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Link to Full Article
by Lou Sessinger, The Intelligencer
Larry Glemser has an auto repair business in Horsham. A former member of the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard based at the Willow Grove Air Force Reserve Base in Horsham, he's a veteran who has spent a lifetime of service to the nation, including a deployment to Afghanistan.
His son, Army Capt. Jason Glemser, has been in Iraq for a year. He served as a company commander with 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Mosul.
Link to Full Article
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — Bike builders here are working long hours to keep up with demand from 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment soldiers who are buying 100 bicycles a week.
Bike builder Brian Jansma, who works for Cycle Tech, the contractor that assembles bikes for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service at Vilseck, said three part-time staff members are working extra hours to assemble 30 bikes a day. The contractor is looking for more bike builders to help meet demand, he said.
Grafenwöhr consolidated exchange manager Matt Mennona said sales of bikes at Vilseck have increased tenfold since the Strykers started arriving two months ago. A total of 3,500 2nd Cav soldiers will be at Vilseck by October.
Link to Article
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 28, 2006 –
As members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team begin to accept news that their deployment in Iraq will be extended for up to four months, the Army is working to ensure their families at home in Alaska are taken care of.
Two family assistance centers -- one at Fort Wainwright and one at Fort Richardson -- will open their doors tomorrow to help families who were awaiting their loved ones’ returns deal with the issues they now face, Maj. Kirk Gohlke, public affairs officer for U.S. Army, Alaska, told American Forces Press Service.
Link to Full Article
News Tribune staff and news services
About 1,400 Fort Lewis soldiers have been moved to the Baghdad area as part of U.S. plans to bolster forces in the Iraqi capital.
The soldiers make up about a third of the Fort Lewis-based Stryker brigade, which recently began a yearlong deployment in Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq.
The 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment “are currently positioned in the vicinity of Baghdad,” brigade commander Col. Steve Townsend wrote Friday night in an e-mail to The News Tribune.
The rest of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division will remain in Mosul, he said.
The battalions will be in Baghdad “as long as they are needed,” said Fort Lewis spokesman Lt. Col. Dan Williams, who on Saturday confirmed the information in Townsend’s e-mail.
Williams said the soldiers’ families had been informed of the movement.
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. command confirmed Saturday that it will move about 3,700 troops to Baghdad to try to quell violence in the capital.
The 172nd Stryker Brigade, which had been due to leave Iraq after a year’s assignment, will be sent from northern Iraq to the capital, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said.
“This will place our most experienced unit with our most mobile and agile systems in support of our main effort,” Casey said. “With the rest of the elements of the plan, this gives us a potentially decisive capability to affect security in Baghdad.”
Radio station KUAC offers another audio report, this time focusing on many of the issues family members of soldiers are facing due to the extended deployment.
We've received many notes from extended family members who were planning on traveling to Alaska for the homecoming asking what assistance is available to them. I don't have a good answer, but if you do, please leave the information in the comments section. Additionally, Ft. Wainwright and Ft. Richardson have created an information page on their website, which includes a toll-free number to call.
Update: There is an active topic on our bulletin board where people are sharing tactics for getting airfare refunds. The link only works if you are already a registered member of the bulletin board. If you're not, register and find the topic "Airfare Refunds" in the 172nd SBCT section.
Link to Full Article (Photos included)
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — Sixty battle-hardened veterans arrived here by train on Friday.
They are Stryker armored personnel carriers, the first of 300 such vehicles that will be delivered to the newly arrived 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment on three trains over the next week.
The nicks and scratches on some of the Strykers are reminders that the eight-wheeled vehicles saw combat when 2nd Cav — then of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division — deployed to Iraq from October 2004 to October 2005.
KUAC, an NPR station in Alaska, has a lengthy audio report regarding the extension announcement. There are direct comments from COL Shields, commander of the 172nd SBCT, and other brigade officers. The clip is in MP3 format - just follow the link above and click the icon that says "Listen | MP3".
With permission we are sharing the following note written by a soldier with 1-17 IN, 172nd SBCT. Given that this is such a stressful time, and many of you may still be waiting to hear from your soldier, I thought his words would provide some comfort.
Greetings everyone,
We are definately heading out, but our final destination is still unknown. We have a very specific, specialized mission while we are down there, and when it is complete, we will pack up and go home. We are looking at 90-180 days, but more specific time will only be determined by the progress of our mission.
This is the most important thing we will be doing since coming to Iraq, for our soldiers, for the people in Iraq in general, as well as the overall success of the entire "Operation Iraqi Freedom" campaign.
There were reasons why the 172nd was chosen for this, and as angry or upset as you might be about your soldier not coming home, just know they were chosen for their ability to get the job done.
"Doc"
Link to Full Article
By PAULINE JELINEK and RYAN LENZ, Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Military commanders in Iraq are developing a plan to move as many as 5,000 U.S. troops with armored vehicles and tanks into Baghdad in an effort to quell escalating violence, defense officials said Thursday.
As part of the plan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Thursday extended the tours of some 3,500 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The unit, which has been serving in northern Iraq, was scheduled to be leaving now, but instead, most of its 3,900 troops will serve for up to four more months. It was unclear whether the unit would go to Baghdad. [...]
Link to Full Article
By Andrea Gusty, KTVA News Reporter
There is traumatic news for some Alaskan military families as their loved ones get an extension on their already dangerous mission. The Defense Department decided this could be a possibility and Alaskan Army officials began notifying families. They made it official Thursday. Members Alaska's 172nd Stryker Brigade, that have already been in Iraq for a year, will extend their stay indefinitely.
"This is a historic event. Our unit has been chosen because of our performance in Mosul, the Tigris River Valley and the strength and cohesion of the unit and the strength and cohesion of the family readiness groups," said Col. Michael Shields, Commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade.
The decision authorizing a deployment extension for the 172nd SBCT has produced an incredible amount of feedback via comments and our bulletin board. I would like to remind visitors that we maintain a Comment Policy, and also ask commenters to observe the Army's own OPSEC Guidelines. Please read them if you haven't before. For an explanation of why it is so important to follow these guidelines, please read our OPSEC Parable.
We've had to edit many messages recently that have violated these policies - particluarly due to our long standing position as a non-political forum. If comments become too time-consuming to edit we will be forced to turn them off for the time being. We appreciate your understanding.
Thanks,
Todd - Site Admin
Link to Full Article
By Sean D. Naylor
In a reaction to worsening violence in Baghdad, the Defense Department is extending the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s tour in Iraq for up to 120 days.
The move is a blow to morale of the unit’s soldiers and their families back home at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, but it is an acknowledgment that the brigade’s experience and combat savvy are badly needed in the Iraqi capital.
The following press release, which is published in full below, announced the official authorization by SecDef Rumsfeld to extend the tour of the 172nd SBCT by up to 120 days. There is no confirmation of where the brigade will be located during the anticipated extension.
The Department of Defense announced today additional major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation. This announcement involves four Army brigades and two Marine Regimental Combat Teams consisting of approximately 25,000 service members. This is a follow-on announcement to the Nov. 7, 2005, and June 20, 2006, press releases identifying other units for deployment. The scheduled rotation for the forces identified in this announcement will begin in late-2006.
Force levels in Iraq continue to be conditions-based and will be determined in consultation with the Iraqi government. Deployment decisions are made at the recommendation of military commanders in Iraq. Based on ongoing assessments of the conditions on the ground, changes may be made that could affect units now being identified and advised to prepare to deploy – as has occurred in the past.
As the article makes clear, no official decision has been made yet. Due to OPSEC concerns, we ask that you not share any information you may have heard until an announcement has been made by the Army.
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Military commanders in Iraq are considering extending the deployment of an Alaska-based Army brigade as part of the plan to increase forces in Baghdad to quell the violence.
According to a senior Defense Department official, portions of the 172nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Wainwright, could see their return home delayed. But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are not final, said Wednesday that the proposal has not been presented to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
Link to Full Article
By Michael R. Gordon The New York Times
BAGHDAD The Bush administration's announcement on Tuesday that it will shift more forces to Baghdad is much more than a numbers game. It reflects a new strategy to reclaim control of the Iraqi capital and a new approach for deploying the troops.
The plan is to concentrate on specific neighborhoods rather than distribute the forces throughout the city, control movement in and out of sectors of the capital and try to sweep them of insurgents and violent militias.
In effect, the scheme is a version of the "ink blot" counterinsurgency strategy of grabbing a piece of terrain, stabilizing it and gradually expanding it. Only this time the objective is not a far-flung Iraqi city or town, but the capital, the seat of the fledgling government and home to some seven million Iraqis.[...]
Link to Article
Associated Press
Nearly 300 soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will return from their deployment to Iraq next week. Officials expect the first flight of the main body to arrive at Eielson Air Force Base early next Tuesday morning. They will then be bused to Fort Wainwright to be reunited with their families.
The soldiers of the brigade conducted security operations in Iraq, and provided training for the Iraqi Army and Iraqi security forces. They left here last August.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
For more than a decade the Army has been trying to put together a wearable package of computers, radios, lasers and other high-tech gear to help infantrymen better pierce the fog of war.
The technology has always been a little too buggy, the equipment too heavy and cumbersome to use under the stress of combat.
Link to Full Article
By DAVID RISING
Associated Press Writer
BERLIN (AP) -- The first U.S. Army Stryker armored fighting vehicles rolled onto German soil Monday, a key part of the military's move to shed its heavy Cold War divisions in favor of a lighter more mobile force.
A ship from Washington state carrying the first 120 of the brigade's approximately 300 vehicles arrived in the northern port of Bremerhaven on Saturday and began unloading its cargo Monday morning for shipment by rail to the unit's new headquarters in the southern town of Vilseck.
The publishers of the Ft. Lewis Ranger newspaper have created a blog covering base activities. They will also be sending a reporter to Iraq to cover the 3/2 SBCT for six weeks. Pay them a visit and be sure to bookmark their site.
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FAIRBANKS -- Soldiers from Alaska have spent 10 months in Iraq fighting insurgents, maneuvering through a fledgling government, training and empowering regional forces, drinking chai with locals and riding the political waves of the vexing and complicated conflict.
The soldiers have succeeded in their efforts, said their commander, Col. Michael Shields. But that doesn't mean the work in Iraq is complete.
"The answer is 'Yes,' we've achieved our goals and objective," Shields said Thursday by phone from Iraq. "That does not mean our work is done."[...]
Link to Full Article
By Gregg K. Kakesako
THERE IS a lot of activity behind the fence line at Schofield Barracks' East Range just a few miles from homes in Wahiawa, and all the action centers around the Army's newest Stryker combat vehicles.
But because these 19-ton, eight-wheeled, diesel vehicles are so quiet, it's nearly impossible to detect them running up and down the 14.5 miles of dirt roads in East Range. And because the Army plans a series of connecting military training roads from Schofield Barracks to Dillingham Air Field and the Kahuku Training Area, the public may never see them.
Col. Chris Miller, director of the Stryker Fielding and Army Transformation Team for Hawaii, said the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade eventually will get 328 of these combat vehicles that can be outfitted in 10 different ways, with everything from a 105 mm cannon for a mobile gun system to a wireless command center.
Link to Full Article
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — A ban on air conditioners in on-post housing was the top complaint voiced at a town hall meeting Wednesday that focused on newly arrived 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment soldiers.
Several hundred people attended the meeting, which included question-and-answer sessions with officials representing such organizations as Morale, Welfare and Recreation, U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr and the Directorate of Public Works.
MCMINNVILLE, OREGON, JULY 15,2006: Jeff and Vicky Fairbanks, owner of Liberty Labradoodles announces a puppy dubbed Liberty’s Freedom will be given to one lucky supporter of Operation Second Chance from her August litter. Vicky stated anyone donating twenty dollars or more and completes the application process could be an owner of a special multi generational Australian Labradoodle. The winner will be selected August 20th, 2006.
An adoption form and details are available online at Libertylabradoodles.com. Donations made to Operation Second Chance are tax deductible.
Jeff and Vicky have a 21 year old son currently serving in Iraq with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Infantry. “I first found out about Operation Second Chance through Strykernews.com; a gathering spot for family members of Stryker Soldiers. Operation Second Chance assisted the family of a soldier in the 172nd shot by a sniper in Mosul, Iraq. I followed closely the pains, shock, and waiting for information the family faced while the injured soldier was flown to the states. Operation Second Chance was amazing during critical times such as the initial arrival of the family and their comfort. As time went on I watched them assist injured soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center with personal visits, care packages and social activities for those able to travel.
Link to Full Article
By William Cole
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, EAST RANGE — For the first time, 19-ton Stryker armored vehicles this week roamed the back woods of this approximately 4,500-acre training area.
The Army is taking it slow. As in a few miles per hour.
In knee-high weeds yesterday, about a dozen close-spaced traffic cones traced a serpentine route that Stryker drivers had to negotiate. Soldiers on foot front and rear guided the eight-wheeled vehicles with airplane-style arm gestures.
For extra measure, the vehicles had big signs hung on the front that said "Student Driver."
Link to Full Article
By KATE WILTROUT, The Virginian-Pilot
FORT MONROE - Something told Tiffany Smiley not to sign the papers that would end her husband's Army career.
A week earlier, Scott Smiley had been a lieutenant in charge of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team platoon in Mosul, Iraq. He'd graduated from West Point, made it through Ranger school and hoped to serve in special operations.
Yet in April 2005, he was barely conscious - the victim of a suicide car bombing that sent shrapnel into his brain, leaving him temporarily paralyzed and permanently blind.
Link to Full Article
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment sent hot lead down a German range Tuesday for the first time, weeks after arriving from Fort Lewis, Wash.
A dozen soldiers from the regiment’s Headquarters and Headquarters Troop traveled to Gailoh, a German small-arms range near Amberg, to fire machine guns alongside troops from the German army’s 12th Panzer (tank) Brigade.
Link to Full Article
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — Newly-arrived 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment spouses say shortages of some items at the local post exchange are forcing them to look off-post.
On Friday, about 20 Stryker spouses checked out shops in Amberg, the closest large town to Vilseck, during a Welcome to Bavaria field trip. The trip was part of a series of nine, three-day classes given by Army Community Services for spouses of 2nd Cav soldiers. The classes will run through September.
DOD News Briefing
Today, a Department of Defense News Briefing took place with Army Colonel Michael Shields, Commander 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. In this interview, Col. Shields describes the accomplishments of the brigade during the past 10 months. Click here to view the transcript of the briefing.
US Central Command Press Release
MOSUL, Iraq – Task Force Band of Brothers will turn over control of the former Saddam Hussein presidential compound here to Iraqi government officials in a ceremony in Mosul July 20.
The Mosul VIP Residence site, built over 2.2 square kilometers and completed in 1994, contained Saddam Hussein's northernmost presidential site and includes several palaces and VIP residences, three lakes, and man-made waterfalls. According to the complex’s pre-war caretaker, it was built for Saddam Hussein’s son, Qusay. Apparently, neither Hussein nor his sons actually stayed there.
The Defend America website has posted a photo essay of 2-1 soldiers in Mosul.
Link to Full Article
By William Cole
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, EAST RANGE — A new and decidedly different chapter in Hawai'i Army history sits idling in a football field-sized structure here, being readied to make its mark on the world.
The 19-ton, eight-wheeled Strykers that will remake a big portion of the Army in Hawai'i have started to arrive in batches of 30 to 50 a month, and driver training at East Range is expected to start this week.[...]
Spc. L.C. Campbell
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL — Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 2nd Division, 2nd Brigade, integrated with Coalition Forces to conduct a combined live fire exercise to show the IA leadership how to use enablers and how it will benefit their mission.
Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarter Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and Military Transition Teams intergrated air support such as helicopters, planes, mortar systems, and Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided missile systems into the training for the IA to use as enablers.
Link to Full Article
Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment have hit the ground running — they’re training on a virtual reality combat simulator here just weeks after arriving in Germany.
Thirty soldiers from Company A, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment fired mock M-16 rifles and M-249 machine guns at projected images of enemy troops at Vilseck’s Warrior Marksmanship Training Facility on Wednesday.
MNF Press Release
TIKRIT – Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division captured an entire insurgent cell during a series of raids Monday morning in Mosul.
Local civilians provided tips and other investigative resources were used to identify the houses of three possible terrorists. Once the IA troops entered and cleared the houses, four males were detained and questioned about their involvement in insurgent activities. The four men then pointed the Soldiers to whom they believed to be their cell leader at another location.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr., 28, of New York, N.Y., died in Mosul, Iraq, on July 12 when he encountered enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Hernandez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
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.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The Army’s No. 2 general rolled through Fort Lewis on Tuesday to pump up the troops.
But he didn’t bring much good news for the uniformed and civilian employees who are coping with austerity measures he ordered at posts across the country. The Army is dealing with a $530 million budget shortfall for day-to-day base operations.
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
Gen. Richard Cody visited Fort Wainwright Army Post on Monday to be briefed on the surge of military construction taking place in Alaska and commend local communities for supporting the efforts of soldiers and their families.
As the vice chief of staff of the Army, Cody serves as the principal advisor and assistant to the Army's top officer, the chief of staff of the Army. He is a key participant in deciding how money is divided among the Army's units and in repositioning them from one location to another.
Link to Full Article
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — The influx of 3,500 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment soldiers to Vilseck is having a flow-on effect on nearby Grafenwöhr, where officials expect the population to soon be more than double what it was last year.
In an interview Thursday, a year to the day after he took command at U.S Army Garrison Grafenwöhr, Col. Brian T. Boyle said he expected 1,000 additional soldiers to be at Grafenwöhr by the end of summer.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Paul S. Pabla, 23, of Fort Wayne, Ind., died on July 3 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Pabla was assigned to the Army National Guard's 139th Field Artillery, Kempton, Ind.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones SSG Pabla leaves behind. Any subsequent articles we find will be added to this entry.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SGT Kyle R. Miller, 19, of Willmar, Minn., died on June 29 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. Miller was assigned to the Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, New Ulm, Minn.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers. Additional information regarding SGT Miller will be added to this entry as it becomes available.
Link to Full Article
By Michelle Cuthrell
As I was cleaning out my garage this week--one of the many endless tasks I'm trying to complete before my husband comes home from Iraq next month--I stumbled across a box from 1st. Lt. Devin Hammond.
Besides being a great friend of ours, Devin is also a single soldier. That means, among other things, that he has no one to ship his boxes home to, no one to maintain his car.
So throughout this deployment, I've tried to pick up the slack and make things easier on him. He mails his extra Army gear home to my house, his car sits in the front of my driveway. I start the vehicle and maintain it as best I can so that storage and car maintenance are two less things this soldier has to worry about when he returns home from a yearlong deployment. [...]
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (July 3, 2006) --The 274th Forward Surgical Team held the grand opening of Ikai’ka house on Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq June 26.
The house is named in honor of 1st Lt. Nainoa K. Hoe, platoon leader, 2nd Plt, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, (Tropic Lighting), Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Hoe paid the ultimate sacrifice when he lost his life in June 2005.
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speach
MADUSH, Iraq (June 27, 2006) --Having a handicap child that is not able to walk is hard on any family even with the right equipment. Many families in Iraq do not even have wheelchairs for their children.
A man who was referred to by just Hamid brought his three children into the Primary Health Center Homadt in Badush, Iraq to receive wheelchairs from U.S. Forces.
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speech
Mosul, Iraq (June 29, 2006) -- The women of the United States appreciate and understand what freedom is and the struggles involved to gain equality. The women of Iraq have embarked on that same journey for freedom and equal rights.
In a combined effort the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion have started the reconstruction of the Women’s Center in Mosul, Iraq.
Written by 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (June 30, 2006) --On June 26, Iraqi officials held a grand opening ceremony for the public sports complex in Mosul, Iraq.
The complex located just outside Forward Operating Base Diamondback, was recently refurbished using funds from the commanders emergency response program. A major part of the rehabilitation of the complex was to reopen two in-ground pools that had been negated and in need of many repairs.
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell
MOSUL, Iraq (June 25, 2006) – A medic from the 172nd Brigade Support Medical Company, received an Army Commendation Medal with valor June 25, for actions taken on April 6.
Private 1st Class Ariel Kimble, medic, BMSC,172nd BSB, native to Bixby, Ok., was awarded the ARCOM with valor by Col. Michael Shields, brigade commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Written by Sgt. Ryan Matson
Flying over the skies of Mosul, Iraq, just a few hundred feet above the ground, are the pilots of 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment. They fly day and night, looking for suspicious activity, and working in direct support of their infantry counterparts patrolling the city on the ground, the 172nd Stryker Brigade.
The "Dragon" Battalion is an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopter battalion from the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., which has been attached to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in support of Task Force Band of Brothers, the task force patrolling Northern Iraq. While the remainder of the 10th Mountain Division went to Afghanistan, 1-10 Attack has been assigned where its Kiowa Warrior assets can be utilized best, patrolling the city streets of Mosul.
The 3rd annual Ride & Rally For the Troops, sponsored by Destination Harley-Davidson in Tacoma, will be held this Sunday, July 9, 2006. The Ride begins at 10:15 AM, with the Rally following. Visit the website for more information or to register. Over the past two years the event has raised over $35,000 for the troops and their families.
Related Entries: 2004 Ride & Rally, 2005 Ride & Rally
Although separated by thousands of miles, Dell(NASDAQ:DELL) technology will keep deployed soldiers of a U.S. Armycombat unit and their families at Fort Lewis, Wash., connected, anytime of the day or night.
Dell recently donated 20 OptiPlex(TM) GX620 computers equippedwith flat panel monitors, headsets, Web cameras and two Dell 3100cnlaser printers for family members to use at the family support centerfor the Army's 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker BrigadeCombat Team (3-2 SBCT). Soldiers of the unit, which is being deployedoverseas in late June and early July, can communicate with their lovedones via two donated Dell Latitude(TM) D620 notebook computersequipped with Web cameras as well as regular-issue systems.
Written by Spc. Rich Vogt
TAL AFAR, Iraq (June 20, 2006) -- Specialist Jeremiah Zumsteg was not sure what he was getting into when he joined the Army. Most of his family had gone into the Air Force. He had no way of knowing that he would carve out a spot in history for himself and make a lifetime’s worth of memories in one year in the middle east.
A native of Modesto, Ca., Zumsteg had all of the paper work filled out in order for him to join the Air Force but joined the Army instead. He is a dental technician with the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, a unit that is part of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
They’ve stocked up on small boxes and U.S. Customs forms, the essential items for sending care packages overseas.
They’ve made video recordings of their soldiers reading their kids’ favorite bedtime stories.
They leave their computer speakers turned up as high as they’ll go, in case they’re down in the laundry room, or fast asleep, when their soldier comes online.
Home-front veterans say they learned a lot about coping with the worry and stress the last time their soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, were in Iraq.
And now they’re gearing up to do it all again.
Link to Article
by Claude D. McKinney
Gulf Region North, US Army Corps of Engineers
Mosul, Iraq — The Tigris and Euphrates are ancient rivers with long histories associated with the “Fertile Crescent” and caravan trade routes to and from the east. Far upstream on the Tigris River, north of Noah’s burial place, is a large dam which impounds water from the river to form a 80 kilometer-long lake. In addition to holding back the water, this dam has an electric power generating plant which provides most of the electricity to the 1.5 million people who live in the city of Mosul 40 kilometers away. There is also a recreation community, which in time, may grow to be a large and popular water resort. On the north side of the dam complex is a community of 4,000; housing those who service the dam, the power generating plant, and provide the security for the area. Several renovation projects are ongoing within that community. There is a school being built, upgrades to the Police Station, some road improvements, and structural enhancements to the dam’s base. The renovations on the Police station are now complete.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Bryan C. Luckey, 25, of Tampa, Fla., died on June 29, in Mosul, Iraq, when he was shot by enemy forces while on mounted patrol. Luckey was assigned to the 562nd Engineer Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
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.
TFBOB Press Release
Staff Sgt. Brian Speech
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Mosul, Iraq -- The women of the United States appreciate and understand the struggles of their mothers and sisters before them to gain equality. The women of Iraq have embarked on that same journey for freedom and equal rights.
Their first step on that journey is to rebuild a women’s center in Mosul, Iraq, which will be a combined effort of the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion.
Anan Lbraham-Al Qado, the head of the Iraqi Women’s Center, and Kawthar Mustafa, the elected chief of Ninevah Provincial Council Committee of Human Rights, have laid out the needs for the facility.
Written by Spc. Rich Vogt
SINJAR, Iraq (June 14, 2006) -- A JAG officer’s job is never done. Capt. Annemarie Drazenovich, a brigade judge advocate with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is getting ready to end her deployment but is still working on projects that will continue after she has left the Middle East.
“We provide full-spectrum legal support to the brigade,” she said while on a trip to remote Sinjar Province in order to assess a courthouse there. “From assessing courthouses to helping individual Soldiers with legal matters, we are here to help.”
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (June 18, 2006) --Captain Gabriel Scheinbaum, executive officer, 577th Military Intelligence Company, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, challenged Capt. Moises Soto, 1Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, Force Protection on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq to a soccer game to boost Soldier and civilian morale.
The soccer game featured the power house Soldiers of the United States going head to head against the formidable Turkish civilian team.
TFBOB Press Release
TIKRIT, Iraq -- Iraqi police in northern Iraq are stepping up and taking control of the city streets with increased training, new equipment and new facilities.
Iraqi police from the Al Tahadi IP station were trained in riot and crowd control by Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment in Tal Afar June 19-22.