Sons of Iraq Capture Key Terrorist
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD — The strong working relationship between Multi-National Division – Baghdad and the Sons of Iraq (Abna al-Iraq) led directly to the capture of key terrorist at approximately 9 p.m. on April 28.
During a meeting with a local sheik and other citizens, a Sons of Iraq member indicated that a known key terrorist was nearby. The SoI member detained two suspects and turned them over to MND-B soldiers for further identification.
MND-B soldiers find explosives cache
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Soldiers attached to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, discovered a cache at approximately 3:45 p.m. in the Abu T’shir community of southern Baghdad April 28.
Soldiers from Company F, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, with the assistance of the Iraqi National Police, found two improvised explosive devices consisting of 20 pounds of TNT and 24 pounds of homemade explosives.
Soldiers also found three 155 mm artillery rounds, six 120 mm mortar rounds, 34 82mm mortar rounds, one 60mm mortar round, three rocket propelled grenades, and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
The soldiers of “Fox” Company also found three 81 mm mortar rounds during security patrols at approximately 3 a.m., April 29.
“The Raider Brigade soldiers continue to work closely with the Iraqi Security Forces to clean-up the hazards in southern Baghdad for the safety of the 1.2 million citizens of Rashid,” said Maj. Dave Olson, 1st BCT spokesman.
More on Sadr City
Again, The Long War Journal has a multiple updates on the current fighting in Sadr City between coalition forces and militia members.
- US troops kill 28 Mahdi fighters during Sadr City ambush - April 29
- US, Iraqi troops killed 41 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad clashes - April 28
From Haddon Heights to Iraq
Profile of the commander of 202 BSB, 4/2 SBCT.
On war-rattled Iraqi streets, a son of Haddon Heights has watched life resurface.
Lt. Col. Kenneth E. Evans said he sees the vital signs in Taji city and Diyala province, both north of Baghdad. The streets were all but deserted when Evans and his U.S. Army battalion arrived 13 months ago, he said, because "you just didn't know what was going to happen."
These days, though, markets are open again. Children are out and about. Security, buoyed by new and better Iraqi security forces, has helped instill a fresh confidence, Evans said in a phone interview last week from Diyala province.
Sadr City Updates
The Long War Journal has number of recent articles examining the situation in Sadr City.
- Maliki offers Sadr an out: disarm the Mahdi Army - April 26th
- Sadr calls for freeze in fighting - April 25th
- US, Iraqi forces engage Mahdi Army - April 24th
Petraeus-Odierno Team Nominated to Lead in CentCom, Iraq
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON — The White House will nominate Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, currently commander of Multinational Force Iraq, to be the next U.S. Central Command commander, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 23.
“I recommended him to the president because I am absolutely confident he is the best man for the job,” Gates told reporters. He cited Petraeus’ in-depth understanding of the situation in Iraq as well as counterinsurgency operations, and the successes seen in Iraq under his leadership.
“The kinds of conflicts we are dealing with not just in Iraq, but in Afghanistan and some of the challenges that we face elsewhere in the region in the CentCom area, are very much characterized by asymetric warfare,” he said. “And I don’t know anybody in the United States military better qualified to lead that effort.”
Fort Lewis preparing for summer population surge
This summer, post exchange and commissary patrons may find the stores a little more crowded, traffic may be a little thicker and unit operations officers may have to plan a little further ahead to use high-demand training facilities on post.
That’s because Fort Lewis will welcome about 6,500 Soldiers home from deployment between May and September, hiking the post’s troop population to almost 29,000 in what many are calling the “summer surge.”
But Fort Lewis garrison officials have been hard at work for eight months, planning to accommodate the returning units with many new unit buildings, facelifts for existing barracks and facilties, and and a delicately crafted plan to ensure Soldiers, families and units get the support they need during the surge.
Amid Sadr City Chaos, American Medics Tend to Iraq’s Wounded
By MICHAEL R. GORDON, The New York Times
BAGHDAD — Shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday, there was a desperate wail at the back gate of B Company’s compound in Sadr City. A woman had been badly burned and her relatives were begging for help.
With little in the way of emergency services and travel hampered by blocked streets, nightly curfews and sporadic firefights, a steady trickle of Iraqis has been turning to the American soldiers here for medical care.
Medics who have trained for combat have attended to a seizure victim, an infant brought in by an anxious father and a boy wounded by gunfire. On Thursday, they cared for Samera Tula, who had been seared over much of her body when a propane tank accidentally exploded.
New academy helps Diyala IPs meet training requirements
By Spc. Kirby Rider, 4/2 SBCT PAO
BAQUBAH, Iraq – As the situation in Diyala continues to improve, the mission is changing from clearing the province of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, to ensuring it remains secure and free of terrorist elements.
The improved security has allowed the Iraqi Police to focus on other issues.
One of the larger issues the force is addressing is the training of newly-hired policemen who have not received the training required by the Ministry of Interior.
Ultimatum issued to Mahdi Army
The article also provides an update on operations in Sadr City involving elements of the 2/25 SBCT & 2nd SCR.
By Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
The senior-most Iraqi general in charge of the security operation in Basrah has issued an ultimatum for wanted Mahdi Army leaders and fighters to surrender in the next 24 hours as the Iraqi and US military ignore Muqtada al Sadr's threat to conduct a third uprising. US troops killed 15 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad yesterday and have killed 56 fighters since Sadr issued his threat last weekend.
In Basrah, General Mohan al Freiji, the chief of the Basrah Operational Commander and leader of the security operation in the province, has issued warrants "for 81 people, including senior leaders of the Mahdi militia, and they have 24 hours to give up," The Associated Press reported. [...]
3rd Stryker Brigade soldiers compete in skill tests
More than a dozen soldiers from a combat brigade that returned from Iraq last fall are competing this week at Fort Lewis to find out who’s the most skilled.
The top soldier and noncommissioned officer from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, will join their peers from across the post for the corps-level competition, which runs from June 2-6.
“It’s friendly competition,” said Master Sgt. Mickey Robinson, who has competed in similar events in the past. “You end up getting bragging rights.”
IA, Warriors Search for Caches
By Sgt. Waldemar Rivera, 2/25 SBCT
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company B, 52nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, worked alongside Iraqi army soldiers from the 36th Mechanized Brigade to search for weapons caches Apr. 17 in Fahad Fadhil, northwest of Baghdad.
The purpose of the mission was to follow-up on reports that indicated the presence of cache sites in the area, to clear the area of possible caches, and show the people of the town the IA is there to protect them.
GIs in Sadr City caught between warring Iraqi sides
Story via FOB Tacoma. Here's the first part - click through to read the whole article.
By Leila Fadel, McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD — Three weeks after U.S. troops were ordered into the sprawling Shiite Muslim slum of Sadr City to stop rockets from raining down on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad's Green Zone, they're caught in crossfire between Shiite militiamen and the mostly Shiite Iraqi army.
American soldiers who try to move around this urban area, even in the U.S. Army's state-of-the-art Stryker armored vehicles, risk being ambushed. The soldiers in a platoon from the 25th Infantry Division quickly learned that holding a position puts them in the line of fire from both the Mahdi Army militia and the U.S.-backed Iraqi forces.
Soldiers capture suspected criminal
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
ABU GHRAIB, Iraq – Elements from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, “Gimlets” detained a suspected criminal in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad April 22.
This suspected criminal is believed to be involved with the making of improvised explosive devices, and attacks on Iraqi Army and Coalition forces.
“The streets are safer with these criminals in custody, and contributes to improving security in Abu Ghraib,” said Maj. John Pendell, spokesman for 2nd SCR.
“Due to its proximity to major highways and to northeastern Baghdad, security and stability in Abu Ghraib allows the economy and quality of life for local residents to improve,” Pendell said.
“The detention accelerates the improving security situation in the Iraqi capital.”
Soldiers seize weapons
2nd SCR mentioned at the end of the press release.
BAGHDAD – A Multi-National Division – Baghdad aerial weapons teams killed seven criminals and Soldiers seized weapons in separate incidents in eastern Baghdad April 19.
The AWT engaged the criminals with a Hellfire missile and killed both criminals transporting weapons at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the Sadr City district of eastern Baghdad. The AWT also destroyed two machine guns with the attack.
At approximately 8:27 p.m., Coalition forces were attacked by criminals with small-arms fire. They returned fire killing one.
Soldier of the Week: CPT Hoyle
The radio program Murphy in the Morning has selected CPT Justin Hoyle, 1-38 INF, 4/2 SBCT as its soldier of the week. Hoyle was nominated by his brother, Jonathan, who is also an Iraq veteran.
U.S. Begins Erecting Wall in Sadr City
By MICHAEL R. GORDON, The New York Times
BAGHDAD — Trying to stem the infiltration of militia fighters, American forces have begun to build a massive concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, the densely populated Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital.
The construction, which began Tuesday night, is intended to turn the southern quarter of Sadr City near the international Green Zone into a protected enclave, secured by Iraqi and American forces, where the Iraqi government can undertake reconstruction efforts.
“You can’t really repair anything that is broken until you establish security,” said Lt. Col. Dan Barnett, commander of the First Squadron, Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment, currently attached to the Second Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. “A wall that isolates those who would continue to attack the Iraqi Army and coalition forces can create security conditions that they can go in and rebuild.”
Ft. Lewis soldier gets 28 months in shooting death of sergeant
MICHAEL GILBERT, The News Tribune
It wasn’t the first time he’d pointed his pistol at a fellow soldier, Cpl. Timothy Ayers told the judge Wednesday at his court-martial.
But this time, he said, he pulled the trigger, and this time the gun was loaded.
The Fort Lewis soldier was sentenced to 28 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his platoon sergeant at their forward operating base in Baghdad.
IA, Warrior Soldiers Hand Out Toys, School Supplies
By Sgt. Waldemar Rivera, 2/25 SBCT
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, and Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 34th Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, handed out school supplies and toys Apr. 13 to the children at the Asim Bin Omar school in Sab al Bour, northwest of Baghdad.
The purpose of Operation Bounty Hunter Pencil was to bring school supplies and toys to students of two schools near the city of Taji, said 2nd Lt. Lauren Bowen, a native of Roscoe, Ill., and platoon leader with Company A, 225th BSB.
Taji Pavilion Dedicated to Fallen Soldier
CAMP TAJI, IRAQ – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 3rd Platoon Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, stood on the front stage of the Taji pavilion, pulled the lanyards that dropped the covering over the commemorative memorial to Sgt. Jon M. Schoolcraft, III, April 15.
Schoolcraft died of injuries when the vehicle he was riding was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, Jan. 18. He was the first Soldier lost for this deployment of the 2nd SBCT.
“This was absolutely the right thing to do,” said Col. Brian Harris of Loganville, Ga., and Camp Taji garrison commander. Harris’ comments honoring Schoolcraft who meant so much to his comrades and the command.
Warhorse Troop Passes Guidon
By Sgt. 1st Class William Quiett, 2nd SCR PAO
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – As operations continue for Warhorse Troop, 4th Squadron (Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition Squadron), 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, they took a brief pause for a change of command ceremony and bid a fond farewell to Maj. Christopher C.E. McGarry of Pensacola, Fla., and hailed Capt. Marcus Melton of Marietta, Ga., April 2 at Camp Liberty, Iraq.
McGarry relinquished the command he carried for the past twelve months to a long time member of Saber Squadron’s family.
“I was a bit saddened to hand over the reigns of Pale Horse Troop, yet more than ready to accept another command within the Saber Squadron and take charge of Warhorse Troop,” said McGarry.
MND-B Deputy Commander Stops to Smell Flowers, Flour
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Brig. Gen. Mike Milano, deputy commanding general, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, visited the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, to see a local greenhouse project and the Taji flour mill April 5.
It was an opportunity to see parts of the agricultural progress in the rural area and a chance to stop and smell the roses.
Lt. Col. Harvey Fitzgerald, from Hermosa S.D., provided insight on the visit. Fitzgerald serves as the senior agricultural advisor of the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team – Baghdad 5, attached to 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, MND-B,
“Working with our Inma partners, we are identifying areas that are critical areas of the value chain.”
Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea
An embedded report with the 1-14 INF, 2/25 SBCT in Sadr City. Thanks to Dan for the link.
By MICHAEL R. GORDON, The New York Times
BAGHDAD — A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.
The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.
Capt. Logan Veath, a company commander in the 25th Infantry Division, pleaded with the Iraqi major who was leading his troops away from the Sadr City fight, urging him to return to the front.
Iraqi, US troops press forward against the Mahdi Army
By Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
[...] The Iraqi government signaled that it was willing to take on the Mahdi Army inside its Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City and the outlying neighborhoods since Muqtada al Sadr ordered his militia to cease fighting six days after the Basrah operation began in March. Last weekend, Ali al Dabbagh, the spokesman for the government of Iraq, said Iraqi and US forces would "continue [operations] until we secure Sadr City." Multinational Forces Iraq said it was backing the Iraqi government and the military in its efforts.
The operation involves more than military operations, as the Iraqi government seeks to wrest control of the Mahdi Army's grip on public services inside Sadr City. "The aim now is to launch an ambitious plan of 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day public works and services -- improvement projects designed to convince the local population that the Iraqi government -– and not Sadr's Mahdi Army militia – is best able to improve the quality of life in an impoverished expanse of pot-holed streets, open sewers, and joblessness," the Christian Science Monitor reported. "US and Iraqi military are now set up and living among the Sadr City residents in the 'demonstration' area of the southern third of the sector."
Stryker Brigade will be based in Hawaii
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
The Army today announced it had formalized its decision to permanently station the Stryker brigade in Hawai'i, officials said.
The decision, which has been expected for months, ends questions about the long-term location of the $1.5 billion fast-strike unit, whose 4,000 soldiers and 325 Stryker vehicles are deployed to Iraq.
Although the Army in 2001 decided to base one of the units in Hawai'i, and proceeded with more than $700 million in construction projects, a federal appeals court ruled in 2006 that the service had not adequately examined alternative locations.
Warrior News - April 2008
Warrior News is a monthly publication distributed by the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division public affairs office. It features photos, articles and other items of interest to the 2/25 SBCT community.
Provided below is a link to the most recent edition. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to open the document, but it is available for free if you need it.
- Warrior News - April 2008 Edition (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Audio: NPR in Sadr City
NPR's Eric Westervelt reports today from Sadr City and mentions the Stryker units. Summary:
In fighting in Sadr City that left hundreds of Iraqis dead over the past two weeks, U.S. soldiers in support roles observed Iraqi forces firing weapons indiscriminately. They also say communication was lacking and logistics were poor.
Lakewood seeks donations for soldiers
By ROB TUCKER, The News Tribune
Lakewood has launched a campaign to fill gift baskets for 2,000 Fort Lewis Stryker soldiers who will return soon from their nearly 15-month tour of Iraq.
The first wave of soldiers from the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division could come home in late May, although the entire unit likely won’t be back until July.
The brigade’s return is part of the larger troop drawdown in Iraq that U.S. political and military leaders have spoken of for months.
Combat tours take toll on families
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
When the nation's top-ranking military commanders talk about the Army being stressed nearly to the breaking point by repeat combat deployments, a lot of that concern doesn't have to do with the battlefield. It has to do with home.
Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff, reiterated the mantra again on April 1 before a Senate Armed Services subcommittee.
Cody said the Army today is out of balance.
US, Iraqi troops prepare the battlefield in Sadr City
The Long War Journal provides the following update on the situation in Sadr City, including confirmation that at least two Stryker battalions are operating there.
By Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
Three weeks after the Iraqi government initiated Operation Knights Assault in Basrah, US and Iraqi forces have squared off against the Mahdi Army daily in the Shia slums of Sadr City. Additional US and Iraqi forces have moved into northeastern Baghdad to prepare for a possible major engagement against the Mahdi Army.
While Muqtada al Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army and the Sadrist political movement, has called for his fighters to pull off the streets on March 30, the Mahdi Army has continued to attack US and Iraqi forces in Sadr City and northeastern Baghdad. The Mahdi Army began seeding the streets of Sadr City with roadside bombs just days after Sadr declared the unilateral ceasefire. "Outlaw groups have planted roadside bombs and other explosives in most of the streets of Sadr City," the Baghdad Operational Command reported. [...]
The Iraqi and US military have also moved additional forces into the region around Sadr City in northeastern Baghdad. At least on Iraqi Army brigade and a National Police brigade are operating in the northeast, while two additional Army brigades are adjacent to the region. At least nine US Army combat battalions - the equivalent of about three brigades, are operating in or near Sadr City. At least three US battalions, including two Stryker battalions, have been identified operating inside Sadr City alongside Iraqi troops. [...]
Related Article:
Iraqi government: "We will continue until we secure Sadr City" - The Long War Journal
Soldiers Weed Out Sadr City Terrorists
By SFC Christina Bhatti, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs
BAGHDAD — Days after intense fighting, and the call to peace from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr March 30, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers patrol the outskirts of Sadr City, a district of Baghdad, ensuring the safety of the city’s residents.
Sadr City has been the backdrop of many conflicts for Coalition forces since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. The city is the poorest of all the Bagdad districts and has historically been a safe haven for terrorists.
The Soldiers from Company A and a platoon from Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B are tired, dirty, and work 24-hours a day with only cat naps to sustain them, but they relentlessly take to the streets in their mission to drive terrorists out of the area.
Fort Lewis air assault drill has flavors of Germany and Iraq
MELISSA SANTOS; The News Tribune
Dust and gravel swirl as two Chinook transport helicopters land near a complex that looks like a World War II Bavarian village.
About 50 Fort Lewis soldiers jump out and enter the complex, holding off enemy fire as they search for their target.
Within 10 minutes, a group finds him hiding on an upper floor in the midst of making a bomb and forces him to his knees. In 10 more, they have escorted him outside.
Route-clearance Soldier Leads From Front
84th ENG, 2nd SCR soldiers featured in the following article.
By Pfc. April Campbell, Multi-National Division - Baghdad
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – When Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers conduct missions out in sector, they pay close attention, watching and searching for signs of improvised explosive devices.
Soldiers conducting route-clearance patrols have one primary mission when going outside the wire: to search for and help rid the streets of IEDs; they help ease the burden and provide extra security for those who follow in their paths later that day.
When platoons conduct such missions, a single Soldier drives a one man vehicle known as a Huskey in front of the convoy. These drivers must recognize and react appropriately when they see IEDs – risking their own lives to protect the Soldiers behind them.
Wounded Soldiers return to lead
Great article from the Northwest Guardian re: two 3/2 SBCT soldiers.
By Don Kramer, Northwest Guardian
Two Soldiers deployed to Iraq from Fort Lewis and returned with broken bodies.
One lost his right leg and the other, his spleen and sections of other internal organs.
But facing punishing physical therapy and uncertain futures in the Army, the junior officer and senior NCO set the same goal to once again lead Soldiers. They turned what for many is a sad, not uncommon story of struggle against challenges into an inspirational one of achievement and hope.
During the first week of February, Capt. Damon Armeni and 1st Sgt. John Blue put on green leadership tabs as a cavalry troop commander and an infantry company first sergeant in 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. For Armeni, it was almost four years after his Stryker vehicle was hit by a modified rocket-propelled grenade. For Blue, only a year had passed since his Stryker hit an improvised explosive device.
Update: Comment Moderation
For the past few days we've been experimenting with a new comment moderation feature on our website that allows people to leave feedback on our site without registering first with Typekey. In the past we've had serious problems with spam comments, to the point that we felt we had to require people to authenticate their identity. However, this tends to limit the conversation because few people are willing to take that extra step just to leave a comment.
So far the new feature has only allowed a few bad comments through, which is an acceptable ratio in my mind if it means more people can participate in the conversation here. So, unless the volume of spam becomes unbearable again we'll allow visitors to leave comments without registering with Typekey. You'll still have to provide a valid email address, but it will never be displayed on the site or used to contact you.
Comment away!
Thanks,
SBN Team
SPC Jeremiah C. Hughes
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Jeremiah C. Hughes, 26, of Jacksonville, Fla., died April 9 in Balad Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Abu Gharab, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Stryker), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
We'd like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.
Related Articles:
Friends, family recall soldier as a 'real patriot' - Florida Times Union
Soldier's Body Arrives Back on the First Coast - First Coast News
A city salutes for a soldier - Florida Times Union
Casualty Of Iraq War Honored At Homecoming - News4Jax.com
SGT Michael T. Lilly
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Michael T. Lilly, 23, of Boise, Idaho, died April 7 in Sadr City, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked using a rocket propelled grenade. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
All of us here would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind.
SPC Jason C. Kazarick
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Jason C. Kazarick, 30, of Oakmont, Pa., died April 7 in Sadr City, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked using a rocket propelled grenade. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Related Articles:
Soldier from Plum killed in Iraq - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Oakmont soldier's kindness touched others - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Memorial to be held for 2 soldiers killed in Iraq - Stars & Stripes
Army poet inspired by service in Iraq
Jay Kirschenmann, Argus Leader
War poet Brian Turner wrote secretly during his stint near Mosul while in the Army in Iraq.
Some fellow soldiers with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, knew he had a master's degree, but no one ever asked him what it was for. His answer would have been poetry, from the University of Oregon.
"It's hard to be hard-nosed if you're writing poetry," Turner has said, so he didn't advertise his talent.
Hearing Intrudes in Sadr City, if Power Lasts
The following article also features a nice slide show of 2nd SCR soldiers in Sadr City.
By MICHAEL R. GORDON, The New York Times
BAGHDAD — When the electricity came on in the ramshackle district of Sadr City, the soldiers from the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment flicked on the television to watch Tuesday’s Congressional hearings with Gen. David H. Petraeus.
For a brief moment, Washington politics intruded into a world in which automatic weapons fire, tank fire and explosives rock the streets. But before General Petraeus could complete his prepared statement, the power shut down again.
The fleeting reminder of the debate at home was followed by a blunt discussion of the larger aims of the American involvement here.
Schofield soldiers stay in Sadr City
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
A 96-hour assignment has turned into an open-ended mission for some Hawai'i Stryker brigade soldiers in Baghdad as fighting continues in Sadr City against militants loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
About 150 soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry "Gimlets" out of Schofield Barracks were sent into the Baghdad slum on March 26.
Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army has fought battles with U.S. and Iraqi forces in Sadr City after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched a crackdown on militias loyal to al-Sadr in Basra in the south. The fighting has spilled over into the capital.
"We had some significant contact when we first arrived," Capt. Scott Bailey, a Schofield soldier, said in an Army release. [...]
Soldiers Teach Iraqi Soldiers Valuable Skills
By Sgt. Jerome Bishop, 2/25 SBCT Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers take to the roads daily around Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, to search for improvised explosive devices to ensure the safety of Iraqi security and coalition forces and the people of Iraq.
The Soldiers from the 66th Engineer Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, who conduct route-clearance missions, took steps April 5 and 6 to teach their Iraqi army counterparts what it takes to make their own roads safe.
U.S. sergeant's weapon in Iraq is cash
A 2/25 SBCT SGT is featured in the following article. There's also video if you follow the link.
TAJI, Iraq (CNN) -- In Iraq, even being a Good Samaritan can prove deadly.
Before heading back to base, the 25th Infantry Division platoon must complete a patrol along Route Tampa. Tampa is the code name for a well-traveled convoy route between Balad and Baghdad.
Coalition vehicles are regularly on the road and often the target for insurgents. So it surprised everyone when the only incident we came across was a traffic accident. [...]
Soldiers on the ground offer mixed assessment
2nd SCR soldiers are featured in the following article.
By Richard Tomkins, Washington Times
FORWARD OPERATING BASE NORMANDY, Iraq — Behind the recitation of facts and figures by Gen. David H. Petraeus in Capitol Hill testimony beginning today, the fluctuating moods and emotions of U.S. troops here are much harder to gauge.
Do the Americans — many of whom have survived multiple deployments of more than a year at a time — see the surge as a success? Do they see Iraqis making progress, taking responsibility for public safety, their own lives and their nation's future?
Responses vary from day to day and often depend on when the questions are asked. [...]
Iraqi government continues opposition of miltias
The Long War Journal has another detailed overview of recent events in Iraq, which apparently includes operations by Stryker soldiers within Sadr City. Excerpt:
Less than two weeks after Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki launched Operation Knights' Assault to clear the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backer militias in Basrah, the Iraqi government is moving to ban Muqtada al Sadr's political movement from participating in the election if it fails to disband the militia. Facing near-unanimous opposition, Sadr said he would seek guidance from senior Shia clerics in Najaf and Qom and disband the Mahdi Army if told to do so, according to one aide. But another Sadr aide denied this.The pressure on Sadr and his Mahdi Army started on Sunday after Maliki announced the plans to pass legislation to prevent political parties with militias from participating in the political process. "The first step will be adding language to a draft election bill banning parties that operate militias from fielding candidates in provincial balloting this fall," Reuters reported on Sunday. "The government intends to send the draft to parliament within days and hopes to win approval within weeks." [...]
Maliki has said the military will continue to operate against the Mahdi Army, and US and Iraqi forces have kept Sadr City and Shula in Baghdad under curfew. US and Iraqi forces fought pitched battles in Sadr City over the weekend. At least nine Mahdi Army fighters were killed by US helicopters after attacking Iraqi patrols in the city. Twenty Iraqis were reported killed and more than 50 wounded during the fighting.
Isle Stryker brigade does a bit of everything in Iraq
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
Hawai'i's Stryker brigade operates in a region of Iraq that employs more than 9,000 "Sons of Iraq," or armed militiamen, to help keep the peace, a commander said.
That translates to U.S. payments of at least $2.7 million a month.
More than five of the brigade's 19-ton Stryker vehicles have been damaged or destroyed by roadside bombs over the past four months that the fast-strike unit has been in Iraq.
US, Iraqi Army clash with Mahdi Army in Sadr City
According to various media reports Stryker soldiers were involved in the clashes in Sadr City.
By Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
Fighting between the Coalition and Mahdi Army fighters broke out today as operations against the Mahdi Army and the Special Groups continue despite Prime Minister Maliki's call for a halt in operations. Early reports indicate between nine and 20 Iraqis were killed during clashes in Sadr City at the 55 intersection and Falah Street. Abdellatif Rayan, a media adviser to Multinational Forces Iraq said a US Army helicopter killed nine "criminals" in Sadr City. "We do have reports of an air weapons team engagement, a US helicopter, where nine criminals were killed at around 8:00 AM," Rayan told Voices of Iraq.
The US military has confirmed several clashes today in Sadr City. "Today, while Iraqi Army Soldiers were moving through those areas they were engaged by armed criminals with [rocket propelled grenades] and [small arms fire]," Lieutenant Colonel Steve Stover, the Public Affairs Officer for Multinational Division Baghdad told The Long War Journal. "US troops moved in to assist and that did include Bradleys and Abrams Tanks as well as Strykers." US and Iraqi Army forces kicked off operations to clear the southern sector of Sadr City in Jamilla and Thawra I on March 25.
US helicopters killed nine Special Groups "criminals" after they attacked the Iraqi soldiers at 8 AM local time. "An air weapons team [AWT] fired a Hellfire missile and killed three criminals after they were observed firing rocket-propelled grenades at the Iraqi Army soldiers," Stover said. "The team identified four more criminals fleeing the scene and attempting to hide weapons in a vehicle. The AWT fired a missile and destroyed the vehicle and killed the six criminals." No US or Iraqi Army casualties were reported.
[...]
Related Article:
22 Killed in Sadr City Clashes - The Associated Press
Article: Stryker Concept
Paula McLeary has a new article published in Defense Technology International featuring the 2/25 SBCT's use of the Stryker vehicle. The article is in a format that doesn't allow me to excerpt, so click on over and read the whole thing.
Injured soldier returns to Aliquippa
Injured 2/25 SBCT soldier is on the mend. There's video if you follow the link.
By Michael Pound, Beaver County Times
ALIQUIPPA — Even with twin plastic boots protecting his shattered ankles and purple scars weaving along his right thigh, P.J. Gennaro looks about as relaxed as one could expect of a soldier home on a monthlong leave.
This isn’t just a visit for the 26-year-old Aliquippa native, though. The scars, the boots and the wheelchair tell a different story. Gennaro, a corporal in the Army’s 25th Infantry Division, was nearly killed when his Stryker — an 11-ton wheeled armored vehicle used by infantry units on patrol — ran over a 500-pound bomb that had been planted in the middle of a road in northern Iraq on Feb. 8.
Commander says Iraqis have positive impact on security
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — One-half of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrols in southern Baghdad now involve both U.S. and Iraqi soldiers as the Iraqis take on more responsibilities, the unit’s 2nd Squadron commander said Thursday.
Lt. Col. Myron Reineke — who’s back in Vilseck on leave this month — spent part of Thursday morning at a Purple Heart ceremony for one of his soldiers who was injured March 7 in Iraq.
After the ceremony, Reineke talked about what his soldiers are doing in Iraq.
Sons of Iraq discover, turn in large cache
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
TARMIYA, Iraq – In cooperation with the local sheik, Abna al-Iraq members, or Sons of Iraq, notified Multi-National Division – Baghdad of a substantial munitions cache northwest of Baghdad April 1.
The Soldiers from 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team searched the area and discovered the cache consisting of more than 100 68 mm rockets, rocket fuses, helicopter rockets, 82 mm mortars, and mortar fuses. The cache also contained more than 500 artillery fuses, empty rocket bodies, 155 mm artillery shells, 75 boxes containing hundreds of 14.5 mm heavy machine gun ammunition, and nine large boxes containing loose 14.5 mm heavy machine gun ammunition. Fifty plastic green tubes containing an unknown substance, M-88 anti-tank mines attached to detonating cord, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 magazines, numerous loose small arms rounds and one copper cone-shaped charge were all found in the large cache.
An explosive ordnance disposal team evaluated the find and assumed control of the munitions cache.
“The Abna al-Iraq are the heroes of the day. They found this very large cache and took it out of the hands of the terrorists,” said Maj. Al Hing, a 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team spokesperson. “Looking at the sheer amount of munitions that will not be used against Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition forces and the people of Iraq, terrorists are going to have a harder time doing their ugly business. The partnership that worked together to remove this cache makes for a safer and more stable Iraq.”
Stryker soldier gets to meet Bush
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News Miner
A tour of duty in Iraq led to a trip to the nation’s capital for Sgt. Gregory Williams of Fort Wainwright after he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in December.
Last month, the sergeant, one of only eight men to receive the Army’s second-highest honor since 2001, spent 15 minutes with President Bush.
“It was very exciting,” Williams said. “It didn’t hit me until I got in there that this is the president. He’s a very nice, family-oriented man. Very energetic, too.”
The Desert Raider - April Edition
The Desert Raider magazine is a monthly publication distributed by the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (SBCT) public affairs office. It features photos, articles and other items of interest to the 4/2 SBCT community.
Provided below is a link to the most recent edition. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to open the document, but it is available for free if you need it.
- The Desert Raider - April 2008 Edition (PDF, 3.9 MB)
U.S. troops make progress in Iraq's Diyala province
Nice long article re: 4/2 SBCT's recent operations in Diyala. Via FOB Tacoma and J Calhoun.
By Steve Lannen, McClatchy Newspapers
KHAN BANI SA’AD, Iraq --
GIs call it “KBS” or “the Khan,” and for most of the past two years, this agricultural town of 100,000 in Iraq's Diyala province was the site of fierce fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslim extremists.
After a firefight Feb. 25 that killed at least nine insurgents, however, the Iraqi and U.S. militaries declared that al Qaida in Iraq had been pushed out of the area.
Diyala remains one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq, but in the past month, thousands of people who'd fled the region, fearing fighting between the armed forces and insurgents, have returned to villages near the Diyala River. Local Sunni militias are forming in villages that Sunni insurgents occupied a few months ago, with the U.S. military paying recruits $10 a day.
Al-Qaeda Killing Field Found Near Farming Village
By Richard Tomkins, Radio Free Europe
ZAHAMM, IRAQ -- Villagers digging in an abandoned pomegranate orchard in the Diyala River Valley have unearthed the remains of at least 52 people murdered by Al-Qaeda in Iraq during its two-year reign of terror in the area.
The first victim, whose head had been placed at his feet, was found on March 26 by a local village head and a U.S. Army officer who had been given the orchard's location by a man who said he had been kidnapped by Al-Qaeda last August and taken to a "jail" there, but managed to escape before execution.
"Smell that?" Captain Vince Morris, of Iron Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, asked when he approached the orchard on that exploratory visit. No one answered. No one needed to. The gagging stench of rotting flesh was unmistakable. And it was much too strong for the contents of just one grave.
CPL Steven I. Candelo
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Steven I. Candelo, 20, of Houston, died March 26 in Baghdad, when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
We would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Related Articles:
Fallen 2nd SCR soldiers honored at Vilseck ceremony - Stars & Stripes
Stryker Soldier writes new chapter in Family history
By Staff Sgt. J.B. Jaso III, 2/25 SBCT
CAMP TAJI, Iraq - As some 19 year-old males are going to college, hanging out with friends and beginning their adult life, one Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldier is beginning his adulthood assisting in securing Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Derk Hayes, a Peru, Ind., native, is the youngest soldier in his unit, Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, MNB-D.
From a very young age, Hayes knew he wanted to be a Soldier in the Army.
Staff Sgt. Maupin’s Remains Located
The 2nd SCR was responsible for finding Maupin's remains. He had been MIA for nearly four years. For background on this story The Wall Street Journal recently published an article titled, "The Waiting," that profiled the families of MIA soldiers from the Iraq war.
By Sgt. 1st Class William Quiett, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment
BAGHDAD – The remains of Staff Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin were recovered, March 20, northwest of Baghdad by elements the Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which is based out of Vilseck, Germany.
The recovery was the result of four years of intensive effort by MND-B Soldiers and multiple joint and interagency organizations; The Soldiers of 2nd SCR were able to recover Staff Sgt. Maupin’s remains by approaching the recovery as a criminal investigation and employing appropriate investigative techniques.
“Since beginning operations in Abu Ghraib, we made finding Staff Sgt. Maupin a top priority to clearly demonstrate to every service member, and every family, that we will never leave a fallen comrade,” said Col. John RisCassi, the commander of the 2nd SCR.
IA, CF kill 3 AQI, destroy bunker near Baqouba
Multi-National Division – North PAO
TIKRIT, Iraq – Multi-National Division – North Soldiers killed three enemy personnel after locating a weapon cache and an al-Qaeda in Iraq bunker in Bojima, near Baqouba, Iraq, March 30.
During a joint clearing operation, Iraqi Army Soldiers began taking small arms fire.
A Coalition air weapons team spotted the armed personnel fleeing from the contact location and engaged the individuals, killing three and wounding a fourth.
Soldiers from the Iraqi Army’s 5th Division and MND-N Soldiers of 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., destroyed one heavy fortified bunker, two 82 mm mortar base plates, one 60 mm mortar base plate, and a 60 mm mortar tripod. Two propane tanks and a fire extinguisher, suspected of containing homemade explosives, were also destroyed.
“Destroying the bunker will further degrade al-Qaeda in Iraq’s ability to conduct offensive and supply operations,” said 1st Lt. Colin Lebeau, assistant intelligence officer, 2-23 Infantry.
