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Here are two recent image galleries from the DVIDS site, each containing 10 photos.
172nd SBCT
FOB Courage - contains photos from the memorial service for PFC Alcozer and MSG Yost.
Here is one new photo of the 172nd SBCT, posted today on Army Images.
Link to Full Article
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
As part of the biggest reorganization of the Army since World War II, Schofield Barracks will add 1,000 soldiers for its Stryker Brigade and another 1,000 for other new units, and more troops will likely be on the way to Hawai'i for years to come.
The Schofield troop arrivals are in conjunction with plans for bringing 300 Stryker armored vehicles to Hawai'i, a new Iraq deployment, a major housing renovation and dozens of unit deactivations and activations under a drive to give brigades more self-contained firepower and enable them to be more expeditionary like the Marines.
Link to Full Article
By MARY BETH SMETZER, Staff Writer
All Staff Sgt. James Jeane wants to do while he’s home on a two-week leave from Iraq is hang out with his family. James’ wife, Sunshine, and their four sons are happily complying.
“Just being here is enough,” James said.
Army Staff Sgt. Mike Barrera suffered five gunshot wounds Nov. 19 in Mosul, Iraq, after a gun battle with insurgents.
Barrera's mother, Lori, said her son underwent successful surgery in Ramstein, Germany, last Saturday and he may return to the United States as early as this weekend.
Link to Full Article with photos and video link
by Doug Grindle, KTUU TV, Anchorage
Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq - Soldiers from Anchorage are working to raise the level of the Iraq security forces so they can go home.
Soldiers stop in at an Iraqi police station at the southeastern corner of Mosul. The soldiers are inspecting a detonating device that was used to trigger roadside bombs set against passing American vehicles
Link to Full Article with photos
by Doug Grindle, KTUU TV, Anchorage
Mosul, Iraq - Soldiers from an infantry battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team have been on the ground for about two months now. The soldiers continue to patrol the streets of Mosul in northern Iraq.
The Department of Defense announced yesterday the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SGT Denis J. Gallardo, 22, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on Nov. 22, from a non-combat related illness. Gallardo was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, CO.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Link to Full Article with Photos
Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
LIVONIA, Mich. — Stephanie Julian was putting together a package to send to her son serving in Iraq in October when a co-worker asked about the items she had piled on her desk.
Julian had no idea mentioning this package to co-workers would have such a huge impact.
Link to Full Article with Photo
1st Lt. Matthew Yutzey
172nd Brigade Support Battalion
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, the Distribution Company (DC) Gators of the 172d Brigade Support Battalion are as busy as ever.
Here are two new photos recently posted on Army Images and one from the DOD website:
2-1 INF Photo
4-11 FA Photo
4-23 INF Photo
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq –Iraqi Army Soldiers and Marines, Soldiers and Sailors with Regimental Combat Team –2 wrapped up Operation Al Hajip Elfulathi (Steel Curtain) today near the Syrian border.
The 17-day offensive, which took place in the cities of Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi, was part of the larger Operation Sayaid (Hunter) designed to prevent al Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists from operating in the Euphrates River Valley and throughout al Anbar province. The operation made way for the establishment of a permanent Iraqi Army security presence in the al Qaim region and set the conditions for local citizens to vote in the upcoming Dec.15 elections.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
MSG Anthony R. C. Yost, 39, of Flint, Mich., died in Mosul, Iraq on Nov. 19, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his position during combat operations. MSG Yost was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
This article will remain at the top of our page today. Please scroll down for more news.
Link to Full Article
By Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 22, 2005 —They’re the new guys on the block, and they’re not hard to spot. Not because they rumble through the streets in their Stryker light-armored vehicles, for those have been there before. It’s a new attitude; it’s a new uniform on smiling faces with determination to get the job done.
The soldiers of Company B have assumed responsibility for one sector of the streets of Mosul. They smile at the Iraqi citizens on the streets, but at the same time they will kick the doors in on the insurgents who plan to spread upheaval.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
PVT Christopher M. Alcozer, 21, of DeKalb, IL, died in Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire and grenades. PVT Alcozer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry. It will remain at the top of the page today. Please scroll down for more news.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
The Associated Press has put together a very nice multimedia presentation regarding SGT Walt Gaya (previous entry) of the 1/25 SBCT. It features photos and audio content from Gaya, who suffered an eye injury while serving in Iraq.
Members of the 4-14 CAV can be seen working alongside soldiers of the Iraqi Army in this Defend America Photo Essay.
Army chief asks troops, families for more OpSec.
Link to Full Article - includes additional link to Gen. Schoomaker's video message
Gary Sheftick
Army News Service
WASHINGTON — This is not your father’s war, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker tells troops in a videotaped message emphasizing proper Operations Security procedures and responsible use of the Internet.
The video is part of the Army’s comprehensive OPSEC Action Plan that has Mobile Training Teams visiting deploying units to teach how improper information and photographs posted on the World Wide Web could endanger lives.
Link to Full Article with Photo
Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
Military families are tested every day, especially during the times of deployment.
Link to Full Article with Photos
2nd Lt. James Snoddy
Co. A, 1-17th Infantry
MOSUL, IRAQ — A young boy named Mohammad Abdullah Ahmad, of Tal al Ruman, had a tumor in his skull.
Link to Full Article
News Staff Reporter
Putting on his Spiderman shoes always made Clayton Chenoweth feel like a superhero.
It was a sad day when his feet grew too big for them, but the 9-year-old is happy again, knowing that his sneakers could someday make an Iraqi child feel the same way.
Link to Full Article
By MICHAEL DOYLE
WASHINGTON - Brian Turner found the poetry in war.
In the burned flesh, and the bullet's hiss. In the surgeon's red eyes, and the rounds striking home.
Now, the 38-year-old Iraq war veteran is finding something else. Turns out, there's fame and even a little fortune in poetry. Especially when, like Turner, you're both breaking new ground and upholding a long tradition.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 18, 2005) – Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, along with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, successfully distributed school supplies to numerous families during a medical screening in the Tal Ruman neighborhood of Mosul Nov. 12. With the help of U.S. donors, three children with special needs received wheelchairs during the operation.
The community is very supportive of the hard work put in by both the IA and 1-17th Soldiers. The Iraqi families were exceptionally grateful for the generosity and shared their thanks with Coalition Forces. The operation was a complete success.
Link to Full Article with photos
1st Lt. Anthony Fennell
Co. C, 4-23rd Infantry
MOSUL, Iraq — On Nov. 6, less than two years from its official stand-up date, the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment donned the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team combat patch.
Ten Soldiers also received medals for their valor, one of which was a Bronze Star, demonstrating their steadfast courage and resolve towards their nation’s committed goal of a free Iraq.
These valor awards were the first of their type the Tomahawks and the 172nd have received since Vietnam.
Link to Full Article with photo
The information in this U.S. Army Alaska story has been previously reported, however, it contains a new photo of SSG Salelea Tuiolemotu of the 2-1 INF.
Sgt. Melvin Clark, from Company A, 2-1 INF, is seen in this photo posted today on Army Images.
Here is one photo from last week's ceremony where 21 Stryker Brigade soldiers became U.S. citizens.
The Department of Defense has announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SGT Tyrone L. Chisholm, 27, of Savannah, GA, died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on Nov. 11, when multiple improvised explosive devices detonated near his M1A2 Abrams Tank. SGT Chisholm was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, CO.
Please join us in offering our sincere condolences to the loved ones he leaves behind.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry. It will remain at the top of the page today. Please scroll down for more news.
The Department of Defense has announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SSG Stephen J. Sutherland, 33, of West Deptford, NJ, died in Al Qadisiyah, Iraq, on Nov. 12, when his Stryker military vehicle accidentally rolled over. SSG Sutherland was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, AK.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry. It will remain at the top of the page today. Please scroll down for more news.
Bill Roggio continues his coverage of Operation Steel Curtain as fighting moves to the city of Ubaydi.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
SPC Ryan Crabtree of the 2-1 INF is featured in this photo titled Like a Soldier in a Candy Shop
Photo by SSG James L. Harper Jr., U.S. Air Force
Link to Full Article
1st Lt. Kurt J. Lohwasser
A Troop, 4-14th Cavalry
MOSUL, Iraq — Iraq’s recent elections were similar to ours in America in that the voting sites were mainly located in local schools.
Officials spent days establishing the sites and preparing for voters. One drawback of this operation was that the children missed a week of school.
Link to Full Article with photo
2nd Lt. James Snoddy
Co. A, 1-17th Infantry
MOSUL, Iraq — The Soldier medics of Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, play a dual role in the Army.
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.
Link to Full Article
BY CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
FORT LEWIS -- Soldiers with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, who returned last month from a yearlong deployment to Iraq are preparing for a move to Germany.
Between 1,000 and 1,500 brigade soldiers and their families would begin leaving next spring to form the nucleus of a new Stryker brigade forming in Vilseck, Germany, suggested Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling, operations officer for U.S. Army Europe.
The exact number isn't yet known, he said.
Two individuals close to the Stryker Brigade community will be appearing on television and radio today and tomorrow.
Bil Roggio has a number of recent articles devoted to coverage of Operation Steel Curtain, a recently initiated coalition operation in western Iraq. Start at the top and work your way down.
Link to Full Article
By Hal Bernton, Seattle Times
Back in February, one month into his stay in Iraq, writer Michael Yon almost ended his attempt to chronicle the war in an online blog. He lacked the backing of a newspaper, magazine or book publisher, and grew weary of the risks of life in a combat zone as he embedded with U.S. troops.
"I was ready to get out. I wasn't getting paid, and it was damn dangerous," Yon said. "Every day I was thinking 'Is this the day I might get killed or get my legs blown off?' "
By MELANTHIA MITCHELL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE -- As far as Nicaraguan immigrant Jean Zamora is concerned, the United States has always been his home. So after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he wanted to serve and fight for a country that, legally, was not his own.
Until now.
Zamora and at least 20 other Stryker Brigade soldiers are to be granted citizenship during a ceremony Thursday at the Army's Fort Lewis, 40 miles south of here.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 9, 2005) – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 49 suspected terrorists and seized a number of weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Nov. 5-9.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search near the Syrian border Nov. 5. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division detained two individuals with a weapon after receiving small arms fire in Tal Afar Nov. 7. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2/1/3 also detained five individuals for hiding a weapon and being positively identified as terrorists. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in northern Mosul Nov. 9. Iraqi Police alongside Multi-National Forces discovered a 500-pound bomb in Avgani Nov. 8. The bomb was reduced without incident. Iraqi Police also detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity after receiving small arms fire in central Mosul Nov. 8. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Here are three new photos recently posted on Army Images:
Spc. Nick Faneuff of the 4-14 CAV
2-1 INF night raid
Spc. Kirk B. Hubbard of the 4-23 INF
Here is a link to 100+ Stryker related videos on the DVIDS site, dating back to Jan., 2005. Many of the recent videos are interviews with 172nd SBCT soldiers. There are also additional videos of 172nd SBCT operations in Rawah and Mosul. A number of new 1-25 SBCT videos can also be seen.
Company A, 2-1 INF is featured in this Defend America Photo Essay.
Photos by SSG James L. Harper Jr., U.S. Air Force.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Greetings everyone. Well, after a very long year in Iraq and an even longer thirteen months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, my son is on his way home. YIPPEEEEEE
We got the call a few days ago and since the Army did not process his extension in a timely manner, they decided to finalize his paperwork and get him on the next available flight to Oregon. God bless the bureauracrat that shuffled the paperwork. :-) Needless to say it was a very emotional moment for Michael, taking off his uniform for the last time and packing it away. He is officially a civilian again, with many new challenges ahead of him. I know he will do well.
Link to Full Article
Silver Star goes to Stryker soldiers tested in Iraq
MICHAEL GILBERT
Massive truck bomb had turned much of the Fort Lewis soldiers’ outpost to rubble. One of their own lay dying and many others wounded.
Some 50 al-Qaida fighters were attacking from several directions with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
It was obvious that the insurgents had come to drive the platoon of Stryker brigade troops out of Combat Outpost Tampa, a four-story concrete building overlooking a major highway through western Mosul, Iraq.
Actor Bruce Willis attended a formal homecoming ball Saturday night for members of the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.
Willis praised the soldiers of “Deuce Four” and sat at the head table with Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla, the battalion’s commander, and Col. Robert Brown, the departing commander of Fort Lewis’ second Stryker brigade.
We've been a long time supporter of the Soldiers' Angels organization. One of their latest campaigns is Project Valour IT, which is working to provide "voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers." We've learned first hand how important these computers can be during the recovery process. Soldiers' Angels is holding a friendly fundraising contest for this project through Veterans Day, November 11. Please visit their site to learn more about this project or to donate to the cause.
DVIDS has a video of 2-1 INF conducting patrols recently in Mosul. Thanks to Missy for the link.
Here is one photo of 2-1 INF soldiers on patrol in Mosul, Nov. 2, 2005.
DOD photo by SSG James L. Harper Jr., U.S. Air Force.
USARAK provides us with this photo from the memorial ceremony for Spc. Lucas Frantz at Fort Wainwright's Northern Lights Chapel.
Photo by Tracey Murray
For those of you that would like to explore the rapidly expanding network of military blogs (milblogs), there are two new directories to visit and bookmark.
Link to Full Article
The Olympian
A Stryker brigade that recently returned from Iraq has a new commander.
Col. John S. RisCassi assumed control of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, on Friday during a change of command ceremony at the post. He replaces Col. Robert Brown, who is being reassigned to U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.
TFF Press Release
Iraqi Security Forces along with Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 46 suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches Oct. 31-Nov. 4.
Iraqi Army Soldiers detained 12 individuals suspected of terrorist activity in response to a shooting in a neighborhood in Tal Afar Nov. 2. Iraqi Police detained 11 individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Tal Afar Nov. 4. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 1st Division along with Multi-National Forces detained 11 individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a series of raids in Mosul Nov. 1. Iraqi Police seized a cache of 57-millimeter rockets and 122-millimeter artillery rounds in Qayarrah Nov. 1. Iraqi Police detained three more individuals suspected of conducting terrorist activity in Jamessia Nov. 2. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 3rd Division detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in eastern Mosul Nov. 3. Iraqi Police along with Soldiers from 65th Military Police detained nine individuals suspected of terrorist activity in northern Mosul Nov. 4.
Link to Full Article with photos
Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
FORT WAINWRIGHT — While families and Soldiers alike still enjoy receiving packages and letters through the mail, technology is helping deployed Soldiers feel much closer to home.
Here is a 4-11 FA photo taken on FOB Courage, courtesy of USARAK.
Link to Full Article with photo
Maj. Craig Triscari
1-17th Infantry
MOSUL, Iraq – An insurgent’s attempt to disrupt U.S. patrols in the western part of the city Sept. 28 left one suicide car bomber dead and his vehicle destroyed with no coalition casualties sustained.
Company B, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment were attacked by a suicide bomber who attempted to ram his small car into a Stryker vehicle and detonate an improvised explosive device with the goal of disabling the Stryker and killing American Soldiers.
Link to Full Story with photo
from USARAK e-post
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Quick Reaction Force from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, aided in the operation that killed an al-Qaeda terrorist cell leader and his assistant during a coalition raid of a suspected safe house in Mosul Oct. 22.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 2, 2005) – In the aftermath of the recent surge to remove terrorists from the Al Sarai neighborhood in Tal Afar, the Iraqi government has compensated citizens for their sacrifice and assistance. Soldiers from 3rd Iraqi Army Division, under the direction of the Iraqi government, distributed 27,136 payments totaling 4,070,400,000 Iraqi dinars in three days to Tal Afar citizens. Security provided by Iraqi Security Forces allowed successful implementation of these payments. Remaining funds of 429,600,000 dinars are expected to be distributed today. Security Forces continue to improve safety throughout Tal Afar.
Here are two recent galleries of interest, posted on the DVIDS site.
Gallery 1546 - photos of Lt. Gen. Green's visit with the 172nd SBCT.
Gallery 1547 - Task Force Freedom, FOB Courage photos.
A number of new photos from Mosul have appeared on both Getty Images and Yahoo! News Photos, since the last time we posted these links. Many of the photos show 1-17 INF soldiers conducting operations. Three of the photos can also be seen in today's edition of Frontline Photos.
Link to Article (Full text provided below)
By Claude D. McKinney, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
MOSUL, Iraq, Oct. 31, 2005 — By next spring, Al-Zharaa, a suburb of Mosul, will have a below ground, pipe-enclosed sewer system installed to replace the surface flow system operating today. Workers are digging the first 1.5 kilometers of trenches and pipe is pre-positioned to make this modernization a reality.
The replacement system will bring improved sanitation and health conditions to more than 700,000 of Mosul's 1.5 million residents.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 1, 2005) – A construction project to repair a stretch of Al-Intesar Road in eastern Mosul was completed Oct. 30. Iraqi workers had been working on the project that repaired and repaved the street since Aug. 25.
The road’s previous condition allowed for little or no civilian traffic, leaving the area economically depressed. The conditions also allowed insurgents to easily emplace improvised explosive devices in potholes along the route. Recently insurgent activity has been much lower in the area with the improved roadway. The improved roads will enable economic growth in the area.