Stryker Soldier Awarded Soldier's Medal
The News-Miner profiles Spc. Ricardo Farrell, who was recently awarded the Soldier's Medal.
FAIRBANKS — A Fort Wainwright soldier has been awarded the Soldier’s Medal for rescuing a trapped soldier from a flooding Stryker vehicle.Spc. Ricardo Farrell, of Annandale, Va., a member of 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was part of a convoy on combat patrol Dec. 22 when the Stryker he was riding in swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle. [...]
The Virginia native dove into what soldiers call the “hell hole,” a small opening between the compartment and driver’s seat, to rescue his comrade.
Baqubah ceremony highlights transition in security in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – A ceremony to celebrate the transition of security in the cities from Coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces was held in Baqubah on June 25.
The ceremony was attended by senior government officials in the Diyala province along with Coalition leadership from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the 25th Infantry Division.
During the ceremony Diyala governor Abd-al-Nasir al-Mahdawi spoke of the transition in security and the efforts by many to gain and hold stability in Diyala. Former Diyala Governor Ra’ad, Brig. Gen. James Nixon deputy commanding general for operations 25th Infantry Division, and Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the 1/25 SBCT also spoke about progress in the province and goals for the region.
The ceremony, which included a dinner for the guests, was one of two being held in Diyala in the days leading up to the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat forces pull out of Iraqi cities, villages, and communities. On June 29, a transition ceremony is scheduled to occur in another city in Diyala province, Muqdadiah, which will focus on the progress made towards peace and stability in that community and region.
“This event certainly displays the high degree of cooperation made by the Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition in recent history,” said, Maj. Chris Hyde, 1/25SBCT public affairs officer. “The Iraqi Army and Police Force have improved dramatically in their ability to provide security for the people and communities of the province. As Coalition forces pull out of the region’s cities, we leave the people of Diyala in the strong, capable, and energetic hands of the Iraqi Security Forces.”
PA NG Soldiers Deliver Food to Abu Ghraib Orphanage
Story by Sgt. Philip Schratwieser
BAGHDAD – Soldiers of Company C of the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, "Paxton Rangers", 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad conducted a combined patrol through Abu Ghraib June 25 to disrupt insurgents in the area and improve their relationship with their Iraqi counterparts.
The area they patrolled is called the "1st of June" as Iraqis often name areas after significant dates in their history.
Leading the patrol was a platoon from the 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi army Division. As a result of the agreement between coalition forces and the nation of Iraq all combat operations are now conducted jointly.
One of the goals of these joint operations is training, another is to show the people that there is a transition happening as coalition forces begin pulling back.
Labor of Love
The Northwest Guardian also has a nice piece on the upcoming release of the book "Last Journey" by Darrell Griffin Sr.
The bond between a Fort Lewis Soldier and his father has survived death and become tangible in a unique book. The volume will soon join the growing number chronicling Iraq combat experiences, but “Last Journey: A Father and Son in Wartime” is different.The author sets the accounts of his son’s concurrent military, intellectual and internal lives in the biography of a truly exceptional Soldier, adding his own narrative to his son’s original e-mails and journal entries.
In a literal labor of love, Darrell Griffin Sr., the father of a former 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division staff sergeant, finished the book he started in collaboration with the son he lost in Iraq. For his research and seeking closure for his grief, he made an improbable trip to Iraq to the Sadr City street where his son died. Atlas & Company Publishers will release “Last Journey” Monday, co-authored by Griffin Sr. and his son, Skip, who was killed by a sniper’s bullet March 21, 2007. He was riding air guard in the rear hatch of his Stryker vehicle when he was struck from behind, between his Kevlar helmet and the top of his flack vest – a tragically perfect shot.
Related:
Last Journey - Book website
5/2 SBCT Deployment
The Northwest Guardian has two new articles regarding the pending deployment of the 5/2 SBCT to Afghanistan.
Space Technology Assists Iraqi Irrigation Inventory Project
BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's geospatial intelligence section are playing a role in helping Iraqi leaders prepare to expand irrigation and farming throughout Iraq.
The Soldiers are teaching 20 Iraqi technicians on data processing procedures they will use to inventory the Iraqi farmland and irrigation infrastructure.
Sgt. 1st Class Marvin Nichols and Pfc. Amanda Po, both of Philadelphia, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are presenting a geospatial systems workshop to ministry of water resources and ministry of agriculture officials in the International Zone. The course, that began June 21, will continue throughout the week.
The workshop shows technicians how to compile data, gathered recently by field technicians, to measure canal layouts and amounts of acreage used for growing various crops.
Taji Troops Help Defend Wetland Habitats
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers in one Pennsylvania Army National Guard company here have been "enlisting" over the past week in an effort to preserve stateside wetlands – for the benefit of wildlife and people.
A group 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers formed Ducks Unlimited's first chapter in Iraq with a June 13 cookout and charter meeting. Those first Camp Taji DU members have continued to sign up more new members for the waterfowl conservation organization since then. About 35 Soldiers have joined the roles of the Camp Taji, Iraq, chapter of Ducks Unlimited since the kickoff cookout.
The idea for an Iraq chapter started with a longtime DU member who is serving here with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry, 56th SBCT.
Sgt. John Chrzanowski, 57, of Erie, Pa., said the first annual meeting of the newest DU chapter offered the camaraderie of hunters hanging out together and sharing stories while deployed far from the nearest duck blind or deer stand.
SMA discusses leadership with Dragoons
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany – The Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment was host to a very distinguished guest Monday. Sgt. Major of the Army Kenneth O Preston took time out to sit down and speak with some of the 2SCR Troopers about their issues and concerns as well as the importance of leadership and the non commissioned officers corps.
Preston stressed the need for current NCOs to encourage their Soldiers to develop good leadership skills early on in their careers in order to become members of the organization known as the backbone of the Army.
Fires Squadron says goodbye to CSM with 30 years
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany –Despite heavy rains, Soldiers and family members from Fires Squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gathered Thursday, at the Vilseck High School football field to say goodbye to Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Diamond and welcome the new CSM, Squadron Command Sgt. Major Lorenzo F. Wallace during a change of responsibility ceremony.
After 30 years of service, Diamond ended his career with a bang. As is the tradition within Field Artillery units, the event opened with the firing of the last round. During the Last Round ceremony the outgoing senior non-commissioned officer takes control of the gun line and fires one final volley with the unit. The canister from that round is then presented to the outgoing NCO. Diamond was presented the canister by the First Sergeants of the Squadron. This ceremony symbolizes the desire of each artilleryman to be with his men manning his howitzer in battle.
“How do you summarize three decades of service and self-sacrifice, and do it justice,” said Lt. Col. Steven A. Bergosh, Commander of Fires Squadron, 2SCR. “Command Sgt. Major Diamond, there is no one in the Army I respect more than you.”
Chaplain (Major) Henry T. Vakoc, Retired
The News Tribune reports the sad news that U.S. Army Chaplain Fr. Tim Vakoc passed away on June 20, 2009, more than five years after being seriously injured while serving alongside the 3/2 SBCT in Iraq.
Godspeed Fr. Vakoc. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Related:
Five years later, Iraq war claims a priest's life - FOB Tacoma
Chaplain dies from 2004 Iraq war injuries - The News Tribune
Brave Catholic Army chaplain dies from injuries suffered in Iraq - Catholic News Agency
CaringBridge.com journal maintained by relatives
Priest gravely wounded in Iraq in 2004 dies - Star Tribune
Chaplain Vakoc leaves legacy of care - Northwest Guardian
Fort Polk Simulated Training Exercise
Story by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth
FORT POLK, La. - Soldiers with Company B, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment participated in an urban attack simulated training exercise lane June 18 at the Joint Readiness Training Center here.
The objective of the training was to gain control of a simulated city and turn it over to the Iraqi security forces.
"The mission was a kinetic operation in the town of Suliyah to remove insurgent forces from this village," said Capt. Jason Smith, a native of Davis, Calif., now the company's executive officer.
To meet their objective, Soldiers spent the afternoon searching buildings for insurgents and reacting to incoming fire.
The firefight began as soon as the Strykers rolled into town.
Iraqi Security Forces Training Exercise
Story by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth
FORT POLK, La. - Soldiers with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment assisted Iraqi security forces in an ISF patrol simulated training exercise lane June 19 at the Joint Readiness Training Center here.
The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers accompanied the ISF, played by JRTC role players, in conducting tactical site exploitation, cordon and search, and detainee operations.
The Iraqi police led the way into buildings and searched the people inside.
In one of the buildings searched, the ISF and Soldiers located a bomb maker and another man.
Army Psychologist Shares Unique Skills
FORT POLK, La. - Atop a hill overlooking a small, makeshift training village at Forward Operating Base Forge is a small shed designed more for the storage of lawn tools than the rehabilitation of Soldiers. The plywood walls hold two desks, three chairs, one storage box for medical manuals and a cot.
It is in these Spartan conditions that Soldiers of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team can find a resource more valuable than any of the tools it might naturally store. It is the 202nd Brigade Support Battalion's behavioral health clinic and despite being out of the way, the traffic hasn't suffered any, said Spc. Axeo Rowe, the mental health specialist who splits the space.
Capt. Michelle Tsai, the behavioral health officer for the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, is the office's other occupant. She is at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., with the 202nd BSB, participating in a training exercise for the Raider Brigade's upcoming deployment to Iraq, where she will offer her services in order to ensure the mental health of Raider Soldiers.
5/2 SBCT to Deploy With Land Warrior System
The News Tribune provides an update on the Land Warrior System the 5/2 SBCT will be using on its upcoming deployment.
Land Warrior is real-time network the Army believes should make missions in Iraq and Afghanistan quicker, more efficient and less prone to accidents.An earlier version was field-tested by a single Fort Lewis Stryker battalion in Iraq. Now it moves to the big stage – an entire brigade, in a different war-torn country.
“I used it on every mission we went on, and frankly, it was one of the best pieces of equipment we had over there,” said Staff Sgt. Dennis Davis, who used Land Warrior during his 2007 Iraq deployment with the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
“It helps with situational awareness on the battlefield,” Davis said. “I can’t imagine doing a mission now without the luxury of having it.”
Cavalry and Diplomacy
FORT POLK, La.— As the transfer of power in Iraq progresses, Soldiers are finding themselves in new roles.
A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, took part in street level engagement exercises June 15th at the Joint Readiness Training Center here.
Street level engagement exercises are one way the cavalry troopers from the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is helping the Iraqi army and Iraqi police to take a greater role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Staff Sgt. James Bell, A Troop, 2nd Sqdn, 1st Cav. Regt., has served three deployments to Iraq and thinks training like this is vital.
TOW Missile Range at Joint Readiness Training Center
An infantryman's long education isn't over when he graduates from his One Station Unit Training in Fort Benning, Ga. From the high-flying Airborne and Air Assault infantry to the hard-hitting Stryker and Heavy Infantry, there is a multitude of special skills unique to certain units. Once he arrives to his unit, a new infantryman must learn a whole new set of skills in addition to the foundation he developed in basic training.
For Radcliff, Ky., native, Pvt. Corey Fowler of F Company, 52nd Infantry Regiment, an unconventional Stryker infantry unit trained and outfitted for anti-armor combat, the continued education took form in the shape of a training range at the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division's rotation through Fort Polk's Joint Readiness Training Center on June 17.
The company fired tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missiles from massive launchers installed onto their Stryker vehicles. The TOW missiles stand about five feet high and must be loaded into the launcher by hand, a job Fowler performed for the first time during the exercise.
Iraqis Graduate Electrical Course
TARMIYAH, Iraq — The Ministry of Electricity celebrated the addition of 20 new linesmen to help restore much-needed electrical services to a rural area north of Baghdad.
The Tarmiyah Electrical Line Repair Team School held its graduation ceremony in the city of Tarmiyah, June 18. The event culminated six months of training for area citizens to gain the skills necessary to work for the ministry and help improve the electrical service in the area.
The class included three weeks of classroom instruction followed by 23 weeks of on-the-job-training. 1st Lt. Richard Weber, assistant engineer for 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division—Baghdad, has been working with the ministry to oversee the progress of the course.
5/2 SBCT Deployment Ceremony
Provided below are links to various stories covering the deployment ceremony of the 5/2 SBCT that was held last Friday.
- Stryker brigade ready to leave Fort Lewis - KOMO 4 News
- Stryker brigade soldiers depart Fort Lewis for Afghanistan - Seattle Times
- Stryker brigade ready to go to Afghanistan - The News Tribune
- Fort Lewis bids farewell to 5th Stryker Brigade - FOB Tacoma
Former Stryker Officer Takes Command
Lt. Col. Danny Dudek, formerly with the 4/2 SBCT, recently took command of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Ft. Lewis.
- Wounded commander leading by example - The News Tribune
- Wounded soldier takes command of Fort Lewis unit - Seattle Times
Stryker Infantry, Engineers Support Iraqi Army-led Search
NUBAI, Iraq – A platoon of Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers played a support role in an Iraqi army-led, battalion-level search for weapons caches near Nubai, north of Baghdad, June 16. The search of several areas discovered no caches but achieved another level of success for the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment and the unit's IA partners.
"This is actually the first time the Iraqi army as a brigade has planned a mission and executed on a battalion level," said Capt. John Mance of Norristown, Pa., commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-111th. "This is a first for their division and their brigade."
Soldiers from the 56th SBCT's 856th Engineer Company joined the HHC, 1-111th for the mission. Engineers and IA Soldiers together swept several large areas with metal detectors as a military working dog and handler zig-zagged across fields and along canals.
The 56th SBCT Soldiers linked up with the IA unit near Nubai, northwest of Camp Taji, in the early morning hours. IA Soldiers had already begun searching a field adjacent an IA checkpoint as the HHC Soldiers rolled up in their Strykers.
4/2 SBCT Trains at Ft. Polk
DVIDS has a number of articles featuring the 4/2 SBCT as it trains at Ft. Polk.
- In the Field with Comanche Company
- Chaplains train for deployment
- Stryker brigade Soldiers strengthen spirits
- Using the Multi-functional, Agile Remote-Controlled Robot
Joint Combat Outpost transferred to Iraqi Ministry of Youth Activities
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Joint Combat Outpost Blackfoot in central Diyala province was transferred from U.S. Coalition forces control to the Iraqi Ministry of Youth Activities June 15 in the city of Khalis.
The transfer was one of six closures currently scheduled to occur over the next two weeks throughout the Diyala province.
The COP was occupied by both Coalition and Iraqi Security forces prior to the transfer.
The newly acquired space will serve as an administrative headquarters for the youth ministry in the region and will also house a school for local children.
“This event represents another bold step forward for the region and people of the province,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Chris Hyde. “The metamorphosis of this site from a military base focused on security and preventing violence, to the location of a school and center focused on youth activities and education, marks an important, and certainly significant, step forward in the evolution of a nation.”
Capt. Scott Jones, Alpha Company Commander, 1stt Infantry Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment signs over Joint Combat Outpost Blackfoot to the Iraqi Government Ministry of Youth Activities during a ceremony June 15 in Diyala.
More Stryker Brigades?
According to an article in Army Times, the military is looking at the possibility of adding more Stryker brigades.
US Troops Shifting Presence in Iraq
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article regarding the movement of US troops out of most urban areas in Iraq. The shift is one of the conditions outlined in the security agreement signed by the US and Iraq at the beginning of the year.
BAGHDAD -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, said Monday that American combat troops are on track to leave Iraqi cities by the end of the month as scheduled, and he said the U.S. had closed or handed over 142 former American installations to the Iraqi government so far.Questions have lingered about the status of combat troops in still-volatile areas, like Mosul in the north of the country. But Gen. Odierno said American combat forces would pull back there too, thanks to improved security conditions across the country.
A small number of support troops will remain behind in some urban areas, as expected, he said. He said American forces will remain at 320 locations after a June 30 deadline for pulling U.S. combat troops out of Iraqi cities.
'Charlie Med' Soldiers Take Care of Camp Taji
TAJI, Iraq – Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers staffing Camp Taji's main medical clinic are prepared to treat the worst of battlefield injuries but hope the bulk of their cases continues to be sprained ankles and upset stomachs. Soldiers of Company C "Charlie Med," 328th Brigade Support Battalion, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, operate the facility which provides basic healthcare to the thousands of Soldiers and civilians on the post which is located north of Baghdad.
"All walks of life come in here, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Strathmeyer of Lititz, Pa., the clinic's non-commissioned officer in charge. "We treat anything from a Hesco barrier getting dropped on someone's foot to gunshot wounds. We've got the only Guard [facility] and we're the highest level of care on the FOB [forward operating base]."
The clinic's lab workers can do urine analysis and blood counts. Tests that can't be performed at the clinic are sent to a combat support hospital in Baghdad. The medical clinic supports about 10,000 Soldiers and up to another 12,000 civilians at Taji.
4/2 SBCT Offload at Rail Head Station
By Pfc. Victor Ayala, 49th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT POLK, La. - Hot steel tracks, the unforgiving Louisiana sun and the dull roar of engines sum up the experience some Soldiers with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, have enjoyed since offloading began at Fort Polk's rail head station on June 3.
Since their arrival from Fort Lewis, Wash., Soldiers with the brigade have been offloading vehicles from train cars and preparing them for the month-long rotation through Ft. Polk's Joint Readiness Training Center, the center that will prepare the Soldiers for their upcoming Iraq deployment by immersing them in a simulated combat environment.
In addition to nearly 100 Stryker vehicles, the brigade brought with it a large number of other tactical vehicles, all of which had to be specially prepared for the training. From the Stryker to the smaller Humvees, Soldiers with the brigade guided the vehicles along narrow train cars and delivered them to the bays where they were inspected. Once inspected, Soldiers outfitted them with the Military Integrated Laser Engagement System.
Weapons, explosives seized near Taji
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
CAMP TAJI – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division—Baghdad Soldiers seized a sizable amount of weapons and explosives June 9 while conducting joint operations north of Baghdad.
Members of the 36th Iraqi Army Brigade and the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (Independence), uncovered three significant weapon caches in the Taji area that included two rockets, seven RPGs, 44 mortars, 10 fuses, 16 grenades, three rifles, one machine gun, four pounds of military grade explosives and suicide belts.
The majority of the findings were destroyed with select items turned over to the Iraqi Army.
1-112th INF Update
The Erie Times-News conducted a phone interview with the commander of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade.
The Iraqis "are coming to us with missions now, we don't have to go to them with targets," said Junkin, 32, of Erie. "We're really in a support role, to tell you the truth. It's working out well."The same applies to the rest of the 4,000-soldier deployment, said brigade spokesman Capt. Cory Angell.
"We're all trying to let (the Iraqis) take the lead, because they know, and we know, that we are only going to be here for so much longer," Angell said.
Simulated Training
The Olympian has a bit more on the new Stryker simulator used to train troops from the 3/2, 4/2 & 5/2 SBCTs.
FORT LEWIS – A $1.1 million simulator will help soldiers assigned to the three Stryker combat brigades based here make the most of their time before they deploy to combat by this fall.To train on the Mobile Gun System – the behemoth of the 10 variants of the armored, eight-wheeled vehicles – gunners and vehicle commanders trekked over to the Yakima Training Center, an area both large and isolated enough to fire off the system’s 105 mm cannon. Now they can step inside a trailer parked behind the Battle Command Training Center, the post’s center for virtual training, saving them time, money and ammunition.
Related:
Stryker unit gives new gunnery training system first Armywide test run - Northwest Guardian
Preparing to Deploy
The Seattle Times visits a fair sponsored by Ft. Lewis to prepare military families for upcoming deployments.
FORT LEWIS — Inside a huge white tent staked out in the forest alongside Interstate 5, the Army is holding a fair.There are no carnival games or rides. Instead, soldiers who will soon head to Iraq and Afghanistan, and their families, visit booths that offer information about child care, art programs, high-interest savings accounts and other support services. [...]
This year, some 18,000 Fort Lewis soldiers — more than half the 30,000 soldiers stationed at the post, and a peak since 9/11 — are scheduled to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
That compares with the previous peak of roughly 12,000 soldiers two years ago.
Joint Medical Expo Brings Healthcare to Needy Iraqis
TAJI, Iraq — Thanks to the combined efforts of Pennsylvania Guardsmen, the Iraqi army, and concerned citizens, villagers have access to medical care in an area where local clinics are not accessible.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Multi-National Division-Baghdad helped support a medical expo, June 7, at the al-Sadir secondary school in the rural area of Hor al-Bosh to see doctors and nurses, and obtain necessary medications.
Sheik Mohammed Ibrahim donated hundreds of doses of antibiotics, vaccinations, and other medications to provide to the locals who otherwise don't have regular access to medical facilities. He worked with the Soldiers of Co. C and their Iraqi army counterparts to set up the event where families could seek medical treatment in a safe environment.
"Lots of these people have no money," Ibrahim said, "With this mission they are feeling that someone cares about the people; that the coalition forces, along with the Iraqi army, are for their best interests."
PA Representatives Visit With Stryker Soldiers
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Col. Marc Ferraro, commander of 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, updated four U.S. representatives from Pennsylvania on the work of "Independence" brigade Soldiers during the congressional delegation's visit here, June 7.
U.S. Reps. Tim Holden (D-17th District), Bill Shuster (R-9th District), Charlie Dent (R-15th District) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3rd District) visit comes at the midpoint of the brigade's deployment in Iraq.
"We conduct full-spectrum operations," Ferraro told the delegation. "Everything we do is through a partnership with the Iraqi army."
Ferraro reported the brigade has conducted over 3,000 patrols, with Soldiers finding 79 weapon caches. Additionally, 827 arrest warrants have been issued through cooperation with Iraqi security forces. Ferraro said that number is the highest within Multi-National Division-Baghdad.
AMC begins moving Strykers into Afghanistan
(Via FOB Tacoma)
by Capt. Justin Brockhoff, 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center
6/8/2009 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Air Mobility Command's hub for global airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation is "all in" with its commitment to support joint worldwide operations, kicking off efforts this week to airlift more than 300 Stryker vehicles to military forces in Afghanistan.
The term Stryker applies to a family of armored troop-transport vehicles used by the U.S. Army for ground operations. One vehicle can carry up to 11 troops and weighs approximately 19 tons, depending on the variation, according to an Army fact sheet.
Moving the Strykers, which are assigned to the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Lewis, Wash., is being accomplished by a combination of sealift and airlift assets. The vehicles and equipment are being taken by ship for the majority of the trip around the world, and then the Air Force takes over to fly the last portion of the journey into land-locked Afghanistan.
Air Mobility Command officials plan to move the 300-plus vehicles and support equipment, totaling nearly 9,500 tons, into Afghanistan over the next two months on Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs flown by military crews, and AN-124s, operated by commercial partners.
Operation shift efforts to outreach in Diyala Province
Multi-National Division – North
Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Diyala, Iraq – Residents throughout Diyala province have been receiving humanitarian aid from Iraqi Security Forces along with members of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division as part of operation “Glad Tidings of Benevolence II,” which began May 1.
Thus far 23 areas have received humanitarian aid distributions while 19 more are planned for the near future. Distribution of aid is conducted as part of a combined venture to help those most in need in the province.
Residents receive rice, sugar, grain or other cooking necessities, and local school children in need of school supplies receive pencils, paper or recreational items such as soccer balls.
The assistance not only aids the people of the region but also helps to build stronger bonds between the residents and the local Security Forces who distribute them.
“With the greatly improved security posture of a majority of cities in Diyala, which have been cleared as a result of ongoing Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces operations in support of Glad Tidings of Benevolence II in the Diyala Province, the provincial government has begun to provide and reestablish not only critical essential services to the population, but they have provided crucial humanitarian assistance in the form of food, water, and medical supplies to areas in desperate need,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Bayer, deputy officer for the southern command post Multi-National Division- North.
“These forces have arranged many of these humanitarian assistance packages and have been integrating these delivery operations into their roles of protectors of the people of Diyala,” he continued.
Photos: Joint Patrol in the Diyala Province
DVIDS has a new photo album featuring soldiers from 1-5 CAV, 1/25 SBCT on patrol in Diyala.
Stryker Soldier Dies in Rafting Accident
The News Tribune confirms the death of PFC Robert Lang Wheatley, Jr., a soldier with the 4/2 SBCT, in a rafting incident on the Nisqually river. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Excerpt:
FORT LEWIS, Wash. - The body of Private First Class Robert Lang Wheatley, Jr., of Arcadia, Calif., was recovered from the Nisqually River June 2 by members of Thurston County's dive team. [...]Pfc. Wheatley was assigned to Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Lewis, Wash.
On May 17, Pfc. Wheatley and eight other soldiers and one child were on a white water rafting trip on the Nisqually River, in Thurston County, when the three rafts were caught in a fast river current and hit logs jammed in the river. All three rafts were capsized; everyone made it to the river embankment except Pfc. Wheatley.
Chance Meeting Brings Cavalry Sergeant Face-to-face With D-Day Veteran
By Tech. Sgt. Michael Voss, 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
SAINTE MERE EGLISE, France – Although sun and waves come together to create a serene picture of Sainte Mere Eglise on June 4, 65 years ago on June 6 it was the site of one of the bloodiest battles in history.
On June 6, 1944, French, U. S. and other allied forces stood together on D-Day to fight the German occupiers of France. During the battle for the beaches of Normandy, paratroopers from American, British and Canadian forces landed along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast.
It was largest single-day amphibious invasion in history, with 160,000 troops landing. Each year since the liberation of Normandy, allied forces have come here to honor those who fought here that day.
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Selvage, said he has waited 22 years to see the Normandy beaches and participate in commemoration ceremonies here.
"I have wanted to get here since my first year here in Germany. I just never had the chance," said the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Soldier stationed in Vilseck, Germany. "It is a great honor."
Arctic Wolves Work With Fellow Fort Wainwright Soldiers in Diyala
DIYALA, Iraq - In Diyala province, Soldiers of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division are getting a little help from above, Cavalry style.
The brigade is receiving support from the 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment who is also from Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
The 6-17 cavalry unit flies OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter. The Kiowa Warrior is a dual purpose surveillance and attack aircraft. The aircraft is able to mount several different weapons systems onboard, including .50 caliber machine guns and unguided rockets.
Gym Dedicated to Fallen Independence Soldier
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Soldiers from 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Independence," Multi-National Division—Baghdad paid tribute to a fallen Soldier by naming a gym in his honor.
The Baum Fitness Center was dedicated, June 5, named after Staff Sgt. Mark Baum, of Quakertown, Pa., who was killed in action, Feb. 21.
Baum was fatally shot near Mushada, just north of Camp Taji, when members of his platoon responded to attack by small-arms fire. This deployment was his third combat deployment and second to Iraq.
Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment stood under the 112 degree sun to watch the ceremony for a Soldier they considered a brother, friend, and mentor.
Combat Out Post Diamond Helps Secure Remote Area
Story by Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher, 145th MPAD
DIYALA, Iraq – A "diamond in the rough" - that seems a fitting description for the small Combat Out Post Diamond, located south of Balad Ruz in the southern Diyala province.
With only eight small tents located on the land, members of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment under Task Force 3-66, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, along with other "enabler" personnel, call this home.
Their mission, as they rotate from Forward Operating Base Hammer every few days, is an array of tasks that not only help to improve the security of the area, but also improve the region's stability so that many of the displaced people, who once lived in the area, will return one day.
"We do combat patrols, work with the Iraqi army on joint missions, and often check on Iraqi checkpoints to ensure they have what they need and that they are doing their job properly," said 1st Lt. Russell Morgan, 2nd platoon leader for A Company.
Guardsmen Deliver Supplies to Local Children
TAJI, Iraq – Teamwork between Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and three local Iraqi sheikhs led to a June 4, distribution of essential supplies to two local schools, north of Baghdad.
Although philanthropy is not a part of the units' stated mission, Soldiers from the 328th Brigade Support Battalion and 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division—Baghdad managed to accumulate several boxes of supplies by appealing to private citizens and organizations back in the United States
Iraqi army and police officers provided security as over 320 children received school materials and hygiene items. The American soldiers found themselves driven to help local school children.
"Every kid got something today," said Lt. Steven DeSanzo, of Ellwood City, Pa., of Company B, 1st Bn., 112th Inf. Regt.
After coordinating with Sheikhs Awad, Naif, and Yasin, the U.S. troops were able to offload the supplies at the al-Bowasick and al-Boreyap schools.
The students were given handbills to assist in identifying personnel and groups wanted by regional authorities. They were also given instructions on how to inform their local police officers.
The Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers involved in the effort said most of the children present are too young to fully comprehend the reasons behind the conflict in their nation but said selfless acts like these will ensure that the children will have positive memories of the United States and its Soldiers.
Maintenance Mission Lifts Soldiers to New Heights
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers who work at the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team headquarters, likely no longer take notice of the towering antennas around their buildings. One piece of the communications equipment drew a lot of attention though, June 4, when two Soldiers rode a crane-operated platform to the top of the nearly 50-feet high antenna to perform routine maintenance.
The spectacle of two Soldiers perched well above rooftop level had passersby stopping for a look-see throughout the day.
"We were conducting antennae maintenance on the towers, for the FM [communications]," said Sgt. Shauna Banks of Philadelphia. "We also ran new cable."
Banks, a signal systems specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th SBCT, coordinated the maintenance project for the brigade's "commo" section. She said temporary connections to other antennas had to be made so the company did not lose FM communications while maintenance was conducted.
Joint Air Assault Checks for Caches
TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers from a Pennsylvania Army National Guard unit worked with Iraqi army soldiers, June 3, to confirm that insurgents have not reseeded a small portion of desert area, northwest of Taji, with weapon caches.
The joint mission also provided IA soldiers an opportunity to hone air assault skills as the Iraqis participated in a helicopter insertion into the search point with their 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team counterparts.
"Today's mission was a combined air assault operation. The purpose was to confirm or deny whether the area is being used by the enemy for logistics," said Capt. Greg Holloway, of Slippery Rock, Pa., commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th SBCT.
Holloway said insurgents have used the location in the past for hiding weapons. U.S. and Iraqi forces periodically search such areas to ensure insurgents don't begin using them again.
ISF, MND-B arrest seven during Baghdad operations
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces Soldiers arrested seven criminals in three different operations in northwest Baghdad and Abu Ghraib May 30 – June 1.
At approximately 11 p.m., May 30, Soldiers serving with the 2nd Stryker Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division—Baghdad, arrested four individuals while conducting combined patrol operations with Iraqi Security Forces in the Abu Ghraib district west of Baghdad.
During the patrol, the Soldiers observed two suspicious males and as the convoy approached their position, the individuals fled to a house.
Soldiers Remember Comrade in Memorial Ceremony
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers remembered the life of one of their own in a memorial ceremony at Camp Liberty, May 30.
Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers serving with the 2nd Stryker Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, held the ceremony for Spc. Chad Edmundson, from Williamsburg, Pa., who died of wounds from an improvised explosive device during dismounted patrol operations in Abu Ghraib May 27.
Friends and comrades of Edmundson said a few words to describe just the type of character he had.
"Chad personified every aspect of the Army values," said Capt. Jason Hoffman, Edmundson's company commander. "His character was defined by selfless service."
Photos: Joint Patrol in Abu Ghraib
56th SBCT soldiers featured in new photo album from DVIDS. Description:
A U.S. Soldier from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, digs for a potential weapons cache during a joint patrol through a village in the Abu Ghraib District of Baghdad, Iraq, on May 26.
