Changing Role of Women
The Honolulu Advertiser has a great article on the changing role of women in the armed forces, which features a number of soldiers from the 2/25 SBCT.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, women fly fighter planes and attack helicopters.They are on the front lines on the ground, and nearly 100 have been killed in the nation's two wars. They are allowed to serve in many jobs, but not all.
There are no women crew members on U.S. submarines. In the Army, women are barred from certain specialties, including infantry, armor, field artillery and Special Forces, but the traditional no-go lines are getting more blurred all the time.
56th SBCT Articles
There have been a number of recent articles about the 56th SBCT as it trains prior to deployment.
- Stryker brigade trains at Shelby - Hattiesburg American
- Getting in battle mode - GoErie.com
- State troops roll through high-tech Stryker drills - The Patriot-News
- Healers become targets in Iraq - PennLive.com
Tips lead INP, MND-B Soldiers to seize weapons throughout Baghdad
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Tips led Iraqi National Policemen and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers to weapons caches in Baghdad Oct 28.
A tip from a concerned citizen led to the seizure of a munitions cache by Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B west of Baghdad at approximately 3:30 p.m. The items seized include two 60 mm mortar base plates.
At approximately 7 p.m. policemen serving with the 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, found 18 60 mm rusty projectiles in a building that is being renovated to become a mosque in the West Rashid district of Baghdad.
After receiving a tip, Iraqi Policemen serving with the 1st Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, found a cache in the New Baghdad district of Baghdad. The IPs transported the munitions, which consisted of three 60 mm high explosive mortar rounds, three 81 mm high explosive mortar rounds, four rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five RPG9 warheads, three RPG fuse assemblies, a bag containing approximately 400 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, and turned them in to Soldiers serving with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Brigade, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, MND-B, at approximately 10:50 p.m.
“Iraqi citizens continue to provide valuable assistance to Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces in the seizure of these dangerous weapons and munitions,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
New, old commands meet with influential local leader
(Confirmation that the 1/25 SBCT will assume command of the Diyala Province from the 2nd SCR)
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – The commanders and command sergeants major from both the new Coalition unit entering the Diyala province of Iraq and the unit leaving the province met with Sheik Abu Ikhlaas, an influential local Iraqi leader Oct. 24.
The purpose of the meeting was to help bridge the transition with the local Iraqi population and 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. The commander of the 1st SBCT, Col. Burt Thompson, stated his brigade is committed to working toward and achieving the same goals as the Dragoons of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
The Arctic Wolves plan to pick up where the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment left off, continuing to remain committed to the safety and security of Diyala province.
The Arctic Wolves relieved 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment of responsibility for Diyala.
PFC Cody J. Eggleston
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston, 21, of Eugene, Ore., died Oct. 24 at the National in Bethesda, Maryland, of wounds suffered on October 16 in Baqubah, Iraq, when he received indirect fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
Related:
Second Stryker soldier dies after being wounded in mortar attack - Daily News Miner
War in Iraq claims Eugene soldier - The Associated Press
Eugene soldier dies of combat wounds - The Oregonian
Family mourns loss of soldier who always said, ‘Don’t worry’ - The Register Guard
MND-B Soldiers find caches north of Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Iraqi police, Iraqi Army soldiers and Coalition force Soldiers seized weapons caches north of Baghdad Oct 25.
At approximately 11:45 a.m., Soldiers serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, seized 10 rocket-propelled grenades. An explosive ordnance detachment team destroyed the weapons in a controlled detonation.
Iraqi soldiers serving with the 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division seized a 120 mm mortar round, a 100 mm mortar round, five 82 mm mortar rounds and 50 pounds of propellant at approximately 7 p.m.
Approximately 30 minutes later, Iraqi Policemen turned over seven 20-liter jugs of ammonium nitrate fuel oil to Soldiers from Company C, 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Regt., 2nd SBCT, 25th Inf. Div.
A ‘Vision of Hope’ in Tarmiyah
CAMP TAJI — Residents of Tarmiyah, a small city on the Tigris River northwest of Baghdad, stood tall with smiles on their faces Oct. 22, as they spoke words of hope and reconciliation.
According to those gathered, the date was yet another dramatic turning point in their recent history.
Led by Sheik Sa’ed Jassim al-Mashadani, chairman of the Municipality Committee of al Tarmiyah Qada, Tarmiyah’s local officials hosted a number of provincial and government of Iraq representatives at their first Civic Expo.
City residents hope to accomplish a number of tasks in the future, and they chose a unique, effective way to accomplish their goals, such as bringing government of Iraq officials to them so they could show, firsthand, the economic and political progress they’ve made in the area.
“Two years ago, an event like this would not have been possible,” said Capt. Calvin Kline, an information operations officer with 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. “Even one year ago, the security situation would not have allowed it.”
MND-B Soldiers find weapons in Baghdad
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers find weapons caches in the Baghdad area Oct. 22.
Soldier serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, found 1,500 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, four 85 mm rockets, a 75 mm rocket, a machine gun and two washing machine timers north of Baghdad at approximately 9:30 a.m.
At approximately 1:30 p.m., Soldiers serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, found two 57 mm rockets with wires, and a spool with approximately 1,000 yards of copper wire in the Abu Ghraib district of Baghdad.
Distinguished Service Cross
The Olympian is reporting that 3/2 SBCT soldier, Spc. Christopher Waiters, will be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in a ceremony at Ft. Lewis on Thursday. The award is second only to the Medal of Honor.
A soldier who went to school in Lacey and was formerly assigned to a Stryker brigade at Fort Lewis will be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor in recognizing combat valor.This week’s ceremony will mark the first time since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that a soldier from the local Army post has been awarded this honor.
Spc. Christopher Waiters, a graduate of Timberline High School in Lacey, had just finished a long shift in Iraq on April 5, 2007. He had just gone down for sleep inside his armored Stryker vehicle when he heard an explosion. An urgent message followed: A car packed with explosives had struck and destroyed an armored Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The wreckage was on fire. U.S. soldiers were trapped inside.
Updated 10/25/08: Provided below are a few stories covering the ceremony.
Bullets, bomb no match for bravery - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Lacey Army medic honored for heroism - Seattle Times
For soldier, heroic act was just part of his job - The News Tribune
Soldier earns rare honor for heroic actions in Iraq - Northwest Guardian
Medic 'a true hero' on battlefield - Northwest Guardian
Soldiers help plan to rebuild historical landmarks
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Plans are in the works to help restore one of Aqur Quf’s oldest landmark: the Ziggurat.
The Ziggurat of Aqur Quf, which lies west of Baghdad, is one of the best preserved religious landmarks of its kind in Iraq. It dates back to 1400 B.C. and was built as a monument to the local religion.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, are working in conjunction with the citizens of Iraq and branches of the Government of Iraq to rebuild and repair the site and buildings in an effort to reopen the Ziggurat as a tourist attraction.
PFC Heath K. Pickard
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Heath K. Pickard, 21, of Palestine, Texas, died Oct. 16 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he received indirect fire in Baquaba, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We offer our condolences to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
Related:
East Texas soldier killed in Iraq - Associated Press
East Texas soldier back home; funeral set for Saturday - KLTV News
East Texas soldier killed in Iraq remembered by family - KLTV News
Local man killed in Iraq - The Palestine Herald
Memorial service honors Fort Wainwright soldier killed in Iraq - Daily News Miner
Warrior News - October 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 - October 2008 Edition (PDF)
Advice for Friends and Family
Over at Army of Dude Alex offers some good advice for loved ones re: how to deal with a soldier during and after a deployment. What else would you add?
56th SBCT Blog
Bravo Company 1/112th, 56th SBCT has created a blog to document the unit's training and eventual deployment. Head on over and bookmark the site if you'd like to get daily news about the unit.
(via Meadville Tribune)
Changes at Vilseck
Stars & Stripes explains a few of the changes that have occurred at Vilseck during the 2nd SCR's deployment.
VILSECK, Germany — Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment are coming home to a community that has changed drastically during the 15 months they were deployed to Iraq.At Vilseck, the post exchange — once the heart of the Grafenwöhr-Vilseck community — has been replaced by a furniture store. A new mall, including a PX and commissary, opened at Grafenwöhr. The 172nd Infantry Brigade arrived at Graf over summer and is preparing to embark on its own Iraq mission next month.
U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr spokesman Franz Zeilmann said the community is preparing for the Strykers’ arrival and reintegration.
"USAG Grafenwöhr used the deployment of the soldiers to update soldiers’ facilities and their working places with a very intensive construction program," he said.
Soldier Honored With Silver Star
The Staten Island Today has a nice profile of 2nd SCR soldier and Silver Star recipient, First Sgt. Eric Geressy (now MSG Geressy).
"It was really humbling to look back at what we did," said Geressy, now a master sergeant attending the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.That's where he was awarded the Silver Star in front of his comrades and his family, including mom, Mary Ann Geressy of Oakwood Beach, and grandfather, Mitchell Rech of Port St. Lucie, Fla.
"I didn't do anything special," he said. "I was just put in a situation. It's all about my company. Those guys rose up that day. They are the real heroes of the day."
Stryker Construction Resumes
The Honolulu Advertiser outlines the various construction projects underway after years of litigation.
As part of the overall $1.5 billion effort to base the brigade here, the Army plans to build 71 miles of private trails on O'ahu and the Big Island for Stryker vehicles, as well as new firing ranges.Land purchases included $21 million for 1,402 acres south of Schofield for a firing range and motor pool, and $30 million for 24,000 acres of Parker Ranch land next to the 109,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area for Stryker maneuvers on the Big Island.
The Army plans to also conduct Stryker training at Kahuku and Kawailoa training areas and Dillingham Military Reservation on O'ahu.
Additional projects, some still unfunded by Congress, are expected to continue as far into the future as 2017, officials said.
Tip, detainee lead NP, MND-B Soldiers to weapons caches
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – An Iraqi citizen’s confidence in Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers and information from a detainee led to the seizure of several weapons caches in the Baghdad area Oct. 16.
A tip from an Iraqi citizen led to the seizure of a munitions cache by Soldiers serving with A Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at approximately 10:30 a.m. north of Baghdad.
The munitions included approximately 65 pounds of TNT, six cans of 14.5 mm ammunition, a damaged rocket-propelled grenade launcher, an empty RPG rocket, a 155 mm manufactured projectile and a hand grenade. A bag of sulfur and a bag of sodium carbonate were also seized at the scene.
MND-B Soldiers, GoI work to rebuild education
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Leaders from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, joined officials from the Government of Iraq’s Ministry of Education, community leaders, Iraqi National Police and more than 500 students at the Bilal School in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah security district, Oct. 11.
The large crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of the area’s largest school, which recently received a much needed facelift.
“Just three months ago, the school was uninhabitable; it was in disarray,” said 1st Lt. John Busuego, 1st Bn. 27th Inf. Regt. essential services coordinator.
Construction workers braved the summer heat and completed the nearly $200,000 worth of projects in only three months.
INP, MND-B Soldiers find weapons
BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers took weapons of the streets of the Baghdad area in two separate operations Oct. 17.
A Sheik turned in a cache to Soldiers serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, north of Baghdad at approximately 10 a.m.
The munitions turned in included two projectiles, a 76 mm round, an Iraqi-manufactured 130 mm round and detonation cord with blasting caps. An explosive ordnance detachment responded and disposed of the ordnance.
At approximately 1:15 p.m., Policemen serving with the 7th Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division informed Soldiers serving with Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, where to find two speed bump-type IEDs a local national found in his house when he was cleaning to move back in. An EOD team was called in to dispose of the ordnance.
ISF, MND-B Soldiers find caches
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces seized weapons caches throughout Baghdad Oct 18 and 19.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. Oct., 18 Iraqi Policemen seized two rocket-propelled grenades at a technical college in Karadah. The RPGs, determined to be unserviceable, were turned over to Soldiers serving with 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light).
Iraqi Army soldiers provided a tip to Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, resulting in the discovery of a weapons cache north of Baghdad at approximately 4 p.m. Oct. 18. The cache contained two foreign army assault packs with flags on them and TNT attached. Inside the packs were five sticks of PE-4 explosives, five electric caps, a grenade fuse, approximately 200 rounds of small arms ammunition, 25 feet of detonation cord and a 10-round magazine for an SVD rifle.
Policemen serving with 2nd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, along with Soldiers of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Brigade, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, seized a weapons cache in New Baghdad at approximately 2 a.m. Oct. 19. The cache included two AK-47 rifles with five magazines, five knives, 50 7.62 mm rounds of ammunition, five bulletproof vests with two plates, two sets of handcuffs, and two uniforms.
“Iraqi Security Forces are increasingly taking the lead in securing Baghdad,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, Multi-National Division – Baghdad and the 4th Infantry Division. “MND-B Soldiers remain steadfast and loyal in supporting the ISF.”
PFC Christopher A. McCraw
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Christopher A. McCraw, 23, of Columbia, Miss., died Oct. 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he encountered small arms fire while on dismounted patrol in Nasar Wa Salam. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
Related:
Area soldier killed in Iraq - Hattiesburg American
Schofield soldier killed in Baghdad - Honolulu Advertiser
Slain Schofield soldier was new father - Honolulu Star Bulletin
Hawaii-based soldier's funeral set for Friday - KPUA News
Columbia pays its respects to soldier - Clarion Ledger
Media Attention in Iraq
FOB Tacoma linked to a study by the Washington Post confirming what has been obvious for a while now - mainstream media coverage of the war in Iraq is declining rapidly. Excerpt:
BAGHDAD -- The number of foreign journalists in Baghdad is declining sharply, a media withdrawal that reflects Iraq's growing stability and the financial strains faced by some news organizations.In a stark indication of the changing media focus here, the number of journalists traveling with American forces in Iraq has plummeted in the past year. U.S. military officials say they "embedded" journalists 219 times in September 2007. Last month, the number shrank to 39. Of the dozen U.S. newspapers and newspaper chains that maintained full-time bureaus in Baghdad in the early years of the war, only four are still permanently staffed by foreign correspondents. CBS and NBC no longer keep a correspondent in Baghdad year-round.
Be sure to read it all.
Stryker Variants
The Army is considering investing in new variants of the Stryker vehicle, according to a new article in Army Times. Excerpt:
The Army is considering new upgraded variants of the Stryker and Abrams main battle tank in coming years, despite the services’ overall spending plans which now call for a substantial reduction in modernization funds for the current force vehicles over the next five years, service leaders said.The Army is now working closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense to decide how much money to continue investing in existing combat vehicles such as the Stryker and Abrams main battle tank, citing the need to increasingly put modernization dollars toward the services flagship Future Combat Systems program.
Munitions seized throughout Baghdad
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized weapons caches and confiscated multiple weapons in Baghdad October 11 and 12.
Soldiers serving with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, discovered a weapons cache in the courtyard of a New Baghdad home. The Soldiers arrived at the home at approximately 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11 while pursuing a man suspected of shooting at a checkpoint manned by Iraqi National Police. The cache contained seven rocket rails, an AK-47 rifle and six AK-47 magazines.
An Iraqi citizen’s tip led national policemen from 2nd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, to the seizure of an RPK, two AK-47s, three grenade fuses and bodies, approximately 2,000 rounds of 7.62mm linked ammunition, a PKC, and a coax machine gun at approximately 7 a.m. Oct. 12.
Approximately 40 minutes later, Soldiers from 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., seized found five anti-personnel mines and two grenade fuses while on patrol in Adhamiyah.
An hour later, national policemen with 2nd Bn., 8th Bde., 2nd NP Div., confiscated 52 AK47s, an SKS, a 9mm pistol, a revolver, a bolt-action rifle and a video tape with extremist propaganda during an operation in the New Baghdad district of Baghdad.
At approximately 11:30 a.m., based on a tip from a Sons of Iraq member, Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, working with Iraqi Army soldiers from 24th Brigade, 6th IA Division, seized a weapons cache west of Baghdad. The cache consisted of twenty-five pounds of propellant, two 125mm rounds, five 82mm mortar shells, two cans of 23mm projectiles, 16 rocket fuses of various manufacture, approximately 1,000 rounds of 14.5mm small-arms ammunition and four motorcycle batteries.
Training Incident
FOB Tacoma links to a news story in The Salt Lake Tribune investigating a training incident last spring that almost killed two 5/2 SBCT soldiers in Utah. Excerpt:
The radio was too loud.For whatever reason, that's what stuck out in the mind of 1st Lt. Jared Cox when an investigating officer asked him about the night of April 8 - the night he and another soldier nearly died.
Dozens of pages of interviews and written testimony reveal a night that was, in many respects, a routine shift at the Utah Test and Training Range - before things went dangerously wrong.
As such, the report sheds light on a world little appreciated outside military circles, where even in the relative safety of a training exercise, the difference between life and death is measured in inches, in seconds, and in trust.
MND-B Soldiers detain suspected criminals
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers captured three men suspected of terrorist and criminal activity Oct. 9.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., Soldiers from Task Force Spear, attached to 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, detained a suspected Special Groups member in Hussaniyah, northeast of Baghdad. The suspect is accused of emplacing improvised explosive devices in the area and having ties with numerous SG members.
Later, at approximately 3:50 a.m., Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd SBCT, detained a suspected criminal in Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad. The suspect is accused of having ties to three separate IED attacks in the area.
“These captures show terrorists and criminals that if you attack innocent people, you will be caught and held accountable,” said Lt. Col. Glen Blumhardt, executive officer, 2nd SBCT. “We’ll continue to work with Iraqi Security Forces and the Sons of Iraq to keep our area safe.”
Tip leads MND-B Soldiers to large munitions cache
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – A tip by a concerned local citizen provided valuable information that led Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers to the seizure of a large munitions cache Oct. 9 near Thamir Village, which is located near Abu Ghuraib, west of Baghdad.
The munitions seizure is the second large cache find in the same general area in the past five days by the MND-B Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
After receiving the tip, Soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd SBCT, 25th Inf. Div.,conducted a combat patrol to verify the information. Upon arriving at the site, they seized 269 122 mm rockets and more than 200,000 heavy machine gun rounds.
“Because of the size and condition of this cache, this will significantly degrade the enemy’s ability to conduct attacks against the Iraqi Security Forces, the local populace and Coalition forces,” said Lt. Col. Glen Blumhardt, the executive officer for 2nd SBCT. “This continues to reduce the enemy’s ability to conduct improvised-explosive device and indirect fire attacks. It improves the overall security situation.”
Alaska Soldiers Complete Training Before Movement North
(This is the first article I've seen re: the 1/25 SBCT - hopefully there will be more soon.)
By Pfc. Alicia Torbush, Desert Voice Staff Writer
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division fired M777A2 howitzers, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Oct. 2, 2008.
Calibrating the artillery piece and improving accuracy, the firing crew uses an M94 chronograph to measure the muzzle velocity of the weapons, explained, Maj. Jon Sowards, executive officer, 2-8 FA.
“The crew then subtracts that measurement from the standard velocity and makes adjustments to improve the accuracy of the weapon,” added Sowards.
The SBCT is assigned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and has been at Camp Buehring to complete training, while adjusting to the environment.
Father, Son: One Unit, One Fight
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
Despite already having served 15 years of service to country, Staff Sgt. Brian Pritchett, with 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, re-enlisted indefinitely two months ago. Now, following in his father’s footsteps, Spc. Bobby Pritchett, a driver with 3rd Squadron, 2SCR, is doing the same.
With his right hand raised and the other locked by his side, standing at attention with a smile on his face, Pritchett began to recite the Oath of Enlistment during a re-enlistment ceremony at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, located in Diyala, Iraq, Sept. 19, 2008.
Col. John RisCassi, 2SCR regimental commander, presided over the ceremony.
Soldiers re-enlist all the time. Volunteering to continue to serve one’s nation while deployed is also very common. But when both father and son, both in the same unit, re-enlist at the same time, it is history in the making.
“This means a lot to me,” said Brian. “At first I was apprehensive about my son joining. But he told me he was going to join and he did. The determination he showed me let me know that he wanted to do something with his life and to help protect his country.”
IP Officers Qualify to Train Their Peers
By Cpl. Dustin Weidman, 2/25 SBCT
BAGHDAD – Twenty Iraqi police officers graduated the “Steel Trainer” program in Nasser Wa Salam, west of Baghdad, Sept. 25, 2008.
The Soldiers of Mortar Platoon “Steel,” 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, began “Steel Trainer” as a train-the-trainer program. Only the best officers from local stations are selected to attend the six-week program.
“These were the best IPs from Abu Ghraib,” said Staff Sgt. Gary Strickland, a native of Rochester, Texas, and section sergeant for the Mortar Pltn. “Now that they have graduated Steel Trainer, they are even better.”
2nd SCR Advance Party
According to Stars & Stripes the advance party for the 2nd SCR has arrived back in Germany. Excerpt:
VILSECK, Germany — Fifteen months after they deployed to Iraq, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment troops are returning to Germany.Fifty soldiers from an advance party marched proudly Wednesday morning into the Memorial Fitness Center at Vilseck where hundreds of family members and friends waited to cheer them home. [...]
On Nov. 25, the regiment will honor fallen comrades by dedicating a memorial monument at Rose Barracks, then conduct a redeployment ceremony to uncase the regimental colors marking the official return of all its units to Germany, Rickard said.
IP, SoI, MND-B Soldiers seize weapons caches
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi policemen, Sons of Iraq and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized weapons caches in Baghdad Oct. 6.
At approximately 9:15 a.m., an SoI member found munitions in a rubble pile in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad. MND-B Soldiers serving with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded and seized two Iranian hand grenades and six other hand grenades.
Soldiers serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division found two improvised rocket launchers and miscellaneous parts north of Baghdad at approximately 10:30 a.m.
At 12:40 p.m, Soldiers serving with Company C, 1st Battalion 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd SBCT, 25th Inf. Div., MND-B found three 155 mm projectiles, 13 rocket-propelled grenade warheads and a 32 mm rocket northwest of Baghdad.
U.S. Soldiers Host Iftar Dinner
By Ken Griffin, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
CAMP TAJI — Warrior Brigade continued its tradition of eliminating cultural divides by hosting an recent Iftar dinner here.
Col. Todd McCaffrey, commander, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and other senior leaders hosted Iraqi Army (IA), Police (IP) and National Police (NP) commanders during the traditional meal, which Muslims have at the end of daily fasting during Ramadan.
“The colonel ate dates and drank water to break the fast, just like one of us,” said NP Col. Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, commander, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, referring to the Quran verse “When one of you breaks his fast he should do so with dates for they provide blessing, but if he cannot get any he should break his fast with water for it is purifying.”
MND-B Soldiers seize 20 munitions caches
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized 20 weapons caches during an operation known as “Gimlet Tidal Wave” west of Baghdad Oct. 4.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, seized the mass array of caches while conducting clearance operations at approximately 10:30 a.m. near Joint Security Station Nasir Wa Salam in west Baghdad.
The munitions seized included more than1,700 mortar rounds, 503 mortar fuses, three rocket launchers, six rockets, a 107mm rocket, a 76mm rocket, 52 Dishka rounds, 20 .50-cal. rounds, six five-gallon buckets of homemade explosive material, a 55 gallon of unknown substance, an unknown improvised explosive device, an IED made from two 133mm mortars, a high-explosive dual purpose 40mm round, a cell phone and nine SA-7 heat-seeking, shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles.
“As a result of the dedication and professionalism of the Soldiers from Co. C, 1st Bn., 21st Inf. Regt., 2nd SBCT, 25th Inf. Div., a huge amount of dangerous munitions were taken from the streets west of Baghdad,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, MND-B and the 4th Infantry Division. “The Soldiers remain steadfast and loyal in their resolve to safeguard the Iraqi people as they remove these deadly weapons as a potential threat against the Iraqi people.”
Sons of Iraq Remain on the Job
By Ken Griffin, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
CAMP TAJI — It’s business as usual for the volunteer security force known as the Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq) in Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad, as they patrol their city streets day and night.
As Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, “Golden Dragons,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad conducted a routine SoI checkpoint recon, Sept. 29, 2008, they saw what they always see: SoI guards manning their posts, doing their jobs.
“There hasn’t been any change,” according to Spc. Bryan Austin, a 23-year-old Golden Dragon squad leader from Sandusky, Ohio. “They don’t seem to mind that they’ll be paid by the Iraqi Army instead of us, and they’re still out providing security.”
Although the entire SoI organization is in a transition phase, their mission remains the same and is unlikely to change in the near future, said Capt. Jeremy Clardy, brigade planner, 2nd SBCT. Next month, the security force will fall under government of Iraq (GoI) control, drawing pay from the Iraqi Army rather than U.S. forces.
Citizen tip leads IA to HBIED in Abu Ghuraib
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army soldiers from the 24th Brigade, 6th IA Division acted on a tip from local residents in Abu Ghuraib, west of Baghdad, and discovered a house rigged with explosives, Oct. 4.
After the Soldiers cordoned off the area, they discovered a large amount of homemade explosives rigged to destroy the home.
With the support of Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 21st infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, the IA soldiers seized the explosives and removed them from the area for safe disposal.
Throughout the month of October, the 24th Bde., 6th IA Div. is conducting Operation Khahfahsh in Abu Ghuraib. The operation is focused on targeting and capturing terrorists and criminals responsible for violence directed against displaced families returning to the Abu Ghuraib area.
"We will continue to work with the good people of Abu Ghuraib as we drive the terrorists from our land,” said Iraqi Staff Brig. Gen. Nassir, commander, 24th Bde., 6th IA Div. “We will not allow the acts of cowards to intimidate those who wish to return to Abu Ghuraib and we thank the brave Iraqis who report terrorists and their crimes."
Getting Ready
Stars & Stripes has a nice article about preparations for the return of the 2nd SCR to Vilseck. Excerpt:
VILSECK, Germany — Like kids who can’t wait for Christmas, families here have put up the decorations in anticipation the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment’s return.Stryker soldiers have been in Iraq since August 2007 and are expected home in November. But this week, on-post streets in Vilseck are lined with U.S. flags and yellow ribbons. Fences near the main gate are plastered with signs welcoming home individual soldiers or sub-units within the regiment. One features the silhouette of a soldier mowing a lawn from a wife looking forward to some help with the yardwork.
1-37 FA Tests New Howitzer
The Northwest Guardian has an article describing a new weapon system being field-tested by the 1-37 FA, 3/2 SBCT. Excerpt:
Seeing how 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery has already established itself as a unit willing to step into the unknown and try new things, it make sense the unit became the first on Fort Lewis to fire the M777 155 mm howitzer Sept. 26.The firing of the new weapon system marked the end of a two-week training session in which a NET team from Fort Sill taught 1-37 FA Soldiers everything from maintenance to what each Soldier’s job in each section is.
“We went from zero to 100 in two weeks,” said battalion fire control officer Capt. Rick Helton. “We had no experience on the guns whatsoever.”
Tips lead IA, MND-B Soldiers to seize weapons
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Tips led Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers to weapons caches in Baghdad Oct 2.
IA soldiers serving with the 1st Battalion, 54th Brigade, 6th IA Division, found nine mortar rounds and 35 pounds of TNT in the Kadhamiyah district of Baghdad at approximately 9 a.m.
A tip from a concerned citizen led to the seizure of a munitions cache by soldiers serving with the 4th Battalion, 54th Bde., 6th IA Div., at approximately 2 p.m. in the Mansour district of Baghdad. The munitions included two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, an RPG round, 11 anti-personnel rockets, five 60 mm mortar rounds, three 82 mm mortar rounds, nine grenades, a remote control device and approximately a half pound of C4,150 PKC rounds, and a variety of small-arms rounds.
A tip from a local sheik led MND-B Soldiers from the 1st Battalion 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to the seizure of one 155 mm round and two 100 mm rounds west of Baghdad at approximately 6:30 p.m.
“The Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers work diligently, 24 hours a day, to remove these dangerous weapons from the area and safeguard the Iraqi people,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, Multi-National Division – Baghdad and the 4th Infantry Division. “The tips provided by concerned citizens are instrumental in accomplishing this.”
DVIDS Stories
We got a bit behind in posting stories from DVIDS about the 2/25 SBCT, 3/2 SBCT & 2nd SCR. Rather than try and post them all now I'll just provide links the stories on their site so you can browse through them yourself.
- Motor Pool Soldiers Keep the Infantry Fighting
- Former MLB Players Boost Morale
- Gimlets, IA Act With Kindness During Ramadan
- Army Private Put Navy Dad ‘through Hell’
- Soldier Turns Passion Into Army Career
- 32 Soldiers Participate in Honolulu Century Ride in Iraq
- Soldiers Work to Power Sab Al Bour
- Iraq Ministry of Agriculture Conference at Forward Operating Base Warhorse
- Fourth of July Festivities on Forward Operating Base Warhorse
