7th Monthly Regional Security Council Meeting
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
FOB ENDURANCE, Iraq – Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, Task Force (TF) Freedom Commander, was the distinguished speaker for this month’s Regional Security Council meeting. The meeting, taking place on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Endurance on May 26th, gathered together over 500 key leaders of Ninewah Province and Mosul.
Planning for the meeting began immediately following last month’s meeting on April 24th. After attendees spent about two hours in the Moral Welfare and Recreation (MWR) center, they were to proceed to the 1/3 Iraqi Army Battalion compound. There, Commander Brig. Gen. Malooh Atala Ali provided lunch with over 50 sheep and 50 fish for the local leaders.
Imam Makes a Difference
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
MOSUL, Iraq – May 25th marked the second time in recent weeks that Imam Abdul Sufyan from the Qayarrah village was willing to travel to Mosul, and speak on Iraqi Media Network’s (IMN) radio.
Sufyan flew out of Qayarrah-West by helicopter with interpreter Ghassan and escort First Lt. Dana Scott, both from Task Force Automatic. Upon arrival, they linked up with Maj. Michael Petrunyak and Cpt. Jon Pendell, from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and drove via Strykers to the radio show.
Iraq Report
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Back from Iraq for a short stay
The following is part two of a column by Rachel Howard (read part one).
Link to Full Article
By Rachel Howard, The San Francisco Chronicle
Already Mom and I feared we would hardly see Emmet during his 15-day leave from Iraq, and we sat on edge for indications of how much time Emmet would set aside for us. He was 23, six years my junior; he had partying to do. For the next three days we counted ourselves lucky to take Emmet out to breakfast at Denny's per his request. When Emmet wasn't with us, Mom trucked back and forth to Costco, exchanging camera accessories, getting his digital pictures developed. By the third breakfast we had his stack of photos, and we thumbed through them over "Meat Lovers Skillets," which Emmet, ever frugal, ordered without the meat because the "Meat Lovers" were cheaper than plain scrambled eggs.
Iraq war vet stirs crowd at Capitol
Link to Full Article
BY KATHERINE TAM, THE OLYMPIAN
DJ Skelton carries the battle scars of Iraq on his body.
He lost his left eye, upper palate and partial use of his left arm, but he's refusing to leave the Army without a fight. He's working to prove he can still perform so he can keep his active-duty status. He'll know this summer whether he's successful.
ISF continue to increase in strength
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 31, 2005) – Two hundred-fifteen newly trained Iraqi Policemen returned to Mosul from the Jordanian Police Academy Sunday while three hundred-ninety four new cadets were sent to the Jordanian Police Academy Monday.
SPC Phillip Sayles
Task Force Freedom announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SPC Phillip N. Sayles, 26, of Jacksonville, AR, died May 28 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his security position. SPC Sayles was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA.
We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and comrades SPC Sayles leaves behind.
UPDATE: A memorial will be held at 9:30 AM, Thursday, June 2nd at the Evergreen Chapel, Ft. Lewis.
REMEMBERING WAR DEAD
This story describes the events surrounding SPC Sayles' death.
Link to Full Article (subscription)
By Kirsten Scharnberg, Chicago Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq -- In places like this, memorials come more than one day a year.
They come when a young soldier refuses to enter a shiny new mess hall that has opened to replace the one destroyed by a suicide bomber who killed four of his friends.
They come in U.S. express mail packages holding copper bracelets engraved with the names of comrades lost.
They come when a young company commander looks at one of his new officers and somberly remarks, "That kid's got a tough job--coming in here to replace a guy who's back in the States recovering from severe burns from an explosion."
No one needs to remind the nearly 700 men of the 1st Battalion of the Army's 24th Infantry Regiment to remember.
Enemy explosive kills Stryker brigade soldier
Link to Full Article
By Matt Misterek, The News Tribune
A Fort Lewis soldier attached to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division – the Stryker brigade – was killed in Mosul on Saturday morning.
The soldier was killed by an enemy explosive while dismounted from his Stryker vehicle at a traffic checkpoint. His family has been notified, but the soldier’s name and infantry battalion have not yet been released by the Department of Defense. [...]
Memorial Day
"Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men." -- Pericles (c. 600 B.C.E.)
Our coverage of Memorial Day continues below.
Vietnam vet finds nurse by chance who held his dying son in Iraq
Link to Full Article
WTVM-TV
WASHINGTON Vietnam veteran Allen Hoe came to Washington for Memorial Day to speak at the wall built for his fallen comrades, and by chance made a remarkable discovery.
He found the nurse who held his son as he died in Iraq.
Hoe told the crowd that a few hours earlier, he'd stopped by the memorial built for Vietnam nurses. He met a woman who looked at the button he was wearing that bore a picture of his son, and she recognized him. She told him that she was an Army nurse and had held his son, First Lieutenant Nainoa (ny-ee-NOH'-ah) Hoe, as he died in Iraq. He was shot by a sniper in January while on foot patrol in Mosul.
He introduced the Army trauma nurse and said thank-you as part of his prepared remarks. [...]
Related Article:
Chance meeting 'blessing' for father - Associated Press
Killing for God
Michael Yon has posted a new entry to his blog. Michael is currently with the Deuce Four in Mosul.
Memorial Day Tribute
The following remarks were delivered today at a memorial service in Washington, D.C. by Allen K. Hoe, Esq., in honor of his son 1LT Nainoa Kealiiho'kuhelelani Hoe who was killed in action on January 22, 2005 in Mosul, Iraq.
Our thanks to COL Brown for bringing this to our attention.
Events carry special meaning
Link to Full Article
By SHAWN DAY, Statesman Journal
Laurie and Mark Whitham plan to observe Memorial Day by making a low-key, private journey to their son's grave in Springfield.
It will be their second trip this month to Springfield Memorial Gardens. They went on Mother's Day to mourn the one-year anniversary of Army Spc. Chase Whitham's death. Today won't feel any different.
"We pretty much feel the same every day," Laurie Whitham said. "It doesn't matter how long it's been."
Chase Whitham graduated in 2000 from Marist High School in Eugene, and he enlisted in the Army about two years later. He spent a year serving in South Korea, returned home to Oregon, then signed a waiver allowing him to join the scout platoon of the Stryker Brigade, part of the 2nd Infantry Division based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Feeling both pride and fear, a sister struggles to understand her brother's life in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Rachel Howard, The San Francisco Chronicle
Editor's note: In February, Emmet Cullen, a sniper with the Army's Stryker Brigade Combat Team, returned to California on 15 days' leave from Iraq. This is the first of two parts on Cullen's short stay before returning to Iraq, as seen through the eyes of his sister Rachel Howard. Howard, a regular contributor to The Chronicle Datebook and Pink sections, has also written about her family in her first book "The Lost Night: A Daughter's Search for the Truth of Her Father's Murder," which will be published by Dutton in July.
A hot day shows hope for the future
Link to Full Article
By MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Just across the fence from a U.S. Army base and airfield, a half-dozen Fort Lewis soldiers guarded what might have been the most secure swimming pool in Iraq this weekend.
A group of VIPs from the Iraqi army and the Mosul Olympic Committee gathered under a canopy for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. But it was the 50 or so local boys running and laughing on the pool deck who made a positive impression.
As soldiers die in ones and twos, technology brings loss to the world
Link to Full Article
By Alex Fryer, Seattle Times
The day the Defense Department announced the deaths of three Fort Lewis-based soldiers last week, electronic condolences appeared on a Web site for military families.
Newspapers and television stations from the soldiers' hometowns in Kansas, Arkansas and Ohio noted their passing. On Thursday, their comrades eulogized the fallen in a Fort Lewis memorial, one of three funerals for the men.
Security Forces continue operations to suppress insurgency
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 30, 2005) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and Task Force Freedom killed two terrorists, detained seven suspected terrorists, and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq today and Sunday.
Four terrorists dead following attack on Security Forces
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 30, 2005) – In combined operations with Iraqi Security Forces, Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) killed four terrorists and captured four suspected terrorists in northern Iraq Sunday.
Welcome to Tal Afar
There is a new posting in the News Tribune blog maintained by editor/reporter Matt Misterek and photographer Peter Haley. They are in Iraq following the Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis.
Acting lessons
Link to Full Article
By Joe Darby, The Times Picayune
The angry young man began his protest by beating a stick against the front of the huge Stryker armored vehicle parked by American soldiers on the edge of his village, Wadi al-Tarif.
A soldier warned him away, gesturing and shouting, "Back off, back off!"
But the young man persisted, grabbing a shovel from the side of the Stryker, banging it against the vehicle, then climbing on top. The protester did not speak English.
Not knowing the young man's intentions or why he was so angry, an American sergeant fired a few rounds from his M-16 rifle into the air and ordered the man down. He searched him, arrested him and detained him inside the Stryker.
Soldiers remember ‘brothers in arms’
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Memorial Day came early Saturday, as hundreds of Stryker brigade soldiers gave a final send-off to three comrades who died within hours of each other a week ago in northern Iraq.
Lt. Aaron Seesan, 24, was a boyish combat engineer platoon leader who would slyly write down people’s comical quotes and compile them into top-10 lists.
Spc. Tyler “Cream Puff” Creamean, 21, was a fellow engineer known as much for his fearlessness as for the way he made friends wherever he went.
And Sgt. Benjamin “Rat” Morton, 24, was a sniper, a reconnaissance scout and an all-around leader who lived up to his nickname by packing away everything he acquired. [...]
The article continues with excerpts from the memorial service.
Soldier honor 3 of their own in Iraq
Link to Full Article
BY W.S. WILSON, Northwest Indiana Times
FORWARD OPERATIONS BASE MAREZ, IRAQ | Soldiers came quietly into the muted light Saturday night to bid farewell to three fallen comrades.
The big recreational hall theater was lit only by the spotlight shining on Old Glory, three battle flags, three rifles and three helmets. A couple of sniper rifles were off to the side.
Faces of the Fallen
The May 30, 2005 edition of the Army Times has a special section of thumbnail photographs of more than 800 servicemen and women who have died in combat zones between May 19, 2004 and May 19, 2005. It is available on news stands. Unfortunately, the photographs are not available on the web version of the Army Times.
SFC Randy D. Collins
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SFC Randy D. Collins, 36, of Long Beach, CA, died May 24 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of injuries sustained in Mosul, Iraq, May 4 during a mortar attack. Collins was assigned to the Army's 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, CA.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and fellow soldiers Collins leaves behind. This entry will remain at the top of the page today; please scroll down for recent news.
A number of innocent Iraqis killed in second terrorist attack of day
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 28, 2005) – Eight innocent Iraqi civilians were killed and a number more wounded during the second terrorist attack in northern Iraq today.
Eight Iraqi civilians, including, children, were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated in a central Mosul neighborhood. An unknown number of injured civilians were transported to a local hospital. The attacks are under investigation.
Innocent civilians again victimized in terrorist attacks
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 28, 2005) – At least ten innocent Iraqi civilians were injured during a terrorist attack in northern Iraq today.
The Iraqi civilians were injured in a car bombing south of Sinjar. The injured were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The attacks are under investigation.
'There was a lot of death'
Soldiers from Maine's 133rd reflect on their time in Mosul.
Link to Full Article
BY NICK SAMBIDES, OF THE NEWS STAFF
John Nelson has a small hunk of shrapnel that needs to be cut out of his neck, and it probably will be in a few weeks. Other flecks of ball-bearing-gauge metal float in the flesh on his shoulder blades like tiny steel pins, so numerous and difficult for surgeons to find and remove that they'll probably stay in him for the rest of his life.
Soldiers look to gain, secure trust with Iraqis
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
MOSUL, Iraq — Gain the trust of the people, and you’ve won more than half the battle.
At least that’s what soldiers in Mosul say. In an evolving quest to defeat insurgents in Iraq, soldiers must find a balance between hard fighting and soft handshakes.
Taking back the streets
Link to Full Article
By MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
HAMMAM AL ALIL, Iraq – Fifteen miles south of Mosul lies the ancestral homeland and longtime safe haven for some of the most-wanted terrorists in northern Iraq.
Many of them haven’t been back in a while.
Not since Stryker brigade soldiers put down roots in Hammam al Alil, started retraining the local police and Iraqi Army forces and set about rebuilding the local government from scratch.
Stryker soldiers get battlefield, cultural training
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, The News-Miner
Patrolling an Iraqi village whose residents were wary of U.S. troops, 1st Lt. Jeremiah Ellis approached a group of villagers and with a few words of Arabic and the help of a translator started a conversation.
The villagers were impressed with the Stryker Brigade member's Arabic and even more so with his penmanship of the language, which values elaborate and elegant script. He wrote "May your hand be blessed" on the hand of one of the villagers.
"I told them I wanted them to be blessed and have a hand in taking control of their Iraq," Ellis said.
‘Sith’ lets soldiers drift into space
Link to Full Article
By Matt Misterek, The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – A night or two ago in a country far, far away, hundreds of “Stars Wars” fans wearing Stryker brigade patches on their shoulders got a rare treat.
They saw a big-screen version of “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” almost as soon as the folks back home did.
The contractors who run the Morale, Welfare and Recreation office here landed a DVD copy of the sixth and final film in George Lucas’ science-fiction saga. They’ve been playing it once a day since Monday, switching up the showtimes between noon and midnight to accommodate the soldiers’ crazy schedules.
Articles of Interest
Here are a few non-Stryker related items I've been meaning to share.
- Iraq Report, 05/23 - Published by Winds of Change.
- Good news from Iraq, part 28 - From Arthur Chrenkoff.
- U.S. To Consolidate Iraq Bases - Article from AFX News mentions bases in Mosul.
Shiek Ibrahim Cordon and Search Conducted Without a Hitch
1LT Dana Scott, 2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
SHEIK IBRAHIM, Iraq – On May 16th the 1st and 2nd Iraqi Army (IA) Battalions, 3rd Brigade, led by Brig. Gen. Ali Atalah Malowh and Lt. Col. Ra’ad Naif Haroosh, conducted a combined operation in the village Sheik Ibrahim, with Coalition forces (CF) from Task Force (TF) Automatic, C/2-8 Field Artillery (FA) and C/113 Engineer (EN) Battalions.
Recent intelligence reports suggested that during Task Force (TF) Automatic’s operation in Muhallabiyah last week, several key insurgent cell members escaped to the nearby village of Sheikh Ibrahim. According to a source, these individuals had set up a VBIED operation in this village, possibly to replace the VBIED factory that was found and destroyed by TF Automatic in Muhallabiyah.
100 Additional Jobs Soon to be Created in Qayarrah
By 1LT Dana Scott, 2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
QAYARRAH, Iraq – The monthly Qayarrah Area Security Meeting took place on May 16th on Forward Operating Base Endurance. Topics covered during the meeting included security, power, and water, among several other concerns.
B/2-8 Field Artillery Company Commander, Cpt. Ryan Gist, opened the meeting discussing the many good things that have happened in the region during the past month. Successes included the local law enforcement making headway in the fight against terrorists, as well as an abundance of new police equipment, which has been distributed to the local police stations.
SGT Mike Buyas Homecoming
Lynda Pheasant sent us the following report on the homecoming of SGT Mike Buyas, and the community's fundraising efforts on his familiy's behalf. Also included are links to two articles in the Wenatchee World newspaper. This is an inspiring story to lead us into the Memorial Day Weekend.
Army leaders offer 2005 Memorial Day Message
To the men and women of the United States Army:
On May 30th, our country will celebrate a sacred holiday--Memorial Day. On this day we pause to reflect upon the extraordinary men and women who understood the nobility of service to country, answered the call to duty, and made the ultimate sacrifice. They came from all walks of life, from every state across America, and they pledged to cherish and protect our country from all enemies. In each conflict throughout our history, they stepped forward in the Nation’s time of need, prepared to sacrifice their life in service to our Nation.
Fort Lewis mourns its dead
Soldiers mourned deeply, remembered fondly
Link to Full Article
BY CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
FORT LEWIS — Sunlight filtered into the chapel, but it couldn’t penetrate the pall over those gathered Thursday to mourn the deaths of three more soldiers from the Army post.
3 Fallen Stryker Soldiers Remembered
Link to Full Article (Video included)
By Keith Eldridge- KOMO News
FORT LEWIS - A tough start to the Memorial Day weekend as Fort Lewis pays tribute to three Strykers killed in the fighting in Iraq. The loss is hitting the troops hard and also a local community with special ties to the Strykers.
Army Chaplain David Shoffner tells crowd, "We come to mourn, to remember and to honor our brothers who have fallen."
U.S. troops proud of the job they do
There are no quotes from Stryker Brigade soldiers in this article, but for those who read and comment on the news here at Strykernews.com, you know that the sentiments expressed by these soldiers are familiar ones.
Link to Full Article
By Nick Oza and Mark Washburn, Knight Ridder Newspapers
CAMP ANACONDA, Iraq - Ask soldiers about military hardship and they'll let you have it. Separation from families. Hard work. Dopey regulations. Deadly danger. The heat. The cold. The unknown.
But ask them how they feel, personally, to be American soldiers abroad today, and you hear about pride in their mission, confidence in their colleagues and devotion to duty in perilous work.
DoD Briefing with General Ham
General Carter Ham, former commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul, led a press briefing at the Pentagon that focused on the situation in Iraq. The entire transcript is quite long, but provides some good information.
2-1 INF Photo from JRTC
PFC Anthony DelReal, SPC Marcellus Carrington and SGT Jeremiah Johnson from HHC, 2-1 INF, are pictured in this recent photo from JRTC, Ft. Polk, LA.
Face to face - 172nd meets, greets, tangles with Iraqis
Link to Full Article with 5 Photos
This is the second of three weekly articles describing the 172nd's training at JRTC, Ft. Polk, LA
Story and photos by Brian Lepley
U.S. Army Alaska PAO
FORT POLK, La. – Total Army training realism is often sought but seldom achieved.
Try as they might, replicating the exact conditions of combat will always be elusive for the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, given the chaos that ensues on the actual battlefield.
The Joint Readiness Training Center has come as close as the Arctic Wolves have ever seen. From actual Iraqis as role players to incendiary devices acting as IEDs, blowing up mere meters away from vehicles and foot patrols, the brigade spent most of May encountering challenges similar to what they’ll face when they deploy to Iraq later this summer.
Security Forces continue to apprehend terrorists in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 26, 2005) – Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained seven suspected terrorists and seized a cache during operations in northern Iraqi Thursday.
Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment detained six suspected terrorists in operations south of Mosul. Items confiscated from the individuals included a sniper rifle with 600 rounds of ammunition, AK-47s with ammunition, and a shotgun. The individuals were taken into custody with no MNF injuries to report.
Chief of Police and two Iraqi police assassinated
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 26, 2005) – An Iraqi Chief of Police and two Iraqi police were assassinated in northern Mosul Wednesday.
The Chief of Police of al Sharqat, Miklif Mussa, and two Iraqi police were assassinated at Mosul University. This is the latest of terrorists targeting civil servants for assassinations.
Deuce Four Fallen Warriors
LTC Kurilla, commander of 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, forwarded the following comments he will make during a memorial service for 1LT Aaron Sessan, SPC Tyler Creamean, and SGT Ben Morton on Saturday, May 28th in Mosul, Iraq. He said, "I offer these comments to give everyone a small glimpse into the lives and sacrifices of three incredible men."
Thank you for sharing this message.
Security Forces continue to pressure terrorists in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 26, 2005) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one suspected terrorist and seized a cache during operations in northern Iraqi Wednesday.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in southern Mosul Wednesday. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Memorial Service
A memorial service will be held for 1LT Aaron Seesan, SGT Benjamin Morton, and SPC Tyler Creamean on Thursday, May 26th at 10:00 AM at the Evergreen Chapel, Ft. Lewis.
Brigade soldiers rescue pair of Iraqi hostages
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – They’ve uncovered caches of enemy weapons and flushed out a variety of shady characters since coming to Iraq last fall.
But the most astonishing find of the war for several Tacoma-area soldiers turned up this week in a secret room behind a bookshelf in a northeast Mosul basement.
Women face growing combat roles in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Ann Scott Tyson, The Washington Post
MOSUL, Iraq — Jennifer Guay went to war to be a grunt. And the 170-pound former bartender from Leeds, Maine, with cropped red hair and a penchant for the bench press, has come pretty close.
It was mid-February and Guay, 26, an Army specialist who was the first woman to be assigned as an infantry combat medic, was spending 10 hours a day on missions with the 82nd Airborne Division, dodging rockets and grenades in the crowded streets of Mosul. [...]
Memorial Day Calendar
The News Tribune has compiled a comprehensive list of Memorial Day events for the Puget Sound region.
TNT Blog Entries
News Tribune editor/reporter Matt Misterek and photographer Peter Haley have posted two new entries to their blog.
How Marez got its name
1/25 SBCT Life in Mosul, Iraq
A Public Affairs Officer for the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division (SBCT) has alerted us to a new blog being maintained by members of the Brigade. It will be added to our page of Stryker-related links.
Another child killed, terrorists show continued disregard for citizens
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 26, 2005) – An innocent Iraqi child was killed during a terrorist attack in northern Iraq Wednesday.
Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment came under attack during operations in Tall Afar. When Multi-National Forces engaged the terrorists the terrorists used Iraqi children as shields. One child was killed as a result of their action.
SPC Tyler L. Creamean
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SPC Tyler L. Creamean died on May 22 in Mosul, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Creamean was assigned to the 73rd Engineer Company, Fort Lewis, WA.
We extend our deepest sympathies to SPC Creamean's wife, KaMisha Hickman-Creamean, and his entire family. KaMisha maintained an album on our site if you'd like to browse the photos of SPC Creamean.
Please scroll down for today's news.
SGT Benjamin C. Morton
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SGT Benjamin C. Morton, 24, of Wright, Kan., died May 22, in Mosul, Iraq, when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small arms fire. Morton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA.
We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and comrades SGT Morton leaves behind.
1LT Aaron Seesan
Family members have confirmed the death of 1LT Aaron Seesan. 1LT Seesan, 24, of Massillon, OH, died May 22 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center of injuries sustained when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Mosul, Iraq, on May 21. 1LT Seesan was assigned to the 73rd Engineer Company, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Ft. Lewis, WA.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers during this difficult time.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
ISF seize weapons caches
(TFF Press Release)
Iraqi Security Forces seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Wednesday.
Iraqi Police seized a weapons cache during an operation northeast of Mosul. The cache included hundreds mortar rounds.
Soldiers of Deuce Four mourn loss of 'one in a million' sergeant
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — Death snatched more than a young soldier in the prime of his life early Sunday morning.
It took away a lover of fast motorcycles, country music and Disney films; a husband who had just celebrated his first wedding anniversary; a guy who never tackled a task half way.
It took away a man who loved to laugh, and even more, to make others laugh.
Death snatched 24-year-old Sgt. Benjamin Morton.
Latest brigade casualties ID’d
Link to Full Article
By Michael Gilbert, The News Tribune
The military has identified the three Stryker brigade soldiers from Fort Lewis who were killed in action Sunday in Mosul, Iraq:
• Sgt. Benjamin C. Morton, 24, of Wright, Kansas, was shot by insurgents, the Defense Department said in a news release Tuesday.
• Lt. Aaron Seesan, 24, of Massillon, Ohio, died after a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee, the Pentagon said in a separate release.
• Spc. Tyler L. Creamean, 21, of Jacksonville, Ark., also died in the explosion that hit the Humvee.
It’s a battle for hearts and minds
Link to Full Article
By MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Lt. Raul Vasquez looked like a man having a frustrating afternoon.
The 24-year-old platoon leader and his Stryker brigade soldiers were banging on metal gates in an upper-middle-class neighborhood east of the Tigris River, not far from Mosul University.
They were holding a “block party,” an unannounced visit of every house to ask if residents knew of anything suspicious, any sign that terrorists might be trying to get a foothold on their street.
The chaplain knocks, and grief answers
Even when it's not on your door, pain bonds families
Link to Full Article
By MIKE BARBER, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
It is the terrible mix of relief and guilt that bonds military families at times like these.
Relief that the Army chaplain did not show up at their house, and guilt that in passing them by, the chaplain knocked on someone else's door.
A pledge to never open son's will is shattered
Mother left to honor wishes of Fort Lewis soldier killed in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By MIKE BARBER, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
In a January meeting at Fort Lewis, a month after the deadliest attack upon Stryker Brigade soldiers in Iraq claimed six of them in a suicide bombing, 24-year-old 1st Lt. Aaron Seesan stood up and volunteered to help replace the dead.
Seesan reasoned that the only other person of his rank who might go had a wife and kids, Seesan's mother recalled last night. Also, his going provided a chance to rejoin a unit he belonged to until shortly before it was deployed to Iraq last October.
Michael Yon Dispatch
Embedded author Michael Yon has a new dispatch from Mosul published on his website.
ISF capture large group of suspected terrorists
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 24, 2005) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 32 suspected terrorists and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq today.
Troops from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Intervention Force, 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Commando, and 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade Iraqi Army detained 30 individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in western Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Deaths bring agonizing wait for news
Stryker Brigade families know 3 of their own died, but not their names
Link to Full Article
By MIKE BARBER, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Families of Fort Lewis-based soldiers braced for the worst yesterday as the Army confirmed that three Stryker Brigade soldiers had been killed in Mosul early Sunday.
Names and specific units of the three, who died in two separate attacks, were not released while Army casualty officers sought out their next of kin. A fourth soldier was injured, according to U.S. Central Command officials.
TNT Photo Gallery #2
Link to TNT Photo Gallery #2
By Peter Haley, The News Tribune
News Tribune photographer Peter Haley is in Iraq following the Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis. This the the link to their first photo gallery.
Three Fort Lewis soldiers die in separate incidents
Link to Full Article
By Matt Misterek; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Three soldiers based out of Fort Lewis were killed in a pair of enemy attacks that occurred early Sunday morning, Stryker Brigade officials confirmed.
One member of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division was shot to death by insurgents while he was helping clear a house during a search. One assailant was killed at the scene; a second person was injured and detained.
Another Stryker soldier died and two others were wounded on an overnight mission when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle. One of the men was gravely injured and died Sunday night.
The names of the three soldiers, and the battalions or companies to which they belong, were being withheld until next of kin could be notified. The phone lines and Internet stations around Forward Operating Marez were shut down all day Sunday and early Monday morning to keep soldiers from spreading the news before the Army could properly release it. [...]
Three Task Force Freedom Soldiers killed, one injured
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 23, 2005) – Three Task Force Freedom Soldiers were killed and one was injured in two separate terrorist attacks in Mosul Sunday.
The injured Soldier was taken to a combat hospital for treatment
The Soldiers of Task Force Freedom send their condolences to the families of the deceased.
Terrorists continue trend of targeting Iraqi civilians
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 23, 2005) – In another incident of terror, anti-Iraqi forces targeted civilians at a home in the Tal Afar area killing at least 15 and injuring as many as 50 citizens.
A preliminary report indicates that two suicide car bombs were exploded at a residence. One car bomb was driven into the house and another failed to reach the residence before it detonated. The injured citizens were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Security Forces are conducting an investigation into the matter.
This targeting of civilians has become a pattern by terrorists.
Iraqi citizen leads in rescue operation
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 23, 2005) – Two kidnapped Iraqi citizens were rescued thanks to another citizen who led Multi-National Force Soldiers to the house where they were being held captive in northern Iraq today.
Solace in a Mosul monastery
Link to Full Article
By MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – When Spc. Jennifer Guay and Sgt. Noribelle Starck decided to re-enlist for five more years in the Army, they wanted to hold the ceremony in a special place – a location with some good karma.
The two Stryker Brigade medics chose the courtyard of a 1,400-year-old Christian monastery that lies on the south end of Forward Operating Base Marez.
Soldiers find faith in the face of fire
Link to Full Article
By MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Gathered together in the renovated shell of an old Iraqi Army pistol range, a few dozen Fort Lewis soldiers and civilian military workers joined in singing Hymn No. 212 from the Baptist Hymnal.
Brother, can you spare a fork
There is a new blog entry from News Tribune editor/reporter Matt Misterek and photographer Peter Haley.
Security Forces continue to apply pressure on terrorists
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 23, 2005) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 12 suspected terrorist, killed one, injured another, and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq Sunday.
Stryker integral to multi-force effort
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, The News-Miner
FORT POLK, La.--Airmen are taking to the ground this month at the Joint Readiness Training Center in central Louisiana.
The Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team gave the Air Force's 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron five of the Army's high-tech armored Stryker vehicles at a ceremony earlier this month in preparation for a unique partnership.
Second terrorist attack in as many days injures four innocent civilians
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 23, 2005) – Four innocent Iraqi civilians were injured during a terrorist attack in northern Iraq Sunday.
A suicide car bomb detonated in a neighborhood in northern Mosul injuring the civilians. The injured were transported to a local hospital.
Seven Iraqi civilians have been injured during terrorist attacks in the last two days. Terrorist attacks like this are becoming more frequent and reckless, with terrorists continually disregarding the safety of innocent Iraqi civilians.
Despite its flaws, troops prefer Stryker
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — In spite of its flaws, there is no other vehicle Stryker Brigade Combat Team soldiers say they would rather be in.
Some soldiers say the Stryker’s safety factor outweighs the litany of shortcomings outlined last year in an internal study by the Center for Army Lessons Learned at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
The picture that we seldom get to see
Link to Full Article (opinion)
By Bob Kerr, The Providence Journal
I talked to Mike Yon by satellite phone. It was a little scratchy at times and helicopters intruded occasionally. But it was worth it.
He describes himself as an author, explorer and photographer. He uses his camera as a notepad, he says.
And earlier this month, he took notes that were seen around the world.
Four-star chow hall
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – The tile floors and marble-pattern tables and chairs gleam with a shade of white seldom seen at this dust-choked U.S. Army base. Filipino workers in tuxedo vests and matching ties keep the food stations heaped with fresh fruit and salads; others distribute gourmet-looking desserts from a well-stocked glass case.
One crazy morning with the Bobcats
Link To Blog
News Tribune reporter Matt Misterek and photographer Peter Haley
There is a new blog entry with photographs.
Terrorists show disregard for citizens, injure three
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 22, 2005) – Three innocent Iraqi civilians were injured during a terrorist attack in northern Iraq Saturday.
Mortar rounds exploded injuring the three civilians in Tal Afar. The injured were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Terrorist attacks like this are becoming more frequent and reckless, with terrorists continually disregarding the safety of innocent Iraqi civilians.
Fort Lewis allows civilians a glimpse of military life
AARON CORVIN; The News Tribune
Standing under the green-and-white-striped tent, Preston Chanpuang, a wiry 14-year-old, lobbed questions and absorbed the Special Forces recruiter’s answers.
“The Air Force is an easier life,” the recruiter told him, “but you’ve got to go with what you want.”
What Chanpuang wants is to serve in the military. His family lives at Fort Lewis. His dad is a Stryker brigade member. When he was younger he donned his dad’s Kevlar helmet and yelled: “Duck and cover!”
“I’m learning everything about what I want to do,” said Chanpuang, who was among an estimated 17,000 people who swarmed Fort Lewis on Saturday to honor the United States military during the 17th annual Armed Forces Day.
Survivor recovers, comes back to Iraq post
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Spc. Don Larson couldn’t see. His skin felt like it was on fire and his legs hurt like somebody had whacked them with a bat.
It was Dec. 21 and a suicide bomber had just blown himself to bits in the dining facility – DFAC, in Army shorthand – at Forward Operating Base Marez. Larson lay on the floor with second-degree burns on his face and hands and four shrapnel wounds in his legs. He didn’t yet know the blindness would pass.
But the Fort Lewis soldier and Steilacoom resident had a wife and a son back home, with another boy on the way. He was determined to stay as upbeat as possible.
“From the moment they picked me up from the DFAC that day, I said to myself, ‘It will do me no good to be negative,’” Larson recounted last week. “‘I will not scream out in pain because there are enough people around me already in pain.’”[...]
ISF continue to grow in their ability to provide security
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 21, 2005) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained four suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today.
Iraqi Police alongside Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during raids in central Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF or MNF injuries reported.
Bush honors wounded chaplain
President Bush honored an injured Twin Cities military chaplain during an address at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Friday in Washington, D.C.
"This morning we pray for the many Catholics who serve America in the cause of freedom," Bush said at the second annual event. "One of them is an army chaplain named Tim Vakoc. He's a beloved priest who was seriously wounded in Iraq last May. We pray for his recovery; we're inspired by his sacrifice.
Iraqi citizen’s tips circumvent terrorist attacks
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 21, 2005) – A number of call-in tips to the Joint Coordination Center by Iraqi citizens prevented multiple improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in northern Iraq today.
'Deuce Four' balances Mosul raids with medical aid
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
MOSUL, Iraq — There are at least 13 fewer insurgents terrorizing Mosul.
In the overnight hours of Thursday and Friday, soldiers with 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment conducted nine simultaneous raids and cordon-and-searches throughout Mosul.
The unit, known as the “Deuce Four,” captured 13 terrorists, including three foreign fighters who said they’d come to be suicide martyrs, said Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla, the battalion’s commanding officer. The military declined to specify the fighters’ nationality.
Armed Forces Day
Saturday, May 21st is Armed Forces Day. Provided below is a brief history of this tradition, courtesy of the Department of Defense website.
2-1 INF Photo
PFC Anthony DeLaReal, from Headquarters Co., 2-1 INF, is pictured in this photo from JRTC training at Ft. Polk, LA.
DOD Photo by PFC Leslie Angulo, U.S. Army
Troops fill holes before bombers plant explosives
Link to Full Article
By MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq – Three Strykers roll through the streets in the dead of night. The soldiers standing in the hatches sweep their flashlights across the pavement.
Curfew hours are in effect, and the only creatures out are the wild dogs that don’t know any better and the men of the 73rd Engineer Company, trolling for holes in the roadway
Effective combined security operations making difference in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 21, 2005) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 10 suspected terrorists and seized a large weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today.
Shafter may gain troops in reshuffle
Link to Full Article
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
The Army's chief of staff said some 25,000 soldiers will be transferred from overseas installations to bases including Fort Shafter on O'ahu, Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Lewis in Washington state.
How many of those soldiers would come to Hawai'i is unclear, but officials in Washington, D.C., raised the possibility that a deployable Corps headquarters cobbled from elements in Europe could be coming here.
Corps usually comprise two or more divisions and are led by a three-star general. As a rough comparison, the possible move of the I Corps headquarters from Fort Lewis to Japan would involve an estimated 700 soldiers, according to the News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash. [...]
Michael Yon Dispatch
Embedded author Michael Yon has a long dispatch from Mosul on his website.
New Stryker Magnets
One of our visitors, David Karau, has decided to start another magnet project featuring a few different designs. Provided below is all the information you need about the designs, cost, ordering instructions etc. Thanks David for taking on this project.
TNT Photos
News Tribune photographer Peter Hayley has posted a handful of photos, some featuring the 3-21 INF. Fair warning - one is quite graphic.
Security Force operations net top terror suspects
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 20, 2005) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 12 suspected terrorists in northern Iraq today and Thursday.
Citizen’s cooperation having positive affect on security
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 20, 2005) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) seized three weapons caches with the help of Iraqi citizens in northern Iraq Thursday.
Winning in Iraq, one step at a time
Link to Full Article (Opinion)
By Oliver North
RAMADI, Iraq -- Our men and women in uniform, doing extraordinary work day in and day out, are winning the ongoing battle for Iraq. Some days, in some places, the battlefront requires house-to-house searches, military "hardware" and courageous actions by the most awe-inspiring fighting force the world has ever known. I witnessed the tenacity and skill of our Marines, soldiers and sailors firsthand in the recent Operation Matador. Other days, in other places -- and more commonly -- the battle is won with a smile, a shared canteen, a soccer ball, a "human experience," heart to heart. America's men and women in uniform are so remarkable (removed comma) because they play the dual roles of warrior and diplomat in the midst of a constant struggle between life and death.
Medics fill care void in Iraq towns
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
SKHARTIAT, Iraq — Wish as he might, Capt. Jon Christensen can’t cure them all. But if nothing else, he can help alleviate their discomfort.
Time and again, the 36-year-old physician’s assistant and his crew of medics from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division visit impoverished towns and villages that pepper Ninevah Province to bring medical supplies and knowledge that, if even for a short time, dissolve the aches of arthritis, burden of birth defects, hurt of heart disease.
Surprise sweep reveals terrorist-free Iraqi town
Another article from Stars & Stripes featuring the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery.
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
SHEIK IBRAHIM, Iraq — Mohammed Said Abudullah let out an incredulous laugh when asked if terrorists had provided his impoverish villagers with money to harbor weapons and provide a hideout.
“Look at what our children are wearing,” he said, pointing to their broken sandals and tattered clothing. “Look at the dirt on their faces. We are poor. There are no terrorists here. They have not given us money.”
Michael Yon Photos
Embedded author Michael Yon has posted some new photos from Iraq on his website.
172nd Finds New Iraq-Centric JRTC to Their Liking
This is the first of three weekly stories from Alaska e-Post that will document the 172nd's experience at JRTC.
Link to Full Article with 7 photos
Story and Photos by Brian Lepley, U.S. Army Alaska PAO
FORT POLK, La. – This is not your father’s Joint Readiness Training Center.
While many 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers have done JRTC rotations in the past, those were nothing like what the Arctic Wolves experienced this month.
Since late 2003, JRTC has constantly revamped operations based on after action reports from Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 172nd’s warfighters appreciated the relevancy of the updated operations.
172nd SBCT Photos from JRTC
Here are 6 new Combat Camera photos of the 172nd training at JRTC, Ft. Polk, LA. The first five depict B Company , 2-1 INF, while the last shows members of the 4-11 FA.(one, two, three, four, five, six)
U.S. Army Photos by PFC Leslie Angulo and SPC Joshua Balog
National Assembly member’s home attacked, eight dead
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 19, 2005) – A terrorist attack on an Iraqi Transitional National Assembly member’s house ended with eight people dead, two injured, and at least three terrorists injured in northern Iraq today.
SGT Jacob M. Simpson
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SGT Jacob M. Simpson, 24, of Ashland, Oregon died May 16, in Tal Afar, Iraq, when a rocket propelled grenade struck the building he was securing. Simpson was assigned to the Army's 2d Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Carson, CO, which is operating alongside elements of the Stryker Brigade in Tal Afar.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow soldiers he leaves behind. We will include any additional articles we find below.
Two car bombs detonated prematurely
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 19, 2005) – An attempted terrorist attack failed when two car bombs detonated prematurely in northern Iraq today.
Two terrorists were killed when their two car bombs exploded prematurely in a northern Mosul neighborhood. Iraqi Police investigated the scene seizing four RPG rounds, one RPG launcher, five grenades, one grenade launcher, and small arms ammunition recovered from the second car bomb. No Iraqi civilians or ISF injuries were reported.