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The Army has started fielding its newest artillery weapon — the M777A1 Lightweight 155mm howitzer — to Stryker units in Hawaii, according to a recent Army press release.
The M777A1 is the first ground combat system that makes extensive use of titanium, which makes it 7,000 pounds lighter than the M198 weapon it replaces.
“The weight reduction improves transportability and mobility without impacting range or accuracy,” said Jim Shields, program manager for the Army and Marine Corps program, according to the release.
The Army has approved “full materiel release status” of the new field artillery weapon, the release states. The M777A1 will be the artillery system for the Army’s Stryker brigade combat teams.
Former 1/25 SBCT soldier Walt Gaya writes about his recent visit to the studio of Tacoma artist Bonnie Burns. Ms. Burns creates handmade glass hearts that she sends to soldiers serving overseas. Her son is also a member of the 172nd SBCT that just returned from Iraq.
BY Spc. Shea Butler, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD, Jan. 29, 2007 - The issues were pressing during a meeting where American and Iraqi leaders sat side-by-side to try and solve some security issues for the people of the Karkh District.
Coalition forces and the Iraqi army met with local leaders of the Karkh District during a security council meeting to discuss security issues that have been highlighted during recent events on Karkh District's Haifa Street.
The following military press release mentions the involvement of 2-3 INF, 3/2 SBCT in the weekend fighting in Najaf. Yahoo! News also has a number of photos of Strykers operating near Najaf (one, two, three).
By Maj. Steven Lamb, Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi security forces engaged in a day-long battle against several hundred insurgents north of Najaf Jan. 28. When the day was done, a U.S. helicopter went down, yet more than 100 gunmen were captured.
“This is an example of a promise kept,” said Brig. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, deputy commanding general of the Multi-National Division – Baghdad and the 1st Cavalry Division, commenting on the recovery operation of the downed helicopter and day-long battle against illegal militiamen. “Everything worked just as it should have.”
By Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP STRYKER, Iraq – Room by room, building after building and one block at a time, Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces meticulously search neighborhoods in Baghdad. The search is for the tools of the insurgency, such as prohibited firearms and explosive-making materials, which are used to destabilize the fledgling democracy of this war-torn country.
The Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, worked with Iraqi Army troops and national police to clear neighborhoods in Baghdad’s Al Doura district Jan. 15-18.
By Spc. Alexis Harrison, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – Do you remember your first day of school? It was one of the first times you'd be away from your family, and you were probably a little nervous. Now, imagine walking through one of the worst neighborhoods in Iraq just to go to school.
More than 3,200 young Iraqi boys made the trek down one of the dangerous Al Doura streets to go to class. A new classroom, new books and computers awaited them thanks to some hard work from their local leaders and some American Soldiers.
Friday's broadcast of the NBC Nightly News featured a segment with the Apache Company, 1-23 INF, 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad. The link takes you to a streaming video of the entire broadcast, but the Stryker piece begins at the 7:20 minute mark. You can fast-forward to that point if desired.
Thanks to Abby for the link.
By Mary Beth Smetzer, Daily News-Miner
Army Staff Sgt. James Jeane calls himself “blessed.”
Jeane’s wife, Sunshine, frequently refers to her spouse as “My miracle husband.”
Almost a year ago — Feb. 26, 2006, to be exact — Jeane, a member of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry of the 172nd Stryker Brigade was severely wounded while on patrol near Mosul, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device hit the Stryker vehicle he was in.
By Damien Cave, The New York Times
BAGHDAD: Hector Leija, a staff sergeant, scanned the kitchen, searching for illegal weapons. One wall away, in an apartment next door, a scared Shiite family huddled around a space heater, cradling an infant.
It was after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, on Haifa Street in central Baghdad, and the crack-crack of machine- gun fire had been rattling since dawn. More than a thousand American and Iraqi troops had come to this warren of high-rises and hovels to disrupt the growing nest of Sunni and Shiite fighters battling for control of the area.
The News Tribune published a series of articles and multimedia features in today's paper profiling Army widows from the Puget Sound region (links below). The husbands of Debbie Bridges and Shawna Burbank, both featured, were members of the 3/2 SBCT when it first deployed in 2003. Debbie has been featured here a number of times, and Shawna maintains a wonderful album of photos featuring her husband in our gallery.
The stories:
Multimedia:
How to help:
If you aren't already a registered user with The News Tribune this would be a good time to become one. Their coverage of the Ft. Lewis based Stryker Brigades is consistently top-notch.
When Greg McCallum checks the blogs on strykernews.com every day, he never knows what he will find.
While he is used to seeing video clips of strikes against insurgents on CNN and reading columns by soldiers overseas, he never expected to see his own son, Kevin, a sergeant in the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Since the blog was started in 2004, McCallum has seen his son several times. Most recently, 25-year-old Kevin was featured in a CNN clip of Operation Tomahawk Strike 11.
By Master Sgt. Dave Larsen, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army and coalition force troops cleared and secured a known insurgent hot-bed in the center of the Iraqi capital Jan. 24-25.
Operation Tomahawk Strike 11, led by 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and supported by Multi-National Division - Baghdad, disrupted insurgent activity on Haifa Street.
By Keith Eldridge, KOMO 4 News (Includes video)
The Fort Lewis Stryker brigade getting ready to deploy to Iraq is bringing along a group of specially trained soldiers. They are all going through extensive training to be able to speak Arabic. KOMO 4 News got a rare look inside the Army's Foreign Language Training Center.
At a recent training exercise, Iraqi-Americans playing the role of Baghdad residents chanted "go home USA. Go home USA." It is the welcome these Stryker soldiers know they may get when they arrive in Iraq in a few weeks.
By Spc. Shea Butler, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD – The company of Soldiers starts the day before the sun, knowing in the back of their minds that it is going to be a long day full of fire fights with the enemy. As grenades detonate around them and bullets fly by, they target the enemy and engage immediately, proving that “courage is the absence of fear.”
For the second time in the past several weeks, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division teamed up with Iraqi Army troops to take on insurgents on Haifa Street, in Baghdad’s Karkh district Jan. 24.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Hector Leija, 27, of Houston, Texas, died Jan. 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered during combat operations. Leija was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones SSG Leija leaves behind. We will add any future articles we find to this entry.
CNN had a reporter on Haifa street yesterday and she filed this video report. Some of the footage is the same the video we posted yesterday.
On a side note, some Iraqi soldiers in the video are sporting a skull logo on the back of their helmets that is identical to the logo used by 1-24 INF (Deuce Four), 1/25 SBCT. Coincidence?
Blog-Ah! has published the latest column from David Hardt, a soldier serving with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad.
BAGHDAD — Several insurgents were captured and a weapons cache was found during a combined security operation that was kicked off Wednesday in the Haifa Street area of Baghdad, officials said.
Seven suspected insurgents have been detained and a weapons cache uncovered as Iraqi army, Iraqi national police and Coalition forces continued a combined security operation on Haifa Street.
Operation Tomahawk Strike 11 is a series of targeted raids to disrupt illegal militia activity and help restore Iraqi Security Force control in the area, officials said. As the operation commenced early Wednesday morning, an enemy mortar team engaged Coalition and Iraqi forces. A single mortar round was launched by coalition forces, and the insurgent mortar team dispersed.
By Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Attack helicopters pumped rockets at gunmen holed up in office towers and apartment blocks Wednesday, as U.S. and Iraqi forces swept through a notorious Sunni-insurgent enclave in the heart of Baghdad.
Iraqi soldiers and police were joined by elements of the U.S. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, for the operation dubbed Tomahawk Strike 11.
By Gregg K. Kakesako, Honolulu Star Bulletin
The Army will hold a series of public meetings next week on the Big Island and Oahu to decide what type of information should be included in an environmental study of stationing the fifth Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The federal courts have ordered the Army to study other places besides Schofield Barracks, where the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team is being converted to a $1.5 billion Stryker unit in preparation for its deployment to Iraq in November.
DAMIEN CAVE; The New York Times
BAGHDAD, Iraq – In the battle for Baghdad, Haifa Street has changed hands so often that it has taken on the feel of a no man’s land. On Wednesday, as American and Iraqi troops poured in, the street showed why it is such a sensitive gauge of urban conflict.
In a miniature version of the troop increase that the United States hopes will secure the city, American troops led by Fort Lewis-based Stryker soldiers raced onto Haifa Street before dawn to dislodge Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias who have been battling for a stretch of ragged slums and mostly abandoned high rises. But as the sun rose, many of the Iraqi army units who were supposed to do the actual searches of the buildings did not arrive on time, forcing the Americans to start the job on their own.
The following is a video filmed by the 7th MPAD from Operation Tomahawk Strike 11 involving troops from the 3/2 SBCT. After the jump you will be able to view a streaming version of the video, or download it to your computer.
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment - B-roll of Operation Tomahawk Strike 11, one in a series of raids targeting illegal militia activity. Scenes include U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers engaging insurgents from a high-rise in the Haifa Street area of Baghdad.
There are a number of independent journalists currently embedded with troops in Iraq.
Most of you are probably familiar with Michael Yon, who was embedded with the 1/25 SBCT in 2005. He is back in Iraq and hopes to stay there for all of 2007.
Bill Roggio is currently embedded with a joint Army/Marine Transition team in Iraq, and is publishing dispatches on his website, The Fourth Rail. This is his third trip.
Finally, Bill Ardolino just returned from an embed with a Marine unit in the Al Anbar region west of Baghdad (Fallujah). He is filing exclusive reports in The Examiner, but also supplements them with information on his personal website, INDCJournal.
By Nick Fawell, Naperville Sun
By the time his high school classmates had settled into college life, Matthew Mason was moving into a tent so he could keep weapons from crossing the Syrian- Iraqi border.
Tuesday morning, he came home to his family in Naperville for the first time in 14 months.
Mason, a 2003 graduate of Neuqua Valley High School, wanted to be in the Army since he was a little boy, his mother, Patti, says. He was so sure that he enlisted more than a year before his high school graduation.
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers commenced a pre-planned security operation early this morning on Haifa Street, Jan. 24.
Soldiers with the 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, officers from the 5th Iraqi National Police Brigade and elements of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division began Operation Tomahawk Strike 11 on Haifa Street, conducting targeted raids to disrupt illegal militia activity and help restore Iraq security force control in the area.
The mission is not an operation designed to solely target Sunni insurgents, but rather aimed at rapidly isolating all active insurgents and gaining control of this key central Baghdad location. Reducing sectarian violence is vital in transitioning security to the Iraqi security forces and provides a safer living environment for Iraqi residents in the area.
By PETER CHEE, The News-Register
An Iraqi boy waved and dashed from his home toward the armored Stryker troop carrier as it passed his way. Barefoot, he sprinted across a trash-strewn field and bounded over puddles of raw sewage to join other young boys chasing the American military vehicle.
"Give us something," they said, displaying outstretched hands. "Give us anything."
From within the moving Stryker, veteran photojournalist Tony Overman watched the soldiers he was embedded with toss the boys the only thing they could spare - a bottle of water. He lifted his Canon SLR digital, took a vertical orientation and captured the moment for posterity.
By Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, Jan. 23, 2007 — Strike hard! Strike fast! This could be the motto for the Stryker Readiness Force–Iraq, whose mission is to respond to threats across the battlefield of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We do time sensitive targets (and) neighborhood clearances all around the city and its outlying areas,” said Staff Sgt. Gary Epley, a platoon sergeant with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment and a native of Louisville, Ky. “We have a secondary mission to deploy anywhere in Iraq between 24 and 72 hours in support of Coalition Forces and Iraqi interests throughout the country.”
Voting has ended in the Military Blog Contest sponsored by the folks at the VA Mortgage Center. I was not able to view the tally before the contest closed, but early this morning we were solidly in 2nd place, and I suspect that is where we will stay when the final results are announced. (Update: Final results have us finishing 2nd.) A strong surge yesterday brought us to within single digits of 1st place, but A Soldier's Perspective responded to the challenge. Congrats to them! They have promised to donate the prize to the Camp Lejeune Ballerina's. Maybe we can be gracious 2nd-placers and visit their site to wish them well.
Now, our biggest thanks are reserved for our loyal visitors. We may not be the biggest group, but this contest confirmed my belief that we have the most loyal community out there. Thanks to everyone for your efforts to spread the word. As a result we will still be able to make a substantial contribution to Operation Second Chance.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Sincerely,
SBN Crew
Update 1/22/07: I was content to let this one slide down the page, but we've closed the gap and are now only 14 (14!) votes behind 1st place. $250 would be great to donate to Operation Second Chance, but we have the ability to get $3,000 for them if we finish 1st. Rock the vote if you haven't already. Thanks!
Update 1/21/07: We're now in 2nd place (barely!), but still have a long way to go to catch the site in 1st. The contest ends at 12 PM CST on Tuesday the 23rd, so spread the word.
Update 1/18/07: We've moved into 3rd place, but still need a significant boost to move higher. Thanks to those of you who already voted. If you still need to cast your vote you can do so at the VA Mortgage Center website.
Update 1/16/07: We are currently in 5th place with 145 votes. The leader right now has 283 votes, so we have a lot of ground to make up. You can only vote once, but feel free to forward this entry to personal contacts so they can vote as well. The contest ends on 1/23/07, so we have a week to close the gap. Thanks.
The VA Mortgage Center just created a new blog, and in an effort to publicize it they are running a content to select the most popular military blogs. Here's the kicker:
We are awarding $250 to the top 10 military related blogs, according to votes from our users. And the top military blog will receive a total of $3,000.
Now, we have never participated in a contest like this, but we thought this would be a perfect way to raise money for one of our favorite organizations - Operation Second Chance. Please go vote for Stryker Brigade News, and any money we receive will be donated to this wonderful organization run by our friend Cindy McGrew.
Vote now at the VA Mortgage Center blog
Thanks,
SBC Crew
Battle equipment from two U.S. Army Alaska units that recently returned from Iraq will begin arriving in Anchorage this week, including the Stryker vehicles used by the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The equipment is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Anchorage on Wednesday morning on the USS Shugart, according to a press release from U.S. Army Alaska.
By Audrey McAvoy - The Associated Press
HONOLULU — Prolonging troop deployments — sending soldiers to battle earlier than planned or ordering them to stay longer — could jeopardize soldiers’ lives, an Army lawyer argued in federal court last month.
The attorney, taking a position that gains new significance after the Pentagon announced it would extend deployments to meet President Bush’s troop surge plan, was arguing that an Army Stryker brigade in Hawaii should be allowed to train. If barred from training, he said, the soldiers would be unprepared for battle, potentially forcing other brigades to extend their deployments to fill the gap.
The US Army website is currently featuring a photo album of the 1-23 INF, 3/2 SBCT. Description:
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division conduct a cordon and knock operation near Sadr City in Baghdad.
The following article mentions an incident from 2004 in Mosul involving the 1-24 INF (Deuce Four), 1/25 SBCT.
By Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON - When Col. Ralph Baker commanded an Army brigade combat team responsible for a volatile area of Baghdad, he found that one of his most effective weapons was the handbill.
That's right, handbills. Fliers. Paper. In the United States, they're generally toss-aways, ads for hair salons or Chinese food. In Iraq, they can be an important way to disseminate information. [...]
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
By Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Blackanthem Military News, CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Despite the constant questions, he doesn’t have a good answer. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t do it. No amount of explanation can convey what he does for a living, and why he does it – serve in the U.S. Army infantry.
For Staff Sgt. Gary Epley, being an infantryman comes first and foremost. Explaining what he does is just not important to the platoon sergeant of 1st Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
“I don’t really talk about what I do. It’s a lot harder to explain to somebody,” said the native of Louisville, Ky. “Even if I did take the time to explain it, chances are they would never be able to grasp what I was telling them. There is no way you could sit down and explain to them what you’ve seen here and put it into terms they could possibly fathom.”
This is a pretty incredible story involving two Ft. Lewis soldiers, one of whom will deploy with the 4/2 SBCT this spring.
JOSEPH MONTES; The News Tribune
By the end, many bones were broken and there was a lot of blood on the canyon floor.
But Anthony Santi and JoAnna Theiss would be much closer because of their harrowing mountain survival experience.
It began when the pair of Army specialists from Fort Lewis set out for a trip to Mount Rainier. They planned to do some rock climbing at Paradise. They never arrived.
By Capt. Dawn Williams, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers rescued a kidnapped Iraqi man while resuming clearing operations in a southern neighborhood of the Iraqi capital Jan. 18.
Soldiers with the 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army and elements of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, continued operations to clear and secure the Hadar and surrounding neighborhoods in Baghdad’s Al-Doura district to disrupt insurgent and militia activities.
While searching a house in the area, the joint patrol found a man handcuffed and noticeably tortured in the basement of the residence. The victim claimed he was taken from a local market for selling bread to Americans. In the cellar, the patrol found blood soaked rags, additional signs indicating the area was being used to torture captives.
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The top general at Fort Lewis is leaving to become part of the U.S. military’s new leadership team in Iraq.
The White House has nominated Lt. Gen. James Dubik to take charge of training Iraqi military and police forces.
There was no word Thursday when Dubik might appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee for confirmation, or who will replace him as commanding general at Fort Lewis and I Corps.
BY Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Jan. 19, 2007) - The green glow of Soldiers' night-vision goggles dot the otherwise pitch-black night while bolt cutters provide entry to the early morning objective - a mosque. With the lock cut, the Soldiers provide area security so Iraqi national police and Iraqi Army soldiers can assume control of the operation.
The Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, began their day Jan. 16 securing the outside of a mosque in the Hardar neighborhood of Al-Doura, Baghdad, while NPs and IAs searched the inside.
By Multi-National Division - Baghdad PAO
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers resumed clearing operations in a southern part of the Iraqi capital Jan. 16.
Elements of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, working side-by-side with 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division troops continued securing neighborhoods in Al-Doura, effectively disrupting insurgent and militia activities.
Blog-Ah! has published the latest column from David Hardt, who is serving with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad.
Dennis McCarthy, LA Daily News
'Captain Darrell Stepter is home after 16 months in Iraq," the e-mail from a proud father began.
"Darrell was born and raised in the Valley. He is a graduate from Van Nuys High Magnet program. He graduated from West Point in 2003 at the age of 21.
"He is an officer with the 172nd Stryker Brigade that got extended to go into Baghdad in August 2006. During his tour he was awarded the Bronze Star.
BRENT CHAMPACO; The News Tribune
Scott Connely and Roger Bascom stood at attention Tuesday as a decorated war veteran saluted them and shook their hands.
Both had left their families and gone to Iraq, using their knowledge of computers to help their country’s war effort.
Two years ago – about four hours before they were about to fly home – a suicide bomber attacked the crowded dining tent in Mosul where they had gone for lunch. The blast killed 22 people, including six Fort Lewis soldiers, the largest number of dead sustained at one time by any local unit.
Stephanie Edmundson stood before a room full of Craven County people Monday to thank the community for giving her and her wounded husband, Sgt. Eric Edmundson, a chance for a better life.
“We feel the appreciation the community has for the sacrifice Eric has made,” she told the group attending the Craven-Pamlico Christian Coalition meeting.
Local residents and Homes For Our Troops are working toward a handicapped-equipped home for the couple and their 2-year-old daughter which general contractor Bill Russell hopes will be ready in six months.
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Baghdad — As night falls in the gray and drizzling mist, a steel behemoth materializes, followed by two identical mates.
The three hulking gray shadows with distinctive slatted silhouettes run silently toward their muddy corral. They move so swiftly their soldier ground guide is trotting, not walking. Rubber tires splash softly through the deep water on the road.
They were an impressive and intimidating sight Friday.
The Military Channel produced and broadcast a documentary about an incident involving the 5-20 INF, 3/2 SBCT during its first deployment in 2003/2004. Description:
Follow one "routine mission" gone wrong in this hard-hitting episode from the Military Channel series. On September 4, 2004, while en route to recover a downed Kiowa helicopter and rescue its two pilots, troops from Scout Platoon and B Company of the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment found themselves in the midst of a brutal firefight. Iraqi insurgents, hoping to capture the chopper and its crew, relentlessly bombarded the approaching U.S. forces with rocket-propelled grenades and 60mm mortar fire. Hear actual testimony from the men involved as they bring this particularly fierce engagement to life and reveal its surprising outcome.
You can purchase the DVD (on sale for $4.99 right now), but I recently learned that the audio from the documentary is also available for free as a podcast from the iTunes store. To access the audio you will need to have iTunes software installed on your computer. If you already have iTunes the following links will take you directly to the podcasts.
By Gregg K. Kakesako, Honolulu Star Bulletin
After a nearly two-month delay caused by a federal court lawsuit, the Army this week will restart construction and training related to the Stryker combat vehicle.
The construction projects, however, will be limited to five -- four at Schofield Barracks and one at the Big Island's Pohakuloa Training Area -- allowed under a federal court order issued last month, according to Ron Borne, who manages the Stryker transformation program.
1-23 INF featured. Follow the link to view a video clip as well.
BAGDHAD, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2007 — As the new strategy for the region is put into place, soldiers said its success depends on the help the U.S. troops receive from their Iraqi counterparts in combatting sectarian violence in Baghdad.
"They really need to step it up. I really don't think they are stepping it up all the way," said Sgt. Gerald Stallings.
"Once we're around with the Iraqi army, they are willing to work and to do whatever you want, but as soon as you put them on their own, they are not willing to stay around and secure an area," said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Field.
By the end of April, two Fort Lewis brigades — some 8,000 soldiers — will be serving in Baghdad as part of President Bush's new effort to reduce the violence there.
The 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division already is in Baghdad, with a scheduled return date to Fort Lewis in late May or June, some 12 months after its initial departure.
On Thursday, Pentagon officials said they would try to keep brigade deployments at the one-year mark. But in a written statement, they noted that some units — yet to be identified — may face extended tours of duty to help support a planned 21,500-troop increase intended to stabilize Iraq.
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
A Fort Lewis Stryker brigade will leave for Iraq in April instead of May as part of the “surge” of U.S. forces aimed at reversing sectarian and insurgent violence in Baghdad.
The 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division will skip a previously scheduled trip to the Army’s National Training Center in Southern California and instead conduct its last pre-deployment rehearsals at Fort Lewis, a brigade official said Thursday.
By Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post
BAGHDAD, Jan. 11 -- A few hours before another mission into the cauldron of Baghdad, Spec. Daniel Caldwell's wife instant-messaged him Thursday morning. President Bush, Kelly wrote, wanted to send more than 20,000 U.S. troops and extend deployments in Iraq. Eight weeks pregnant, she was worried.
Caldwell, a tall, lean 20-year-old from Montesano, Wash., wondered whether he would miss the birth of his child. He walked outside and joined his comrades of Apache Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Stryker Brigade. They, too, had heard the news.
The following press release provides official confirmation from the Pentagon that the 4/2 SBCT, based at Ft. Lewis, will deploy in April 2007.
As a result of the President’s Iraq strategy review, the Department of Defense announced today an increase of 20,000 U.S. military forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Specific decisions made by the Secretary of Defense include:
The 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and currently assigned as the call forward force in Kuwait, will move into Iraq and assume a security mission there.
The 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, will be extended in its current mission for up to 125 days and will redeploy not later than August 2007.
The 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, based at Ft. Riley, Kan., will deploy in February 2007 as previously announced.
Three other Army combat brigades will deploy as follows:
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
An Iraq-bound Stryker brigade will leave Fort Lewis ahead of schedule as part of the “surge” of U.S. forces that President Bush announced in his speech to the nation Wednesday night, a military official said.
The 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is one of several units that will go early as part of the president’s plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Baghdad and Anbar province.
A military official at the Pentagon confirmed the list of units to McClatchy Newspapers on condition of anonymity. It was to be formally released today.
JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS, Associated Press
GUYMON, Okla. - They hailed from Arkansas, Iowa, New York and Chicago, but for one week at least, these Army buddies considered Guymon home.
They were nine battalion members who made a pact to return here months after they buried their best friend, Guymon native Joshua Pearce, who was killed by a roadside bomb explosion while they served a tour in Iraq. Pearce died two months before he was to return home.
The following is an audio report from NPR. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon.
Morning Edition, January 11, 2007 - In the military community of Fort Lewis, Wash., there appears to be little interest in, or support for, President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq. Martin Kaste reports.
President Bush's new war plan is expected to affect thousands of Washington-based military personnel, stepping up the timetable for deployment for some Army soldiers and raising the possibility that others will face longer tours of duty.
The plan places a premium on combat troops, including the Fort Lewis-based soldiers who patrol in eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles in Baghdad.
WILLIAM DOUGLAS AND RON HUTCHESON; McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON – President Bush laid out his “New Way Forward” in Iraq on Wednesday night, calling for beefing up U.S. forces there by extending tours of duty for 21,500 troops, adding $1.2 billion in reconstruction aid and letting Iraqi forces take the lead in joint combat operations.
“The changes I have outlined tonight are aimed at ensuring the survival of a young democracy that is fighting for its life in a part of the world of enormous importance to American security,” Bush said in a nationally televised address. “The question is whether our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believe that it will.” [...]
The title of this Associated Press article really needs a qualifier like "might" or "could" since the information is based on anonymous sources at the Pentagon. Discussion has already begun on our forum regarding this topic, so we thought we would post it here as well.
Update: The News Tribune and the Ft. Lewis Ranger provide additional information regarding this announcement on their respective blogs.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The military's plan for filling President Bush's order for an extra 21,500 troops in Iraq will include only one major combat unit that was not otherwise scheduled to go.
The rest of the boost will come from sending a few brigades earlier than planned and extending the tours of others. Affected will be units based in Minnesota, Kansas, Georgia and Washington, said a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been publicly released.
By Sudarsan Raghavan and Joshua Partlow, Washington Post
BAGHDAD -- With F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopter gunships providing cover, US and Iraqi troops yesterday battled hundreds of Sunni Arab insurgents firing from apartment buildings and houses in downtown Baghdad in one of the fiercest clashes in the capital in recent memory.
"It was the most intense combat I have ever seen," said Major Jesse Pearson, operations officer for the 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry Regiment, Stryker Brigade, on his third tour in Iraq. "We were in a fight for 11 straight hours."
Mike Gilbert has posted about the Wounded Soldier Project on his FOB Tacoma blog.
By LISA BEISEL, Annapolis Capital
Army Sgt. Brendan Tompkins stepped off a plane at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Dec. 19 to a midnight homecoming with a dozen relatives. He rode home in his mother's Ford minivan through quiet streets, amid twinkling Christmas lights and glowing nativity scenes.
"It was kind of like a relief - like, wow, I'm home," the 21-year-old Severn resident said. "It's been a long time."
And a long way from the dangerous streets of Baghdad.
By JOE GRACE, Northwest Herald
Richard G. Sheppard admits that he has a bad heart, but that didn’t keep him from enjoying a long-awaited surprise.
In fact, the 79-year-old Johnsburg resident had two surprises this week.
The first was when his grandson, 34-year-old Army Spc. Edward Grove, surprised Sheppard and his wife, Kathryn J. Sheppard, on their 60th anniversary Thursday.
By Army Spc. Shea Butler, 7th MPAD
BAGHDAD — The ramp drops, the sun rises and the troops emerge. The missions vary and everyone has a different, but equally important job. The troops on the ground in Baghdad work every job from quick reaction force to humanitarian missions.
The mission for Soldiers with Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, changes daily. Everyone has a different job in the company – from driver to gunner to dismounted infantry.
By WILL WEISSERT, The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — A mock bumper sticker affixed to a door in the headquarters building of a U.S. outpost in eastern Baghdad proclaims "I Love Sadr City." Soldiers smile when they see it. They know the opposite is true.
During one tense mission recently, U.S. Army soldiers rolled up to the edge of the Shiite slum in hulking Stryker armored vehicles. They never set foot inside, but they still got a sharp reaction.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Charles D. Allen, 28, of Wasilla, Alaska, died Jan. 4 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations.He was assigned to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers during this difficult time. We will add any future articles we find to this entry.
The selection of Lt. Gen. David Petraeus to serve as the senior U.S. commander in Iraq signals an important turn in U.S. strategy.
Petraeus is expected to back a rapid five-brigade expansion, in sharp contrast to his predecessor. And having overseen the recent rewrite of the military’s counterinsurgency manual, he also is likely to change the U.S. military operation in Baghdad.
By Amy Bartner, The Indianapolis Star
Derek Sutton is quiet and polite.
When the 21-year-old former U.S. Army corporal speaks about his tour in Iraq, it's as if he watched someone else go through it.
That's also how he refers to his diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia, which doctors discovered during his outgoing medical examination as he left the Army in early December.
HONOLULU – The Army issued a public notice Thursday announcing its plans to conduct an environmental study for the transformation of a Hawaii-based light infantry unit into a Stryker brigade.
The public has 45 days to comment on the prospect of a Stryker brigade being based in Hawaii or at the other possible locations mentioned by the Army: Washington, Alaska, Colorado and Kentucky.
By Spc. Shea Butler, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq - He is used to spending the holiday season tailgating around a bonfire with friends and family, where every breath is seen in the Oklahoma winter sky. However, this year he spent the days leading up to the holiday season with thick glue-like mud caked on his boots and a heavy radio strapped to his back as he searched homes in Baghdad.
Spc. Tyler Knight with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, along with the rest of his company spent the few days prior to Christmas looking through Baghdad homes for anti-Iraqi forces and weapons.
Blog-Ah! has published the latest column from David Hardt, a soldier serving with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad.
By Capt. Dawn Williams, Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD — Elements of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, captured 13 suspected insurgents and recovered several weapons as Operation Arrowhead Strike III continued Jan. 3 in a northwestern neighborhood of the Iraqi capital.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment and 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment are all working in northwestern areas of Baghdad to support Operation Arrowhead Strike III.
By Spc. Debrah A. Robertson, 40th Public Affairs Detachment
Blackanthem Military News, Southwest Asia — I need pressure to stop this bleeding! Someone start an IV!
Brightly lit and teeming with medics, this is not an operating room or even an ambulance. This is a Medical Evacuation Stryker vehicle.
There are 10 different variants of the Stryker. Its smooth ride and heavy armor allow it to support multiple functions, from infantry power to engineering teams to ambulatory services.
One of the widows mentioned, Debbie Bridges, has contributed to this site in the past. Her husband, SSG Steven H. Bridges, was a member of the 3/2 SBCT that deployed in 2003.
Five Iraq war widows still travel to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma every week to meet with a counselor and talk about their husbands, their lives and the tribulations of moving on.
That hasn't changed since the support group was formed in 2004. None of the women has re-married or left the area. But life hasn't been static, either. There are children to raise and opportunities to pursue.
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Soldiers with 18th Engineer Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team rescued a hostage and detained the suspected kidnappers Dec. 23 in east Baghdad.
The kidnap victim caught the Soldiers’ attention by waving in distress from a vehicle. After making the rescue and detaining two suspects, Soldiers discovered a weapons cache in the vehicle.
The troops discovered 10 anti-tank mines, three improvised explosive devices, two IED initiator systems, 36 57mm rockets and a box of cell phones.
The two detained suspects are in military custody and the weapons cache was confiscated.
By Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th MPAD
BAGHDAD — The 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division headquarters, and two of its battalions, trekked from Mosul to Baghdad over a two-day period recently, performing combat operations along the way.
Other elements of the brigade had made the trek earlier.
The arrival of the Stryker brigade headquarters in Baghdad marks a reunion for 3-2 SBCT. Two battalions, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment and 1st Squadron, 14th Calvary Regiment, had been detached from the brigade since its initial deployment, in late July and early August. They have been operating in the Baghdad area while there rest of the brigade has been based out of Mosul.