlier this week about the "Conquer The Corridor" event this Saturday to collect t-shirts for the Hero to Hero pledge drive. Liz Jackson posted an online invite with the hopes of getting a few SBCT soldiers to join them. Details below:
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Reports that Mosul, Iraq, was partly under the control of insurgent fighters and in danger of becoming the next Fallujah “is a bunch of baloney,” said Col. Robert Brown, commander of the Fort Lewis-based Stryker brigade that arrived there last month.
Brown said U.S. and Iraqi forces were all over the key northern city Tuesday to shore up the embattled police force. They also tried to draw out the fighters who looted and burned several police stations in Thursday’s uprising.
“We went out and occupied every police station in town, and patrolled all over the place,” Brown told The News Tribune in a telephone interview Tuesday. “We were saying, ‘Come on!’ They avoided us all day long.”
There are approximately 50 photos of the 3-21 INF at Getty Images from yesterday and today. If the link doesn't bring up the photos, simply type "stryker" into the search box in the upper-left corner. Thanks to Kellie for the link.
Provided below are a number of articles regarding Mosul - too many to post individually. Thanks to everyone for sending these links.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- On the second day of increased U.S. and Iraqi security operations in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, conditions are more stable, a top U.S. commander said Wednesday.
"The situation today in Mosul is pretty calm," said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commanding general of Task Force Olympia in Mosul.
He said U.S.-led forces and the Nineveh provincial leadership have established control, although there is sporadic fighting.
Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson and Army Images provide us with another photo of a 1-24 soldier in action in Mosul.
[Link to Full Article]
By Beth Ipsen, Fairbanks News-Miner
University of Alaska Fairbanks journalism student Casey Grove stood in a corner and recorded events unfolding before him as soldiers interacted with a group of Muslim villagers.
"There's a lot of people surrounding the sheik now," the reporter murmured into a hand-held tape recorder. "They're trying to make sure he doesn't move into a dangerous area."
Minutes later, Grove and an officer discussed how far he could venture out into the hostile village.
"I want to go hide behind that overturned car because it looks like such a battle zone," Grove said.
First Lt. Anthony Demattis of A Co. 2-1 Infantry Battalion shot Grove a wary glance and told him if he ventured beyond the car he might get shot.
Army Images has this photo of the 1-24 with the following caption:
Soldiers from 1st Battallion, 24th Infantry regiment, 25th Infantry Division, scan for enemy activity during Operation Jacksonville in Mosul, Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson
Dear Friends,
The day started with some "Adventures in Moving" (yes, that's registered by U-Haul). We checked out of the hotel at Tranquility Base (Okay, so it wasn't exactly on the Moon, but...) and caught the van back to the Fisher House. Julie called another hotel that told her ten hours earlier there was plenty of space available only to learn they were over-booked now. She hustled (in the good sense of that word, of course) up another place for us to stay and verified all the things we needed were actually present before booking us there. We're now at another AmericInn, but this one really is closer and has excellent shuttle bus service to the VA and the Mall of America. Julie went with the luggage to the new hotel while I walked over to the VA.
[Link to Full Article]
By Keith Eldridge
FORT LEWIS - The Army and the Air Force came together Tuesday to grieve the loss of two men who served together and died together in Iraq.
Army Major Gary Moore and Air Force Master Sergeant Steven Auchman are being remembered as men who were proud of serving their country, and chose to be in Iraq.
Army green and Air Force blue were all mixed as one inside the Fort Lewis Chapel.
[Link to Article] with photos
Spc. Tiffany Levesque
20th Public Affairs Detachment
DONNELLY TRAINING AREA – As dawn breaks, an Iraqi sheriff watches a company of American Soldiers roll into his town. The sheriff and his two deputies discuss how to handle their new guests. A knock on the door announces the Soldiers. Introductions are made and negotiations begin.
This is the beginning of one of many exercises being used to cross-train 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, said battalion commander Lt. Col. Scott Wuestner.
“As the Army becomes a more mobile and agile force, we as leaders need to help prepare our Soldiers to become mobile and agile,” said Wuestner.
As the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan has helped to change how the infantry and support units train, it has also helped to open up new avenues of training for field artillery.
Here's a great article about the 2-8 Field Artillery Regiment from Army Public Affairs. Full text and photo included below.
QAYYARAH, Iraq – The 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) headquartered at Fort Lewis, Wash., officially unfurled the Regimental and Battalion Colors during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Endurance in northern Iraq on November 2.
As the Soldiers of the 2-8 begin to write their chapter in the history books of the “Automatic Eighth,” they are reminded of the important role the 8th FA has historically played from its beginning and how important their mission is now.
During a speech from Lt. Col. Bradley Becker, battalion commander, the history of the Automatic Eighth was told. He began with how it was organized in July 1916, at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Barbara sent a link to this MSNBC article. The information is repetitive, but it includes another good photo of the 3-21 INF in action. The same photographer took the pictures we linked to below.
Yahoo! News has a number of photos (one, two, three, four) of Task Force Olympia soldiers operating in Mosul.
The following article contains a brief update on Mosul.
[Link to Full Article]
By EDWARD WONG and JAMES GLANZ
Overnight, insurgents attacked an oil storage tank in the north and set fire to four oil wells. In Mosul, torn by a daring revolt that began last week, guerrillas tried ramming an American patrol and a checkpoint with suicide car bombs, wounding at least five soldiers. The Iraqi interior minister, Falah al-Naqib, said he expected the rebels to mount more ambitious strikes. [...]
Other fighters attacked an oil storage tank by the export pipeline leading from Kirkuk to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
The bombing of the storage tank took place southwest of Mosul, where American and Iraqi forces are struggling to recover from a revolt that began Thursday, when insurgents overran a half dozen police stations and made off with weapons, body armor and squad cars. Hundreds of policemen fled. At least seven policemen and 30 fighters have been killed in recent clashes, said Mr. Naqib, the interior minister.
[Link to Full Article]
Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq - The U.S. military said Tuesday that American and Iraqi troops have started operations to secure parts of the northern city of Mosul from insurgents.
U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces began moving in to secure police stations in the western part of the city, said Capt. Angela Bowman, with Task Force Olympia. Mosul is the third largest city in Iraq.
"We are in the process of securing all of police stations and returning the police to these stations to put in place a strong police presence," she said. "Some of those stations are in neighborhoods on the western side of the city where there has been insurgent activity and presence. We are now moving through the neighborhood."
Dear Friends,
We got up this morning and hurried to get Scott off to the VA. He walked there with me (Tiff and Julie followed us minutes later) and experienced no problems doing so. He felt the cold in his hands and I missed what this meant until later in the day. Scott got his morning meds and then headed up to Speech Therapy. After the session, I asked the therapist, Don (who had been on vacation for a week), how Scott had improved since he had last seen him. He said Scott was doing better and he was pleased to see the improvement. Don gave us a machine to use to help Scott improve his speech. The machine uses cards, each of which has an image of a person saying the word and some other visual cues. It also has a magnetic strip on the back that plays sounds of the word used in a sentence when you run it through the machine.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 16, 2004) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multinational forces from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) continued offensive operations in Mosul today.
These operations are targeting isolated pockets of insurgent fighters that continue to operate in the city.
Ninevah Provincial governor, Duraid Kashmoula, announced that all bridges in the city are closed to civilian vehicle and pedestrian traffic. A curfew is in place from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.
The following is a press release for the Hero to Hero (H2H) project being led by Liz Jackson. Many of the shirts collected last year went to the 3-2 SBCT. This year a number of units with the 1-25 SBCT will receive shirts. Thanks Liz!
Cindy and her family have visited Walter Reed numerous times, and have developed a special relationship with many Stryker Brigade soldiers and their families, inlcuding Travis Majors. She recently sent a number of photos to me and we decided to create an album for Travis. Provided below are portions of the email she sent, which provide a good update on Travis' condition.
UPDATE: Cindy sent another email after her visit with Travis on Monday night - see below.
[Link to Full Article]
By Steven Field
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 15, 2004) -- ’Tis the season to be giving, but people sending holiday cards and packages to Soldiers serving overseas should send them early and follow the rules for mail distribution, said a military postal official.
“To ensure delivery…to military [Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office] addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest mail be sent by the recommended dates provided by the U.S. Postal service,” said Mark DeDomenic, the assistant deputy director and chief of operations for the Military Postal Service Agency.
Winds of Change has published its most recent Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there. Also, in case you missed it previously, they have a very comprehensive roundup of news related to Fallujah.
[Link to Full Article]
By Chris Barron, Sun Staff
Eight months after she buried her husband, Michele Bunda stood at Fort Lewis two weeks ago watching the happy reunions of soldiers and their families.
The Army Stryker brigade that her husband served in returned after a year in Iraq. And although happy to see her husband's buddies, she never felt more alone.
A Longview solder who fractured two vertebrae when his Stryker plunged nose-first off a 30-foot cliff is recovering on schedule and feeling good enough to attend a concert in Tacoma, his father said Saturday.
"Justin's doing real well," said his father, Jim Little. "He's starting to heal the way he's supposed to."
He spoke by cell phone just before driving his son to see Toby Keith perform that night at the Tacoma Dome. A surprise would join them beforehand for dinner, he said.
The following article describes an AFP reporter's ride through Mosul with the 3-21 INF. Cheryl sent links to accompanying photos (one, two, three).
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov 15 (AFP) - A US army combat team has started combing the deserted streets of Mosul searching for rebels whom they say have flocked to Iraq's third-largest city after an all-out assault by US-led forces on their stronghold in Fallujah to the south.
Dozens of Stryker armoured vehicles carrying about 350 infantrymen from the 1st and 3rd battalions of the 24th Infantry Division fanned out north and east of Mosul on Sunday.
One of the monitors inside the high-tech armoured vehicles showed an aerial map of the city replete with blue circles tracking the troops' movements. [...]
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 15, 2004) –Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) continued operations in Mosul yesterday as Soldiers from 1st Battalion 5th Infantry Regiment returned from Fallujah after successfully completing their mission there.
The situation in Mosul remains relatively calm with only isolated attacks occurring in the city. Yesterday, anti-Iraqi forces attacked the 4 West Police Station but Special Iraqi Police Commandos from the Ministry of Interior in Baghdad and MNF Soldiers responded and repelled the attack. Anti-Iraqi forces do not occupy or control any police stations in Mosul.
Provided below are a number of articles published today regarding the situation in Mosul. I haven't had a chance to read all of them, but I wanted to include them here for you.
Dear Friends,
Not a whole lot to report today. Scott played with Aly after they woke up this morning. She smiled at him the entire time he did so. We discussed extending the pass and managed to do so until Monday morning. We ate breakfast (scrambled eggs and toast), lunch (Mexican food a nice couple brought over for the residents) and dinner (ordered a pizza) together. Watched movies all day downstairs in the living room. I took a nap in the afternoon and played Scrabble with Julie after the kids went to bed.
Nice to have a "boring" day for once!
ST
Hello all,
Michael received a direct order from a 1st Lt today and followed it to the letter.
Greetings everyone,
I had the pleasure of meeting Sandra, the mother of DJ tonight and she said her son is doing well recovering from his injuries. DJ was the platoon leader for C co., 1st Plt., 1-5 Inf., 1-25th. SBCT and was injured on 6 November. Sandra was at Walter Reed about an hour after DJ arrived and even though his injuries are pretty extensive, she said he looked good and is doing well considering. I will post more on his progress after she talks with her son and received his permission.
Our prayers are with them and I am sure I will be able to pass along a lot of usefull information that the family will need during their stay here. Take care and God bless.
I've had a few emails today saying the site has been acting strangely since yesterday - pop-up windows, missing photos etc. I haven't noticed anything strange when I visit the site, but could you leave me a comment describing the problem if you have? If I get a better sense for what the problem is I can contact our web host.
UPDATE: I think I figured out why the images weren't appearing, but I have no idea why pop-up windows would appear. Since someone suggested it could be an adware/spyware problem, I recommend trying Spybot - it's free.
BAGHDAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) The US general in charge of Mosul says the northern Iraqi city is back under US and Iraqi control, but admits a two-day insurgent rampage last week caused alarm and stretched security forces.
Groups of up to 50 armed men ran amok through Iraq's third largest city on Wednesday and Thursday, attacking police stations, looting them of weapons, bullet-proof vests and vehicles, and setting them ablaze.
Scores of policemen deserted, allowing at least nine of Mosul's 33 police bases to fall temporarily into rebel hands.
[Link to Full Article]
By Daniel Witter/Appeal-Democrat
Pvt. Roy Ranum, 21, of Yuba City, was in a war zone. He was fully armed and in patrol vehicle traveling through an Iraqi city, when the cries of a small child diverted his attention. Ranum spotted a boy, no more than 3-years-old fall down in a search for his mother.
"We couldn't just run over there and help him," he said.
Pfc. Travis McCleary, 21, of Port Clinton, Ohio, also remembers children, some in scraps of clothing, roaming the streets drinking water from broken sewage lines and playing in the trash.
After 11 months in Iraq with the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division based in Forth Lewis, Wash., much of it in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, both men were in Linda, Saturday uniting with Ranum's family and cousins.
The following is a recent editorial from Alaska's Daily News-Miner.
Alaskans watching the nightly news out of Iraq last week, particularly from the cities of Fallujah and Mosul, might not think there's much of a connection to this state. There is. And while it's not highly visible yet, it could be unmistakable next year.
The connection comes in watching and reading about the efforts of the new Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Lewis, Wash. Alaskans should prepare to see this state's Stryker Brigade fighting in a similar situation.
By Chris Barron | Sun Staff
It's been 34 days since Shawna Burbank opened her door to two Army soldiers dressed in their finest.
But days are too large a measure to describe her life since she was informed of her husband's death in Iraq on that Monday morning.
Her life is now defined hourly — an hour of heartache, an hour of numbness, an hour of denial and even an hour of feeling OK.
As of 8 a.m. today, it's been 816 hours since she learned that her husband of nine years, Army Staff Sgt. Michael Burbank, was killed Oct. 10 by a truck bomb. He was standing in the open hatch of his Fort Lewis-based Stryker vehicle when it went off. [...]
TFO Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 14, 2004) –Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) continue operations to root out remaining pockets of anti-Iraqi force resistance and return stability to northern Iraq.
Three days ago, a number of groups ranging in size from 15-50 AIF insurgents moved through the city conducting attacks on police stations, Iraqi government facilities and other fixed sites. During this time the fighting was intense, but together with the Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces, many of the insurgents were defeated. Sporadic fighting followed on Friday and Saturday.
Despite reports from satellite channels in the region, Multi-National Forces have not withdrawn from Mosul and the local Iraqi Government, led by Governor Duraid Kashmoula, is clearly in control. During an interview last night with Arab satellite channel Alhurra, Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham said the situation is improving as Iraqi Police return to work and the ING remain strong conducting operations in the area.
Dear Friends,
We had Occupational Therapy (computer solitaire with right and left hands on the mouse) and Physical Therapy (stretches and treadmill) early this morning so Scott was finished by 10 a.m. We went to the cafeteria and Scott had a repeat of his cherry Coke and roll experience, only not so intense as the last time. It's hard to repeat those "first time" sensations, isn't it?
The DoD has confirmed that Maj. Horst Gerhard “Gary” Moore was the second individual killed in Mosul last Tuesday (see below). Maj. Moore was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker BrigadeCombat Team), Fort Lewis, WA.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones he leaves behind. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Michael Gilbert spoke to BG Ham and provides this detailed summary of recent events in Mosul.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq said the past week’s fighting in Mosul, where more than 5,000 Fort Lewis-based troops are stationed, is the fiercest he’s seen since he got there in January.
Brig. Gen. Carter Ham said several teams of 15 to 50 insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades and mortars looted police stations and struck government facilities before U.S. and Iraqi forces beat them back.
Thursday’s sustained combat dropped off Friday to what Ham called “sporadic” fighting around the city of 2 million. [...]
Dear Friends,
Well, the urgent X-ray request of Wednesday resulted in our going down this morning (Friday--I'm glad it wasn't "routine") to have Scott's right leg X-rayed to see if he has a bullet splinter working its way out his thigh. We got there, checked in and sat down. Scott immediately removed his helmet. Sometimes, this makes casual observers a little faint. Scott doesn't seem to mind, of course. I suspect he secretly relishes the idea of making people quesy when they see his head.
The DoD has identified Spc. Thomas K. Doerflinger as the Task Force Olympia Soldier killed in Mosul yesterday (see below). Spc. Doerflinger was assigned to 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and comrades.
When we find additional articles they will be added to this entry.
This offer from Home Depot runs through Sunday the 14th.
[Link to Full Article]
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2004 -- Active duty, reserve and retired U.S. military personnel and their family members will receive 10 percent off their purchases in recognition of Veterans Day at The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, company officials announced today.
The offer is good on purchases up to $2,000 for a maximum discount of $200 Nov. 11-14, and applies to Home Depot, Home Depot Floor and Home Depot Landscape Supply stores.
"This discount is a gesture of thanks, during this time of remembrance, to all of those who have sacrificed for our nation, in keeping with The Home Depot's ongoing commitment to the entire U.S. military community," said Bob Nardelli, the company's chairman, president and chief executive officer.
This article from Stars & Stripes describes a new Army program, DS3, designed to help diabled soldiers through the bureaucratic maze. I haven't followed the links provided, but thought this could be a resource for some families out there.
[Link to Full Article]
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
ARLINGTON, Va. — Just seven months into a new Army program to give one-on-one, long-term help to severely injured combat veterans, program officials have identified about 880 soldiers who are potentially eligible for the assistance, according to Col. Robert H. Woods, director of the Army’s Human Resources Policy Directorate.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday at the Pentagon, Woods said that the “Disabled Soldier Support System,” or DS3, as the program is called, has conducted interviews with 232 of those 880 soldiers, and is now preparing to hire social workers who will link them with the many government and private programs already in place to assist them.
[Link to Full Article]
By M.L. LYKE, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
KENT -- Patches of bare dirt were still visible yesterday on the new grave where Army Staff Sgt. Michael Burbank was laid to rest only three weeks ago. "Iraq freedom. No greater love than this," read the epitaph on his granite tombstone at Tahoma National Cemetery.
"It still just doesn't feel like it's the right person in there -- that it's the right name on the stone," said his 28-year-old wife, Shawna. She visited the grave on a foggy Veterans Day "just to talk to him." [...]
This brief press release was sent out by Army Public Affairs this morning.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 12, 2004) – A soldier assigned to Task Force Olympia was killed by small arms fire during combat operations in Mosul yesterday.
The soldier’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
[Link to Full Article]
Borzou Daragahi, Chronicle Foreign Service
[...] U.S. military spokeswoman Capt. Angela Bowman rejected claims by some residents that parts of Mosul had fallen under insurgent control, saying that guerrillas "have not taken any parts of the city. The operations are still ongoing and probably will be for some time until we fully secure the city." [...]
U.S. analysts say the comparison with the insurgency in the Sunni triangle city may be overblown.
"I don't think Mosul will play the same role, in large part because of the significant number of Kurds and Turkomans who have little interest in coddling a Sunni insurgency," said Steven Metz, director of research at the U. S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute.
Unlike the ethnically homogenous cities of the Sunni triangle -- Fallujah, Samarra and Ramadi -- Mosul is in a Kurdish area, though with an Arab majority that is both Shiite and Sunni. There are also Assyrian Christians, Nestorian Christians, Armenians and Turkomans.
Here are two additional articles with information I haven't seen elsewhere.
Greetings everyone.
Michael had a pretty good day today. Lots of visitors bearing gifts for Veteran's day which he shared with some of the other guys on the ward. If all goes well, he will have his IV removed next wed. and be free of any attachments that restrict movement. We can hardly wait for him to get outside for a while. He tends to get hit with cabin fever every now and then. :-)
Dear Friends,
No therapy today due to the holiday. Scott did have an eventful day, though, thanks to Jim Moffet who picked us up before noon for an outing. Scott was over to the Fisher House for an overnight pass last Friday, but he has not been in a vehicle, other than a Stryker or an ambulance/bus since he was injured. Jim had his wife's van for the day and we used it to good effect. Scott had to wear the hated helmet while in the van, but he didn't complain.
NPR has an audio segment featuring a brief conversation with Lt. Col. Paul Hastings regarding the situation in Mosul. Follow the link, and in the upper-left corner is a "Listen" icon - click that to hear the segment.
Do you know how the 172nd at Ft. Wainwright (the 3rd SBCT) is historically connected to the origins of Veterans Day? Read the following column to find out.
[Link to Full Article]
By TERRY HALL
Today we remember the end of World War I and celebrate the sacrifices of countless veterans upon whose shoulders this country was built.
It was during the 11th month of 1918, on the 11th day, at the 11th hour that the final shot of WWI was fired by a howitzer from the 11th Field Artillery Regiment. The soldiers of that day, as was their custom, affectionately named their howitzers. The gun that fired the final round was called Calamity Jane.
Here is the full text of the 25th BSB article from The Olympia Observer.
[Link to Article]
Spc. Aaron Ritter
MOSUL, Iraq – Soldiers with the 25th Brigade Support Battalion recently arrived in northern Iraq to carry on the significant task of keeping the Soldiers in northern Iraq supplied.
The Ft. Lewis, Wash.-based unit is part of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, the Army’s second Stryker Brigade Combat Team to be deployed to Iraq. The 25th BSB replaced “Arrowhead Brigade” Soldiers of the 296th BSB, who served in the Mosul region for nearly a year with 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team).
In case you had difficulty downloading The Olympia Observer, here is the full text of the 3-21 INF article.
[Link to Article]
By Staff Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, Iraq – With thick rain clouds looming over northern Iraq and random heat lightning crackling in the night sky, a company of infantrymen prepare to walk onto the streets of Mosul, grab suspected terrorists and call it a night.
The leaders of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment spent the previous 12 hours planning for this joint operation that featured the best soldiers of the 101st Iraqi National Guard Battalion. The raid, on a local market suspected to be a terrorist haven, would be Company A’s second major operation in the short month they have been in Iraq, but the Soldiers were prepared for whatever challenges lay ahead.
The November 8 edition of The Olympia Observer, the official newsletter of Task Force Olympia, is available for download. There are articles regarding 3-21 INF, 25th BSB, and an announcement that Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) will be visiting Mosul soon.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Sgt. 1st Class Roger Dakari said his dad sat him down for a talk before he headed to Iraq last fall with the Army’s first Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis.
Dakari’s father, Joseph Johnson, was an infantryman in Vietnam. Long after Johnson returned home to Mississippi, he struggled with the emotional stresses of combat, and he wanted his son to know what to expect:
Anxiety, nervousness, trouble sleeping. In many cases, worse.
“Dad was 100 percent right,” Dakari said Tuesday. “It changes you.”
We would like to take a moment to thank all of the veterans, past and present, who have sacrificed so much on our behalf. Your efforts represent a debt that cannot easily be repaid, if at all. During this time of conflict let's not forget those still in harm's way, or who have been injured and are fighting to recover. A special thanks to all the families supporting each and every servicemember - you are "veterans" as well. Finally, to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, know that you will never be forgotten. Thank you.
Provided below are additional sources commemorating Veterans Day.
We've mentioned the story of Trevor Phillips before (here and here). The following article provides an update on his situation, which has been frustrating to say the least.
[Link to Full Article]
CHRISTIAN HILL THE OLYMPIAN
ONALASKA -- Sgt. Trevor Phillips sacrificed more than his right hand on a May 11 combat patrol in Iraq.
Phillips, 26, a vehicle commander for the Army's first Stryker brigade, lost a clear future for himself and his family.
Phillips planned to join his wife, Christa, and their two young daughters in this Lewis County town after his tour, leave the Army and join the Coast Guard.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 11, 2004) – In response to a request by Ninevah Provincial Governor, Duraid Kashmoula, Iraqi National Guard soldiers and Multi-National Forces from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) initiated offensive operations in southeastern and southwestern Mosul at approximately 1 p.m. today against known concentrations of insurgents.
The Governor’s request resulted from a series of attacks on Iraqi Security Forces yesterday and overnight in Mosul. Insurgent forces attacked several police stations and other targets within the city. In several cases, Anti-Iraqi Forces exceeded the capabilities of the police on site, requiring reinforcements. Additionally, Governor Kashmoula is working with other regional governments to identify measures to restore and maintain a police presence in local police stations.
Dear Friends,
We had sort of a late start this morning. Scott had to perform the usual personal maintenance tasks, but did so on an empty stomach as the food trays mysteriously keep appearing in the wrong place. If Scott isn't aroused by someone, he often continues to sleep. (It's what you do when you have a traumatic brain injury sometimes.) If you continue to sleep, your tray disappears. Scott's doctor is about ready to pull her hair out over this, I think. (More later)
Msgene found this combat camera Photo Essay at the Defend America site.
The DoD has identified Master Sgt. Steven E. Auchman as one of the two Task Force Olympia members killed yesterday in Mosul (see below). MSG Auchman, an airman, was assigned to the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Lewis, WA. Our thoughts and prayers are with those he leaves behind.
We will add any additional articles we find to this entry.
Joy and happiness were abundant in Browning this week as Sgt. Sean Barnes and Spec. Ryan Barnes returned to visit family after tours in Iraq. Sean was working in Browning and attending Blackfeet Community College when he joined the US Army in 1996. Ryan, a 1997 graduate of Browning High School, followed his brother into the Army in 1998. Both brothers went into the infantry with Sean in air assault and Ryan eventually graduating from the airborne school.
Brothers Sean and Ryan carried the Blackfeet Nation flag with them on tours throughout the world. A gift from their parents, these flags were proudly displayed in the Republic of Korea by Sean on two different tours, one tour at the Suez Canal and one tour in Bouquba, Iraq. Ryan carried his flag to Panama and Mosul, Iraq. Ryan's unit, nicknamed the Stryker Brigade, was deployed with the Army's newest and latest combat assault vehicles. Both boys took pride in sharing their Blackfeet heritage with people around the world.
In addition to the sources we've mentioned previously, Winds of Change has a very comprehensive roundup of information on the situation there. Their entry will be updated as new information becomes available, so you might want to bookmark it.
In addition to the sources we've mentioned previously, Winds of Change has a very comprehensive roundup of information on the situation there. Their entry will be updated as new information becomes available, so you might want to bookmark it.
Michael Oreskovic was one of the wounded soldiers that met with the President and the First Lady yesterday. Mike Sr. has the photos.
[Link to Full Article]
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush paid a bedside visit to wounded soldiers on Tuesday, then predicted victory for their comrades in Iraq in their battle against terrorists "who want to stop democracy" there. [...]
The president and his wife, Laura, went from room to room in two wards of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit privately 42 soldiers being treated for injuries ranging from broken bones and minor injuries to missing legs and severe skull injuries. The president also met with the family of a soldier who was in surgery.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 10, 2004) – The Iraqi National Guard and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained eight people for anti-Iraqi activities and collected a variety of munitions Wednesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard and MNF Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment conducted a joint cordon and search in the northern Mosul neighborhood of Al Arabe and detained five people suspected of planning and conducting attacks against Iraqi Security forces and MNF. The suspects are in custody with no injuries reported during the operation.
Michael Gilbert provides an update on the current situation in Mosul. He also explains the difference between the Stryker Brigade and Task Force Olympia, a distinction that is often missed by other local media outlets.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Two soldiers were killed and a civilian contractor was wounded Tuesday in a mortar attack on a U.S. base in Mosul, where thousands of Fort Lewis-based troops are stationed, the military reported.
The soldiers were assigned to Task Force Olympia, the Fort Lewis-led command in charge of coalition forces across northern Iraq, including the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
News releases by military authorities in Mosul and Baghdad said one soldier was killed during the mortar attack about 10 a.m. Tuesday, and that the second died later of wounds. The contractor was taken to a military hospital in Baghdad.
[Link to Full Article]
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
MOSUL, Iraq — Ask nearly anyone in a Stryker unit and they’ll say they weren’t too crazy about the eight-wheeled vehicles at first.
Something about rubber tires seemed unlikely to withstand the same beating as a tracked vehicle. The Strykers looked slow and lumbering.
But the naysayers have been converted.
Dear Friends,
A friend (who has not yet met Scott) wrote to me today and remarked about how wonderful Scott must be to inspire such love. I would only reply here that both my sons inspire such love. Neither of them are "golden boys" but they're the only boys I have. The challenge is that I can only "be there" for one at a time. Dan understands the choice ("Dad, I'm not five years old.") and supports his brother as best he can from afar.
We just received this press release from the Public Affairs office. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these individuals.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 9, 2004) – One Task Force Olympia Soldier was killed and a second service member later died of wounds following a mortar attack on a Multi-National Base in Mosul at approximately 10 a.m. today.
The names of the service members killed in the attack are withheld pending notification of next of kin.
A civilian contractor also wounded in the attack was evacuated to the military hospital in Baghdad.
[Link to Full Article]
Michael Gilbert, The News Tribune
Stryker troops from Fort Lewis are taking part in the offensive at Fallujah, according to media reports, but military officials declined Monday to provide details.
The Associated Press and the Times of London said troops from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division had been sent to help seal off the insurgent stronghold.
The brigade is based in Mosul, about 230 miles north of Fallujah.
An Army spokeswoman in Mosul declined to comment Monday, and the news accounts provided no further information.
[Link to Full Article]
By Dawn S. Onley, GCN Staff
As troops battled during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Army brigade commanders overseeing Stryker armored vehicles faced a problem.
They wanted constant surveillance of enemy and friendly forces, and they wanted to keep a lookout on the battlefield terrain outside their vehicles.
Good photos included as well.
[Link to Full Article]
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — After less than a month in Iraq, nearly every unit in the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment has seen action.
Several 1-24th soldiers, members of the 25th Infantry Division’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team, will get Purple Hearts, and hundreds already have qualified for the Combat Infantryman Badge.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 9, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one people for anti-Iraqi activities Monday in northern Iraq.
Two terrorists attacked Soldiers from the 73rd Engineer Battalion from a vehicle with small arms fire as Soldiers swept local roadways for roadside bombs in southern Mosul. Soldiers quickly engaged the terrorists killing one and detaining the other. No MNF Soldiers were injured during the attack on their patrol.
Multi-National 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.
Dear Friends,
Scott put all that rest he got yesterday to good use as he was very energetic today. He wanted to walk without his cane and did so for most of the day. He even walked around with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants (show off!) during the morning. He walked from his ward to OT, rode the elevator up to RT and then went down to the cafeteria (more Cherry Coke, fries and two (!) grilled cheese sandwiches). Finally, he walked back to the ward, engaging some of the fellow elevator passengers in (brief) conversation.
There is some information here regarding the 56th SBCT, which is part of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division. It is one of the six Stryker Brigades planned.
[Link to Full Article]
Carol Cummings, Sentinel reporter
BURNHAM — He sat in the last seat at the table and listened to conversations around him. In his pressed plaid shirt and suspenders, ball cap carefully laid to the side, Richard Druckenmiller of McClure could be anybody’s grandfather.
As a veteran of both World War II and the Korean Conflict, Druckenmiller also could have been one of the U.S. military’s casualties of war.
But, he is one of the lucky ones.
It's not clear from the article whether this Marine reservist is part of Task Force Olympia, but he operates in the Mosul region and has some very interesting experiences to share.
[Link to Full Article]
By Derek Gentile, Berkshire Eagle Staff
LEE -- Vivien Cord of Armonk, N.Y., acknowledges that she knows James Pow only by the beautiful, flower-petal designs he shows at the arts and crafts shows she runs in New York and Connecticut.
But a few months ago, Pow, a 45-year-old Marine reservist-turned-craftsman, told Cord and her husband, Ed, that he was being sent overseas to Iraq.
"I said to him, 'Please, keep in touch,' " recalled Vivien Cord. "It was a little unsettling." [...]
Here are two items to read if you're interested in exploring the situation in Iraq beyond the headlines.
Another article from Juliana Gittler with Stars and Stripes, this one featuring the 2-14 CAV. There are a couple great photos included as well.
[Link to Full Article]
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
During a routine mission Saturday in northwestern Iraq, soldiers with the 14th Cavalry, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division popped into a remote school and handed out 150 backpacks and toothbrushes.
The visit was a spur-of-the-moment stop for the Stryker Brigade Combat Team members aimed at helping a school that troops haven’t visited in a year, said Maj. Brian Grady, with Company B of the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion.
Another article from Juliana Gittler with Stars and Stripes, this one featuring the 2-14 CAV. There are a couple great photos included as well.
[Link to Full Article]
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
During a routine mission Saturday in northwestern Iraq, soldiers with the 14th Cavalry, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division popped into a remote school and handed out 150 backpacks and toothbrushes.
The visit was a spur-of-the-moment stop for the Stryker Brigade Combat Team members aimed at helping a school that troops haven’t visited in a year, said Maj. Brian Grady, with Company B of the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion.
A CAR bomb exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul tonight, injuring one US soldier and 12 Iraqi bystanders, US military and hospital officials said.
The car bomb exploded at 10.30am (6.30pm AEDT) near a US army convoy, wounding the soldier, who was evacuated to a nearby military hospital, said Captain Angela Bowman.
Officials at the al-Salaam hospital said that 12 Iraqis were brought in for injuries.
The entire convoy was able to move out of the explosion area, she said, though three civilian vehicles were damaged.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 7, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 13 people for anti-Iraqi activities and collected a variety of weapons and munitions during the last 48 hours in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from the 73rd Engineer Battalion discovered a roadside bomb-making cell attempting to emplace a 155mm device near the side of the road in southern Mosul yesterday. Soldiers quickly engaged the terrorists wounding one and detaining 11 personnel. The U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded and reduced the device with no U.S. injuries reported during the operation.
Dear Friends,
This should be short as Sundays are pretty quiet around here and Scott took advantage of this to sleep a lot.
Another great aricle from Stars & Stripes, photos included.
[Link to Full Article]
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — Before the convoys roll out, members of the 73rd Engineer Company of the 1st Brigade (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), 25th Infantry Division make sure they have a smooth passage.
The company’s soldiers sweep the roadsides for bombs and help dig out anything they find. In the three weeks they’ve been in Iraq, they’ve uncovered a number of bombs and tank rounds burrowed into roadside dirt.
In addition to traditional news reports from embedded reporters you might want to bookmark the following sites, both of which will likely follow the situation in Fallujah closely.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared a 60-day state of emergency Sunday, as preparations were under way for an all-out offensive on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja.
"The council of ministers has approved this, the presidency has approved it," Allawi said of the state of emergency. "We declared it today, and we are going to implement it whenever is necessary and wherever is necessary."
The interim prime minister cautioned that Iraqi and U.S. forces "are not going to be easy" with suspected terrorists and insurgents.
By Tan Vinh
AUBURN — More than half a century has passed since they fought on the Pacific Ocean. Yesterday, many local submarine veterans finally got their parade. They were the lead convoy, waving to a roaring sea of red, white and blue during the city of Auburn's 39th Annual Veterans Day Parade, one of the biggest such parades west of the Mississippi.
At the peak of World War II, the Navy's Submarine Force was called the "Silent Service," sneaking up on and sinking battleships and tankers before descending back into the depths. By the time their missions were declassified, the public was consumed by the Cold War or had lost interest; their conquests are often missing from the early history texts.
"We were the forgotten ones for a while," said Lem Riddell, 81, of Whidbey Island, one of about 40 submarine veterans who participated in yesterday's parade. "I am glad the word is finally getting out."
With the war in Iraq, this year's festivities elicited quite a bit of patriotic fervor. [...]
Dear Friends,
It was good to have Scott spend the night. We got up earlier than usual because we didn't want to screw up his first pass. He had some oatmeal and read through a recent issue of Army Times. Tiffany bundled him up and we returned to the hospital. We were tempted to bring him back again after his therapy sessions, but Scott indicated he wanted to stay at the hospital afterward. So much for the outpatient therapy fantasy!
Next Thursday, November 11th is Veterans Day. The following article by Michael Gilbert describes some of the events planned for the Puget Sound region to honor our veterans.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Auburn’s 39th annual Veterans Day parade Saturday will be the first of several events over the next week to mark the holiday honoring America’s war veterans.
The parade, one of the largest in the nation, will feature 23 high school marching bands and floats from communities throughout Western Washington. This year’s parade will honor submarine veterans in particular.
The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at E and Main streets in downtown Auburn and run west along Main Street to B Street Northwest. Marching bands will compete at 2 p.m. at the Auburn Memorial Stadium, 801 Fourth St. N.E.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 6, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) collected a variety of weapons and munitions Friday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment discovered a large weapons cache near the Syrian border that consisted of 41 British mortar rounds and one 37mm Chinese anti-aircraft round. The U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team collected the weapons for future destruction.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment discovered a large weapons cache east of Mosul that consisted of 12 155mm artillery rounds. The U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team destroyed the rounds in place with no injuries reported.
Multi-National 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.
Dear Friends,
On a personal note: Today is the 31st anniversary of my being crushed between two trucks at Ft. Lewis while serving with the 2nd Bn., 47th Infantry. The vehicles involved have, no doubt, been converted to razor blades or washers, and the 2/47 Inf is a basic training unit at Ft. Leonard Wood, but I soldier on.
It's great to see a Stars & Stripes reporter visiting Mosul. We should see some good articles.
[Link to Full Article]
By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
MOSUL, Iraq — Before the first streaks of dawn break through the sky, teams of U.S. and Iraqi forces systematically trickle through a neighborhood on a “cordon-and-knock” mission.
They rap on each door, check inside for weapons or explosives and pass out leaflets asking for help finding terrorists. They’re hoping to flush out lurking enemy forces, but a critical part of the mission is more proactive. It lets residents get to know coalition forces.
By J. C. Matthews
FORT LEWIS, Wash. (Army News Service, Nov. 5, 2004) -- For a couple of thousand Fort Lewis families, the wait is over.
And, for the remaining family and friends awaiting the return of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the end is in sight.
As the one-year anniversary of its deployment drew closer, the Arrowhead Brigade continued its mission-ending flow from Iraq to Fort Lewis this week, with about 3,000 members now home.
The Army’s first Stryker Brigade Combat Team started its deployment Nov. 8, 2003, and served in northern Iraq as part of Task Force Olympia, headquartered in Mosul.
It looks like a battalion from the 1-25 SBCT is involved in operations near Fallujah.
[Link to Full Article]
By Jim Krane, Associated Press
NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) More than 10,000 U.S. soldiers and Marines have taken positions around Fallujah for an expected assault, as U.S. jets pummeled insurgent targets Friday and troops blocked key roads. Iraq's prime minister warned the ''window is closing'' to avert an offensive...
For the past three nights, long convoys of American soldiers from Baghdad and Baqouba have rolled onto a dust-blown base on the outskirts of Fallujah, a city that has become the symbol of Iraqi resistance. U.S. commanders here have been coordinating plans either to fight their way into the city or isolate it from the rest of Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland.
[Link to Full Article]
By Hal Bernton, Seattle Times staff reporter
The United States and Japan continue to negotiate the terms of a shift of the Fort Lewis-based I Corps headquarters, and up to 1,000 officers, to a base south of Tokyo, according to Lt. Gen. James Dubik, commanding officer for I Corps and Fort Lewis.
The I Corps (pronounced first corps) command structure controls some 40,000 active-duty and reserve troops across the country, including those at Fort Lewis.
[Link to Full Article]
CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
FORT LEWIS -- Photos of hikes in the Cascades and at Mount Rainier fill the family scrapbooks of Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik, new commander of I Corps and Fort Lewis.
He first was assigned to Fort Lewis in 1975 as a junior officer with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He came back five years ago for 11 months to develop what became the Stryker brigades...
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 5, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained a large number of individuals suspected of planning and performing anti-Iraqi activities during several operations throughout northern Iraq Thursday.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment conducted a series of cordon and search operations throughout the Mosul neighborhoods of Al Bareed, Al Kahira, Ninevah Gabat Area, Suez, Al Ilam and Al Bakir where detained members of a terrorist cell responsible for mortar and roadside bomb attacks against security forces. All of the detained individuals remain in custody.
Dear Friends,
This morning, as she promised, the Occupational Therapist (Deb, by name) came by Scott's room to observe how he performed basic chores like brushing his teeth and getting dressed. When we met with her later in the day, she said Scott was doing well on these tasks.
The following is a homecoming summary by Dana, whose son just returned to Ft. Lewis yesterday morning. If anyone has other accounts they would like to share, please let us know.
Interesting article regarding future Army equipment, some of which the SBCTs tested in Iraq.
[Link to Article]
By Sgt. Lorie Jewell
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 3, 2004) – Soldiers of the future will head into battle with lighter loads, enhanced body protection, better chow, and more portable electrical power.
Technologies like nanotechnology and photovoltaics – evolving methods that are responsible for much of the improvements – were part of a recent forum on “Equipping the Soldier for the 21st Century” at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting.
[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Lt. Gen. James Dubik’s first tour at Fort Lewis was as a young Ranger officer. Later he returned as a one-star general to help create the Stryker brigades.
Now he’s back as boss of the whole operation. Dubik pinned on a third star Wednesday in front of family and friends, then took command of the post in a ceremony that brought together leaders past and present from across the military services and the community.
He succeeds Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, 57, who is retiring.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 4, 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 Wednesday in northern Iraq.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment conducted a cordon and search in Sinjar and detained a known financier of anti-Iraqi operations and activities. The suspect is in custody undergoing questioning.
Dear Friends,
Okay, enough goofing off, vacationing on an Air Force Base. Time to write something.
There is a brief mention in the following article of an incident in Mosul.
[...] In the northern city of Mosul, another car bomb blew up near a military convoy Tuesday, killing four civilians and wounding at least seven soldiers.
Iraqi police say the attack was an attempt to assassinate Maj.-Gen. Rashid Feleih, the commander of a special task force.
He was not hurt.
While this article was included in the October 25 edition of The Olympia Observer I wanted to post it separately, as it provides a nice summary of the 3-2's deployment. The full text and photos are included below.
[Link to Article]
By Spc. Blair Larson
The Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Arrowhead Brigade Combat Team) made history as the Army’s first Stryker Brigade to fight in combat. Throughout their year-long deployment to Iraq, the Army’s newest vehicle and its highly-trained Stryker Soldiers have proven themselves to be the flexible, maneuverable force the Army envisioned.
The Arrowhead Brigade is the first of six planned Stryker brigades. Based in Fort Lewis, Wash., the 3-2 Inf. became part of a new Army initiative to establish a unit that could bridge the operational gap between slow to deploy heavy forces and underpowered light forces. With more than 3,600 Soldiers and 300 vehicles, the brigade is capable of conducting a wide range of military operations in various settings.
While this article was included in the October 25 edition of The Olympia Observer I wanted to post it separately, as it provides a nice summary of the 3-2's deployment. The full text and photos are included below.
[Link to Article]
By Spc. Blair Larson
The Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Arrowhead Brigade Combat Team) made history as the Army’s first Stryker Brigade to fight in combat. Throughout their year-long deployment to Iraq, the Army’s newest vehicle and its highly-trained Stryker Soldiers have proven themselves to be the flexible, maneuverable force the Army envisioned.
The Arrowhead Brigade is the first of six planned Stryker brigades. Based in Fort Lewis, Wash., the 3-2 Inf. became part of a new Army initiative to establish a unit that could bridge the operational gap between slow to deploy heavy forces and underpowered light forces. With more than 3,600 Soldiers and 300 vehicles, the brigade is capable of conducting a wide range of military operations in various settings.
The November 1 edition of The Olympia Observer, the official newsletter of Task Force Olympia, is available for download.
UPDATE: The October 25 edition is available as well - I don't think we've linked to that one either.
Here's an article I missed over the weekend.
[Link to Full Article]
DAVID WICKERT; The News Tribune
Between the candy, the clothes and the compact discs, thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq will enjoy a surprise visit from Santa Claus this season, thanks to a dedicated group of Puget Sound-area volunteers.
More than 150 people traveled to a Renton farm on Saturday to ready more than 500 boxes full of holiday cheer for about 3,000 men and women in uniform.
“We’re going to spoil those kids so bad they’re not going to want to come home,” said Nadine Gulit, a volunteer for Operation Support Our Troops.
Looking for a unique stocking stuffer this Christmas? How about a 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division action figure. Description:
The newly formed Stryker Brigade Combat Team had its operational debut in Iraq. The arrowhead brigade is equipped with the brand new eight wheeled M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle. Now we bring you a figure that features this elite brigade. It's dressed in new desert-pattern uniform, interceptor body armor and fully geared!
Thanks to Leslie for the link.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 3, 2004) – Mehdi Achmed Moussa, a known car bomb maker in Mosul, died from burns suffered when one of his car bombs accidentally exploded in a southern Mosul market last week.
Before his death, Moussa received treatment for his burns at a local hospital where three separate Iraqi citizens identified him as the notorious organizer of car bomb attacks in the Mosul area during the last few months.
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 (November 3, 2004) – An Iraqi civilian came to Multi-National Forces Soldiers and reported that two insurgents accidentally killed themselves after firing two mortars at a military base in southern Mosul.
The Iraqi citizen said that during the attack, the mortar tube the insurgents were using to launch the projectiles exploded killing them both. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment responded to the scene and discovered the two dead bodies along with a mortar tube and five 60mm mortars nearby.
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 3, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained four people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities Tuesday in northern Iraq.
Multi-National Forces conducted cordon and search operations northwest of Mosul in the villages of Al Safeena and Al Jedda and detained three people wanted for planning and conducting anti-Iraqi activities. The suspects are in custody with no injuries reported during the operation.
Dear Friends,
I'm being held incommunicado (no Internet access at the hospital here at Scott AFB so I had to escape to the base library where there's a 30 min. window) by the Air Force. Something about comments about anxiety...
More detail will follow when we arrive in Minneapolis this evening. We're on a C-130 so it will be "Low and Slow" to the Frozen North.
We're alive and sorta well, considering. More later (I hope).
ST
The Department of Defense announced today the continued suspension of the “Any Servicemember” mail program. Accordingly, the general public is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to service members during the holiday season.
During this time of the year, the number of donation programs increases and causes mail from families and friends to be mixed with mail from unknown sources resulting in delivery delays.
I can't find a link to this article right now, so I'll just post the whole thing below. Thanks to Schules for emailing this to us.
By Matthew Cox, Times staff writer
MOSUL, Iraq — Sgt. 1st Class Michael Keyes had his doubts about going to war in an untested, wheeled vehicle, dubbed the Stryker.
The 38-year-old from Warrensburg, Mo., spent most of his Army service in special operations units before coming to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (SBCT).
“When I first got to the unit, I wasn’t too happy,” Keyes said in a recent interview in Tal Afar, a city located between the Syrian border and this city.
This long article from the Army includes information regarding the Stryker Brigades.
[Link to Full Article]
Dr. Daniel Gouré and Kenneth A. Steadman
[...] Medium-armored vehicles have proven their value in the fight to stabilize Iraq. Light vehicles such as Humvees are vulnerable to small-arms fire and improvised explosive devices. Heavy armor provides excellent force protection but it is difficult to maneuver in urban terrain. Medium armor provides enhanced force protection as well as mobility. The Stryker brigade deployed to northern Iraq in late 2003 is successfully policing an area that previously required an entire regular division. [...]
[Link to Full Article]
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF
An hour after he is promoted with the third star of a lieutenant general at Fort Lewis tomorrow, James Dubik will take command of the installation and I Corps from departing Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano.
Dubik, a 33-year Army veteran and Erie, Pa., native, arrives at Fort Lewis from a two-year assignment as director for joint experimentation at the United States Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va.
The joint experimentation group is responsible for exploring, testing and validating war-fighting ideas for every branch of the armed forces. Dubik's work there dovetails with Fort Lewis' as the home of the nation's first "Stryker brigades combat teams" created for modern warfare.
UPDATE: Another article about the change in command appeared in the News Tribune today.
Hello everyone,
Just a quick note that Michael's surgery went as well as expected today but someone messed up and forgot to turn on his meds so his pain went through the roof. Needless to say, his mother and I will be in a few faces tomorrow morning. Grrrr..... Then to top it all off the docs forgot to enter the med rates so the oncall doc needed to be called which takes a long time. Lessons learned.
I will be spending the night with him to ensure his meds get pushed at the right time so my attitude in the morning should be pretty high strung. Overall, the care here has been real good but it is those little mess ups that really set me off. I can only imagine what happens to soldiers without family members there looking out for them. God bless them all for they have given enough already and deserve the best.
Tomorrow will definately be busy. Lots of appts. and people to see. Kathleen from soldiers angels stopped by and I didn't even recognize her. It just goes to show you how old and tired I am having being here these last two weeks. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.
Take care everyone, I will write more tomorrow and talk more about the positive stuff. ;-)
Respectfully yours,
Mike Oreo
p.s. Scott Thorne, I have a gift for you upon your return brought to us by some great stryker families who visited lately. Michael says Hi and to hang in there.
FYI - I'm out of town for work and probably won't be able to post regular news updates until Wednesday morning. I might be able to post a few items later tonight.