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SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
BAGHDAD, iraq – Fort Lewis soldiers fighting in Iraq’s capital can get Popeye’s Chicken when they return to base, followed by Cinnabon for dessert. Taco Bell is coming soon. But finding Internet access to drop Mom a message is a different story.
The 1st Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment’s life at Camp Liberty has some drawbacks not faced by Fort Lewis soldiers living elsewhere in Iraq. Most of the roughly 600 soldiers in this battalion live in tents with 25 or more guys, instead of the two-man trailers their Stryker brigade comrades are enjoying up north in Mosul.
Group life has its shortcomings. People living in the same tent go out on missions at different times of day and night. It seems like some soldier is always coming into the tent, taking off battle gear or playing a video game after a mission, while others are trying to sleep.[...]
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Casey L. Mellen, 21, of Huachuca City, Ariz., died on Sept. 25 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his mounted patrol came in
contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq. Mellen was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers. Additional information will be added to this entry as it becomes available.
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The old man in robe and head scarf told the Stryker troops from Fort Lewis they must be lost.
“No, no, suspicious cars ever here,” the Iraqi said through an interpreter. “The whole country has not security, but in this neighborhood is security.”
Just a few minutes later Wednesday morning, the soldiers found a mortar round buried in the mud and dirt field behind the man’s Baghdad house.
By Gale Fiege, The Daily Herald
LYNNWOOD - World War II veteran Muriel Jean Whalley is cutting up old Christmas cards to make new ones. She wants to send a little humor and holiday kindness to some young people from Fort Lewis.
As she cuts and pastes, Whalley, 82, recounts her service in the Women's Army Corps. An American-born citizen who grew up in England, she remembers the day she heeded Uncle Sam's call. Whoever the heck he was, the man needed her.
By Sam Bishop, Daily News-Miner
WASHINGTON–A brigade team from Texas will leave for Iraq a month early to set the stage for the return of Fort Wainwright’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the U.S. Army told members of Congress on Monday.
“The 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division will deploy 30 days earlier than originally scheduled and begin their deployment in late October,” the Army said in a news release. The combat team is based in Fort Bliss, Texas.
The comments in a few of our recent entries have focused on the lack of media coverage coming from certain parts of Iraq. I just happened to read a recent entry written by Donald Sensing at Winds of Change discussing this very topic, and what he has to say is quite interesting.
Can you guess how many embedded reporters there were in all of Iraq on 9/19/06? Nine! Since then a team from The News Tribune has embedded with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad, but that is still an amazingly low number. It might be convenient to blame media outlets for the lack of interest/coverage, but the reality seems to be a bit more compicated. Read his report for more info.
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The letter from Sunni insurgents was clear: Shiites must leave their homes or die.
A member of the Ghazaliyah neighborhood council pulled out a copy of the death threat Monday and showed it to Fort Lewis soldiers.
“There are terrorists in our neighborhood,” he said during the council’s weekly meeting.
The following article mentions the 4-14 CAV, 172nd SBCT.
Associated Press - September 25, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The plan was simple: Iraqi troops would block escape routes while U.S. Soldiers searched for weapons house-by-house. But the Iraqi troops didn't show up on time.
When they finally did appear, the Iraqis ignored U.S. orders and let dozens of cars pass through checkpoints in eastern Baghdad - including an ambulance full of armed militiamen, American Soldiers said in recent interviews.
Link to Full Article
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Civilian security contractors wounded two Fort Lewis soldiers in a case of friendly fire Saturday, capping a violent day in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Ghazaliyah. It happened in an area known among troops as RPG Alley, short for the rocket-propelled grenades favored by enemy fighters.
The soldiers were hurt while trying to stop an ambush on a supply convoy the contractors were guarding. The contractors “obviously didn’t know we were there. They saw shooting and returned fire,” said Capt. Matt Pike of Lacey, commander of Comanche Company of the 1st Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
One of the C Company soldiers was shot in the leg. The other was hit in the face with shrapnel. Pike said the injuries are minor and both men were expected to be fit enough to return to duty today. The Army wasn’t releasing their names until their families could be contacted.
Link to Full Article
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Spc. Brian Carter knew this was bad.
Carter, of Lakewood, was up in the hatch of his Stryker on Saturday, staring down one of the most dangerous roads in Iraq.
Experts were about to blow up an improvised explosive device found under an overpass. The Stryker vehicle from Fort Lewis was blocking traffic and providing security.
“I got a bad feeling about this,” said Carter, who is with Comanche Company of the 1st Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
By BRIAN BENNETT AND SALLY B. DONNELLY
The scenes almost seem lifted from a different war: On a scorching afternoon in Ur, a neighborhood in northeast Baghdad, members of the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade are on a charm offensive. The soldiers spent 12 months in the restive city of Mosul, before having their tour in Iraq extended to help in the U.S.'s campaign to pacify Baghdad. The unit's experience shows. They are alert but relaxed, carrying themselves with a gentle posture, weapons down, waving to the locals, talking with them. Kids hold hands with the Americans; an Iraqi mother hands a soldier her baby to hold. Locals invite U.S. officers in to sit and have glasses upon glasses of tea, orange Fanta, Pepsi and Arabic coffee. They don't go into a house without a few Iraqi soldiers who can better gauge if someone looks suspicious. Walking out of one Iraqi home, Lieut. Colonel John Norris, commander of the Stryker 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment Tomahawks, enjoys a moment of guarded optimism. "Days like this you think, wow, they can really do it. If they can just stop the killing."
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
How does Lt. Col. Al Kelly tell his Stryker apart from others on Baghdad’s streets?
By looking for ‘buck buck,’ the fake plastic duck he’s mounted on the front hatch of the massive vehicle.
“Iraqi kids call it ‘buck buck,’” he said, imitating the sound a duck makes.
He’s also decorated the vehicle with a horseshoe, and a toy eagle.
“He has an eagle eye,” Kelly said. With the eagle, he said, “We spotted a lot of [roadside bombs] before we hit them.”
And what about the fake mallard?
Well, Kelly explained, after being hit by 13 roadside bombs and four snipers over the last year, “I figured I was a sitting duck.”
Link to Full Article
The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. and Iraqi forces have captured a leader of Ansar al-Sunnah, the group behind the 2004 attack on a U.S. military mess hall that killed 22 people, the prime minister's office said Saturday.
Muntasir Hamoud Ileiwi al-Jubouri and two of his aides were arrested in Al-Taeyh, about 50 miles northeast of Baghdad, said Brig. Qassim al-Mussawi, spokesman for the General Command of the Armed Forces _ the prime minister's military office. He did not say when the arrest was made.
The Sunni militant group has claimed responsibility for numerous suicide attacks, the August 2004 execution of 12 Nepalese hostages and a December 2004 explosion at a U.S. military mess hall in Mosul that killed 22 people. It is believed to be an offshoot of another group, Ansar Al-Islam.
Admin Note: This piece got bumped again last week, but it will be broadcast tonight. The NBC Nightly News blog has an article to accompany the segment.
We just received confirmation that portrait artist Michael Reagan will be featured on NBC News this Friday. He will be recongnized on the Making a Difference segment for his Fallen Heroes Project, which offers free portraits to families of fallen servicemen and servicewomen. Michael's work has been mentioned here many times before. Check you local listings and tune in this Friday.
Unfortunately I don't get the Military Channel with my cable package, but for those of you that do they are broadcasting a show right now called, "Anatomy of a Stryker". Apparently it features the 1/25 SBCT operating in Mosul, and also the 3/2 SBCT as it prepared to deploy.
Follow the link for showtimes. Thanks to David for the heads-up.
The following is an audio report from NPR station KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon.
Morning Edition, September 22, 2006 - The recent deaths of three soldiers from the Army Stryker Unit based in Baghdad has inflamed tensions among the families at the unit's home base in Alaska. Those tensions first became apparent a few weeks ago when its mission was unexpectedly extended by four months.
Speaking of new News Tribune blogs, military reporter Michael Gilbert has started one as well. It's called FOB Tacoma and will cover, "items of interest and the odd comment or two about military and veterans issues in the South Puget Sound." You might want to bookmark it as well.
News Tribune reporter Sean Cockerham and Olympian photographer Tony Overman will be embedding with 3/2 SBCT troops in Baghdad. They have published a couple articles so far, and will also be maintaining a blog while they are there. We probably won't link to every blog post they make, so be sure to bookmark their site and check in regularly.
Blog-Ah! has published the latest column from Hardt, who is serving with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad. He also sent some photos earlier this week.
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (15 September, 2006) - - Another Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation has begun, the 25th Infantry Division has assumed command of an area of responsibility once occupied by the 101st Airborne Division.
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander, 25th ID, met with Ninewa Province Governor Duriad Kashmoula to introduce himself, his staff and establishes an understanding of issues facing both parties.
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — Purging sectarian violence from Baghdad is a slow and arduous task, as soldiers from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team learned over the last week while beginning clearing operations in the areas around Sadr City.
For the last week, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment have painstakingly combed through homes, fields, markets and even landfills, hunting for ever-elusive evidence of sectarian violence. The effort is part of an ongoing operation, called Operation Together Forward, aimed at reducing sectarian violence in the capital.
Link to Full Article
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT – The glare of the sun is staggering, even with sunglasses. A sand moonscape stretches for what seems forever.
This camp, in the middle of nowhere about 20 miles from the Iraqi border, is the temporary home for about 50 Fort Lewis soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
These troops left Washington on Sunday and in a few days will join the rest of the 4,000-member brigade that came to Iraq in July. The latecomers might be newly assigned to the unit, or coming off an injury or illness or a training session. They might have a special skill that brigade leaders decided they needed to reinforce.
By Mark Brunswick, McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD, Iraq - American 1st Lt. Jake Hughes and his platoon from Apache Company of the 1-23rd Infantry had high hopes as they contemplated the predawn raid that was about to take place on the walled-in Shiite Muslim mosque in the Baghdad neighborhood of Ghazaliyah.
This was how it was supposed to work, as Americans begin ceding more responsibility to Iraqis one month into an aggressive campaign to bring peace to Baghdad. The Iraqi Interior Ministry had provided the intelligence. A dozen Iraqi soldiers were to conduct the raid. The Americans were there strictly as backup. But in Baghdad, hope comes in small doses.
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — American-led clearing operations near Sadr City took a softer approach Monday and Tuesday as soldiers from the Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team handed out much-needed supplies to Iraqi schools.
However, as is often the case in Iraq, the grateful recipients brought with them a laundry list of other, more basic needs that have yet to be addressed by the Iraqi government.
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT -- The glare of the sun is staggering, even with sunglasses on. A sand moonscape stretches for what seems forever.
This camp, in the middle of nowhere about 20 miles from the Iraqi border, is the temporary home for about 50 Fort Lewis soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
These troops left Tacoma Sunday and in a few days will join the rest of the 4,000-member brigade that came to Iraq in July. The latecomers might be newly assigned to the unit, or coming off an injury or illness or a training session. They might have a special skill that brigade leaders decided they needed to reinforce.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. David J. Davis, 32, of Mount Airy, Md., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept.17, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker Armored Vehicle during combat operations in Sadr City, Iraq. Davis was assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers during this time. Additional information will be added to this entry as it becomes available.
By Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi National Police and Soldiers from a Multi-National Division – Baghdad Explosive Ordnance Disposal team worked together to eliminate an improvised-explosive device threat at approximately 11:55 a.m. Friday south of Baghdad in the town of Arab Jabur.
Iraqi national policemen responded to a report of an IED placed on a road in the vicinity of Arab Jabur and cordoned off the area around the IED.
Written by Spc. Rich Vogt, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (September 13, 2006) – Iraqi Security Forces have a new combat badge to wear. The badge is earned after passing a basic skills course being taught at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq.
The course consists of basic rifle marksmanship, first aid, hand signals, urban movement, and for officers and NCOs a map-reading test, where they have to plot a six-digit grid coordinate.
Written by Spc Yolanda Moreno Leon, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (September 13, 2006) –Getting the best dental care a Soldier can get in combat zone is as easy as smiling, a Soldier just has to go to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion located on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq and see the dentist.
Capt. Christopher Rowe, dentist, 296th BSB, and Specialist Brian Toath, his trusted dental assistance, are providing Soldiers with the best dental care they have to offer, without jeopardizing mission capabilities.
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
TAL AFAR, Iraq (September 14, 2006) –The elected leaders of Tal Afar, Iraq are realizing that running daily operations of a city takes hard work, determination, and can be extremely frustrating at times.
From governance, education, health, rule of law, infrastructure, and economic development, elected officials are showing the citizens of the city that they can handle the job they were elected to do, no matter how big or small the problem.
The latest column from David Hardt, a soldier serving with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad, has been posted at the Ft. Lewis Ranger newspaper website.
The Blog of War is a new anthology of selected writings from a wide variety of military bloggers ("milbloggers"). The book was compiled by Matt of Blackfive and features a soldier many of you may have read before - Sminklemeyer of In Iraq for 365. You can find more info about the book at Amazon.
One night in Iraq, along a road in the neighborhood of the Al Harishma Weapons Market, Sgt. Brian Turner walked the streets with his men. Their assignment: security.
Homes went dark as families retired to bed. But small bulbs hung from storefront awnings in the closed-up town. Gunshots pierced the quiet.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The 10th and final version of the Stryker armored vehicle to be delivered to Fort Lewis looks a lot like its predecessors, with one exception.
One big exception.
The Mobile Gun System features a 105 mm cannon. Five years in the making, it brings much more to the fight than other versions armed with a heavy machine gun, a grenade launcher or anti-tank missiles.
“This will bring a lot more firepower, a lot more versatility to what the infantry can do,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Cooper, a tanker who leads a platoon of three of the new vehicles in the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
The new variant – they call it the MGS – is designed to back up the infantry with a gun that can blast through walls, knock out a fortified sniper nest, stop another armored vehicle and clear a street of enemy fighters.
By Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a weapons cache at approximately 2:35 p.m. Thursday in northeast Baghdad.
The cache contained 30 artillery rounds ranging in size from 122mm to 155mm.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was dispatched to the site of the cache and performed a controlled detonation to eliminate the threat.
As of Wednesday, Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B have cleared more than 53,000 buildings, 53 mosques and 46 muhallas, detained more than 90 terrorist suspects, seized more than 1,100 weapons, registered approximately 780 weapons and found 31 weapons caches. The combined forces have also replaced more than 1,100 doors, 35 windows and 1,350 locks damaged during clearing operations and have removed approximately 104,397 cubic meters of trash from the streets of Baghdad.
By William Cole, The Honolulu Advertiser
The 25th Infantry Division uncased its colors for the first time in Iraq on Tuesday, and for just the second time since the Vietnam War.
In doing so, Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon assumed command of Multinational Division-North and 21,000 U.S. troops in northern Iraq.
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — The 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment could deploy out of Europe once its soldiers are trained, U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army commander Gen. David D. McKiernan said Friday at a welcome home ceremony for the unit.
McKiernan, along with U.S. Ambassador to Germany William R Timken Jr., Bavarian Minister-President Edmund Stoiber, 1st Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. Fred D. Robinson Jr., many other high-ranking U.S. and German officials and more than 3,000 2nd Cav soldiers attended the ceremony to uncase the unit’s colors at Vilseck Army Airfield.
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — U.S. operations around Sadr City met with increased resistance this weekend, as soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team continued clearing operations in the poor, restive neighborhoods around the Shiite mega-slum.
But rather than resist with bullets and bombs, residents took a decidedly grass-roots approach, hurling rocks and shouting obscenities.
Assailment marks 3rd attack from a mosque in 4 days
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Terrorists continue a disturbing trend of defiling the sanctity of religious buildings by firing from the mosques on Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces.
For the third time in four days, mosques were openly used for criminal attacks when terrorists fired at Iraqi police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers Wednesday while they were conducting a combined operation near Jisr Diyala, southeast of Baghdad.
Policeman from 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, and MND-B Soldiers, were establishing an outer cordon in order to detain a terrorist facilitator and planner when the patrol was attacked by small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from several directions, to include the Al Huada Mosque.
“We want to remind the Iraqi people that while U.S. Soldiers respect the sanctity of mosques, those religious sites lose their protected status when terrorists use them in order to attack Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces,” said Brig. Gen. David Halverson, deputy commanding general for support, MND-B. “Terrorists have been using these holy sites as bases for anti-Iraq related activity – storing weapons, bomb-making materials and death squad meetings.”
This graphic article from Newsweek chronicles the loss of SPC Alexander Jordan.
Sept. 14, 2006 - This week, NEWSWEEK begins “War Stories,” the first in its series of Web reports about the daily lives of the soldiers and families of the 4-23 infantry battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade. Informed in late July that their yearlong deployment in Iraq would be extended for another four months, the soldiers are now fighting on the front lines of the Battle of Baghdad. The impact of this move on the troops and their loved ones was the subject of the report, "Straight to the Heart,” in NEWSWEEK's Sept. 18 issue. During the unit's extended tour, which is expected to last until December, our reporters will continue to tell the story of the 4-23 through the individual tales of a small group of soldiers and the families who anxiously await their return back at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and in hometowns across America. But as the close-knit 4-23 community learned this week, not everyone will be coming home now.
We wanted to let people know about the following offer if you are planning on attending the Puyallup Fair.
Comcast, which supports our armed forces both here and overseas, is welcoming members of the military and their loved ones to record a free video mail from the Comcast booth at The Puyallup Fair this year. Video mail can be sent to anyone with an email address and a reasonably modern computer. There’s no big file that the recipient has to worry about; the recipient simply receives an email with a link that allows them to view up to a three-minute video.
The offer is for both members of the military stationed here who would like to communicate with relatives back home, as well as loved ones who would like to communicate with a member of the military who is serving outside the region.
The Comcast booth is located through “Door C North” inside the SHOWPLEX. The fair is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 24. For more information about the fair, see www.thefair.com.
VILSECK, Germany - The U.S. Army welcomed the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment to its new home in southern Germany on Friday as the military moved ahead with plans to shed its heavy Cold War divisions in favor of a lighter, more mobile force.
The brigade has been moving into the Vilseck area over the last three months, bringing an agile, flexible force in to Germany to replace the 1st Infantry Division and 1st Armored Divisions.
Link to Full Article
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — The effort to clean up sectarian violence in Baghdad entered another phase Thursday as soldiers from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team began to clear the poor, ethnically mixed areas of northwest Baghdad.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment conducted a daylong search mission in Shab, a poor, mostly Shiite neighborhood that abuts Sadr City, the infamous slum that is home to more than 3 million of the country’s most restive Shiite population.
Staff Sgt. James Sherrill
124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq, Sept. 13, 2006 — Looking down from a hilltop through the darkness, Alexander could see the enemy campfires burning on the distant plain just east of Mosul.
He couldn’t see the soldiers warming themselves, but he knew that even if there were only a few men around each fire his army would still be vastly outnumbered. Alexander, king of the Macedonians, paused for the first time on his route of conquest. He made a sacrifice to Phobos, the god of fear and terror.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Alexander Jordan, 31, of Miami, Fla., died on Sept. 10 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Jordan was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. We will add any articles we find to this entry.
The following article confirms that operational control of northern Iraq has been transferred from Task Band of Brothers to Task Force Lightning, with Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon of the 25th ID in command. The 3/2 SBCT will be part of TF Lightning.
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
[...] Mixon's force includes four maneuver brigades, including the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, a Stryker vehicle unit, in Mosul; the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division in Tikrit; the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division in Diyala Province east and north of Baghdad; and the 3rd Brigade out of Schofield in and around the oil-producing city of Kirkuk.
by Spc Timothy Tamburello, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (September 11, 2006) -For the Soldiers of the 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, the phrase “365 and a wake-up” was commonly used throughout their deployment. It didn’t matter how long the unit had actually been there or how long they had left, this was one of the ways they dealt with the stress of being in a potentially dangerous environment away from their loved ones.
“When it comes to being away from family and friends, everyday feels like a year,” said Spc. Richard Vogt Jr., print journalist, 138th MPAD. “To countdown the days, especially at the beginning of the deployment, is silly. You have to stay focused on your mission and realize that eventually we’re going to make it home.”
The following is an audio report from NPR. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon. Description:
All Things Considered, September 12, 2006 · U.S. troops in Baghdad are expanding operations, with Iraqi soldiers and police trying to bring security to some of the capital's most dangerous districts. Among the U.S. units involved is the Tomahawks Battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based in Alaska. The Strykers are part of the front line, getting tips, clearing houses, and working neighborhood by neighborhood to bring the city under control.
J.M. Simpson, the embedded reporter from the Ft. Lewis Ranger newspaper, is winding up his stay with the 3/2 SBCT in Mosul. Be sure to catch up on his online updates if you haven't visited the paper's site recently.
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — During his recent yearlong deployment in northern Iraq, Staff Sgt. Gilbert Romero regularly told his friends that he couldn’t wait to get out of the Army.
But when his unit’s stay in Iraq was extended by four months, Romero did something unexpected. He re-enlisted for another four years.
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — Residents of the city’s most virulent Shiite stronghold gave soldiers a heated and hostile reception Sunday as the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team rolled into the eastern Baghdad slum of Sadr City for the first time.
Overall, Sunday’s mission, which was part of a larger operation to clear Baghdad of sectarian violence, was free of major incidents. One company was shot at during an afternoon patrol, though the bullet widely missed its mark.
Well, it appears that the current layout breaks down when you view the site with a screen resolution < 800 pixels. Since that represents 20% of our users we'll have to come up with an alternative. It will take a few days to identify/implement a solution. In the meantime, for those of you experiencing problems, try reducing the text size of your browser, and be sure your window is maximized.
Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your feedback.
REQUEST: If you are having display problems can you please visit this test page and see how it looks? Better? Comments to todd (at) strykernews.com.
FINAL UPDATE?: We've implemented a layout that seems to work well for everyone. Unless I hear of additional problems I'll stop posting these updates. Thanks again for your patience.
Kirk Sowell at Threats Watch has a good summary of recent operations in Baghdad, which includes mention of the 172nd SBCT.
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — The American military’s quest to clean up sectarian violence in Baghdad took its first, very tentative steps into Baghdad’s most infamous neighborhood Sunday morning.
Troops from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team visited Sadr City, the teeming Shiite slum famous for its densely packed population and as the headquarters for radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. Sadr is the leader of a Shiite militia, known as Jeish al-Mahdi, that is said to be responsible for many of Baghdad’s sectarian killings.
As part of our redesign we are consolidating our XML/RSS files into a new single feed. While the old ones will still be available for a short while, we urge you to update your feed address to http://feeds.feedburner.com/strykernews.
If the whole idea of RSS and feeds is new to you, Feedburner offers a very good tutorial. Try it out - it might change the way you keep track of content on your favorite sites. If you decide to try a feedreader let me know. I would be more than happy to share a file that includes all of the feeds I track to find Stryker-related news.
Yes, this is still Stryker Brigade News! We are in the process of rolling out a redesigned site. Some areas still have the old look and feel, but we will work on converting them as time allows.
You'll notice some features that used to be on the homepage are no longer available. We really wanted to reduce the amount of info to the bare essentials. If there is something missing you thought was critical please feel free to send me an email (todd at strykernews dot com). I welcome other feedback as well - migrations never go 100% according to plan.
Thanks,
Todd
The following is an in depth article regarding the 172nd extension from the upcoming issue of Newsweek magazine. There are links to video clips as well.
Sept. 18, 2006 issue - Toward the end of July, Capt. Brad Velotta began daydreaming a lot. He thought about making the summer's last run of salmon in Alaska's Russian River, where bears lumber down from the woods and chase fishermen out of the water. He thought about getting a kitten for his 3-year-old daughter, Sophia. Most of all, Velotta hoped to see his 83-year-old grandmother Mary one last time before she died of cancer. "She thought she could hold on," says Velotta's father, Albert, at the family home in Alexandria, La. Her grandson was supposed to leave Iraq on Aug. 2. "She thought it would only be a few weeks more."
Link to Full Article
By Sgt. Brandon LeFlore, 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD — Only days after Iraqi Army and MND-B Soldiers cleared the neighborhood of Adhamiyah, U.S. and Iraqi forces returned to hand out generators and food.
“We’re showing the Iraqi people that we’re here to help them,” said Capt. Andrew Corbin, native of Austin, Texas, and civil affairs team leader with 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
The District Advisory Council of Adhamiyah and Soldiers from the 414th CAB provided humanitarian assistance to Iraqi families in support of Operation Together Forward in Adhamiyah[...]
Link to Full Article
By Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone, 138th MPAD
MOSUL — Low crawling through dust and dirt at the newly established Battle Academy on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, is one way to get 19 Iraqi Army Soldiers and 4 Iraqi policemen to focus on basic infantry survival skills.
U. S. Army Soldiers from Company B, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash, are training weekly rotations from the IA and the IP’s basic individual and buddy movements for survival and recovery under fire.
BLOG-AH has posted a couple of photos of B. Co., 5-20 in Mosul.
Link to Full Article
By Rick Maze, Army Times
Members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team who suffered financial hardships when the Army extended their Iraq tours at the last minute could be reimbursed for financial losses under a Senate-passed amendment.
The proposal, approved Thursday by voice vote as an amendment to the 2007 defense appropriations bill, allows the Army to reimburse expenses for a service member if the cost is the result of a good faith and reasonable preparation for the unit’s return to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, the unit’s home. There is no limit on how much a family could receive.
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By Christian Hill, The Olympian
LACEY - The march to support the local families of deployed U.S. service members has come a long way considering the two men who started the event three years ago didn't know the first thing about the military.
"We did not know ranks at all," recalled Andrew Oczkewicz, this year's chairman of the organizing committee. "We had no idea what a brigade was. Zero idea. But we've got it down now."
Written by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin. 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD – In the early morning hours of Aug. 29, Soldiers of Multi-National Division –Baghdad’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team piled into heavily-armored vehicles and rolled into a cordoned section of Baghdad to continue clearing operations as part of Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s Operation Together Forward.
This was the third day in a row that Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd SBCT and members of the Iraqi National Police had patrolled this neighborhood, located on the outskirts of an Iraqi National Police station, looking for weapons caches and other signs of possible terrorist activity.
Written by Sgt. Stephen Wylie, 363rd MPAD
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – After spending 12 long months patrolling the streets of Mosul in northern Iraq, the Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, based out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, are now taking on terrorists in neighborhoods near Baghdad.
“We had a great impact on the Mosul area,” said Col. Scott Wuestner, commander, 4th Bn., 11th FA Regt.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Henkes II, 32, of Portland Ore., died on Sept. 3 of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Henkes was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
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By 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Arm. Div.
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces working closely with Multi-National Division – Baghdad continued Operation Together Forward Monday with Operation South Sword Search in the Baghdad neighborhood of Bakriya.
Policemen of 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, and Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, along with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, MND-B, are working to clear the area of illegal weapons and put an end to terrorist activities.
By John Pennell
Fort Richardson Public Affairs
FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska (Army News Service, Sept. 5, 2006) – The Army has provided increased funding, more than $5 million, to immediately mitigate hardships on the families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during the unit’s extended deployment.
Mission and garrison leaders stressed again this week that Army leadership is totally committed to supporting the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and their families.
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By Terry Boyd, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD — Almost one month into an operation meant to reclaim control of Baghdad after escalating ethnic killings and reprisals, U.S. officials presented data Thursday showing a dramatic drop in violence in several of the city’s besieged neighborhoods.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are “guardedly optimistic” after Operation Together Forward troops have completed operations in sections of Dora, Ghazaliya, Ameriya, Adhamiyah and Mansor, said Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the top coalition spokesman in Iraq.
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (28 August, 2006) - - Soldiers, civilians and distinguished visitors gathered in the Community Affairs Center theater at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, to honor the memory of a fallen Soldier, Sgt. Gabriel DeRoo.
DeRoo served as a M-240-gunner, automatic rifleman and a team leader for Company A, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Written by Spc Yolanda Moreno Leon, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (August 28, 2006) –Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division in conjunction with Soldiers of Co. C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division conducted a joint raid in the villages of Al Mochat and Sayid Hamid, Mosul, Iraq. The search was named Operation Scorpion Hunt.
The IA conducted a house to house search looking for known insurgents that have targeted Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. The purpose was to disrupt anti-Iraqi-force activity and operations in the Mosul area.
Written by Spc Yolanda Moreno Leon, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (29 August 2006) – In order for Soldiers to do their jobs on a daily basis, they need supplies. They need to be close, readily accessible and someone must be accountable for them.
One unit does just that, the 296th Brigade Supply Battalion is responsible for logistical support to units in Iraq so they can complete their jobs efficiently.
“We are responsible for requisitions and the issue of all class of supplies to the3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division units and supporting units’ throughout Theater,” said Chief Warrant Officer Mark Brown, warehouse accountable officer, Co. A, 296th BSB, 3rd SBCT, 2nd Inf. Div., and native of Port Orchard, Wash.
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone, 138th MPAD
Mosul, Iraq (30 August, 2006) - - When military vehicles breakdown, need maintenance or an engine overhaul, who does the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team turn to? The Brigade Support Battalion motor pool.
Thirty-seven wheeled vehicle mechanics from Fort Lewis, Wash. stationed at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, put in long days to keep more than 1200 pieces of equipment up and running for the 3rd SBCT and various other units.
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BRENT CHAMPACO; The News Tribune
The bond between Cpl. Kenneth Cross and Pfc. Daniel Dolan was obvious even when the two weren’t in uniform, their fellow soldiers say.
They were once roommates. They attended each other’s parties. Friends often saw them joking together in the barracks.
The two men also died together Aug. 27, when a roadside bomb hit their Stryker vehicle in Baghdad.
On Tuesday, about 250 people filled the Fort Lewis Main Post Chapel to honor the pair.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Eugene H.E. Alex, 32, of Bay City, Mich., died on Sept. 2 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered on Aug 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. Alex was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones. Articles will be added to this entry as we find them.
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By Alisha Ryu
Earlier this month, the U.S. military deployed several thousand extra combat troops to flashpoint districts in the troubled Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The security operations are part of a joint U.S.-Iraqi effort to halt escalating sectarian violence and shore up support for Iraq's struggling government.
Huddled inside the belly of a Stryker combat vehicle, 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Zack Sherman quickly checks his weapon one last time as the 17-metric ton vehicle rumbles into eastern Adamiyah District. [...]
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
(MNF-Iraq Press Release)
BAGHDAD — While Iraqi and Coalition forces continued operations throughout Baghdad and discussed progress in the city’s northern neighborhood of Adhamiyah, Iraqi National Security Advisor Dr. Mowaffak al-Rubaie announced Sunday the capture of a top al-Qaida in Iraq leader.
"Our troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organization," Dr. Rubaie said of the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist network.
The Freedom Journal is a multimedia newsletter distributed by Task Force Band of Brothers. Episode 468 features video of the 3/2 & 172nd SBCTs as they transfer responsibility in Mosul.
Daily News-Miner reporter Margaret Friedenauer will return to Iraq to cover the 172nd SBCT during its extended deployment.
The deployment of our Fort Wainwright-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to Iraq last year struck a chord through our community, bringing us all closer to the conflict and reminding us of ties to the base we sometimes may take for granted.
Two people, in particular, made a difference for this newspaper and its readers.
The following article by Susy Raybon is an update on her Heart List project, which involved members of the 172nd SBCT. Previous articles include the Heart List and The Heart List Grows.
By Susy Raybon
Almost one month ago, when the 1st Battalion, 17th Regiment/172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team received notice that they were not leaving Mosul for home, but instead changing focus and leaving FOB Marez for Baghdad, hearts were breaking…not only all over Fairbanks…but literally all over the globe.
As the news slowly crept out to friends, family and extended supporters the day just seemed to get darker. The veil that fell over Ft. Wainwright and Ft. Richardson draped as heavily over parts of Korea and South Carolina, California and Washington State and on pieces of real estate too far-flung to know.
Susy Raybon let us know about a new blog maintained by Brad Blauser, Supporting Troops. Brad is a civilian contractor working at a base in Mosul. His entries offer a relatively unique perspective on events there. Please stop by and read about his many projects. From his site:
For those who don't know, I'm on a military base in a combat zone. Civilians and soldiers work everday, with civilians working 12-13 hours/day. One cool thing for me is to have the chance to hang out with the troops in the off time. I'm involved in a couple of different projects I started - Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids and Study Bibles for Soldiers.
Defend America has posted a photo essay of the 1-17 working in the Adhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad.
Our thoughts and prayers and with PFC Dehle's family and friends.
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By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — Soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment said goodbye Monday to a comrade who died during physical training last week.
Pfc. Matthew C. Dehle, a Stryker armored personnel carrier driver with Company E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, died Wednesday during a hill run, according to soldiers from his unit.