Pennsylvania Guard Mission Counters Attacks From IEDs, IDF
BAGHDAD – An area known as "the big concrete slab" has attracted the interest of a platoon of Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers for its use as a staging area to deter indirect fire attacks against coalition forces.
Soldiers of the "Charger" Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, drove Stryker vehicles onto the "slab" to conduct a counter-improvised explosive device and counter-IDF mission here, July 30.
The area, which gave a wide 360-degree view, was picked as a good spot to thwart insurgent attacks in the planning phase.
"We're trying to catch people placing IEDs or trying to fire rockets and mortars at us or at VBC [Victory Base Complex]," said Spc. Paul Valdiserri, an infantryman from Stockdale, Pa. "There is also that chance that someone will come up to us to give us information. We've had that happen before."
Future Hero Project Distributes Smiles to Iraqi Children
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Over 2,000 children from the Tarmiyah area received soccer balls and school supplies, July 29, thanks to a combined effort between the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (Independence), Iraqi security forces, and the Ministry of Education.
The Future Hero project is a joint effort between Soldiers from the Independence Brigade and their Iraqi security force counterparts. In the past they have done many school drops under the Junior Hero program, but the Future Hero program took things to the next level by involving Iraqi officials and recognizing academic achievements of the students.
"We have done about 15 Junior Hero projects throughout the Tarmiyah qada, but this one is the largest," Sgt. Brian Choe, of Tustin, Calif., said. "We asked to bring in the Ministry of Education and the council members and are presenting the top students from 15 schools with a certificate of achievement today."
Choe has been based out of Tarmiyah since last October and wanted to give back to the small town north of Camp Taji that he had been working in. He got the idea for Operation Future Hero after holding about fifteen Junior Hero school drops in the past 10 months. According to Choe, Operation Future Hero creates community involvement rather than just handing out gifts.
Awards Finally Arrive
The Northwest Guardian reports that the 3/2 SBCT finally received the awards it earned during its previous deployment.
After the inspection of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers in formation July 24 and before casing the colors, the six battalions and 10 other subordinate units, assigned or attached during its second deployment, received a flood of unit awards.The brigade adjutant read citations for 15 Valorous Unit Awards and 11 Meritorious Unit Commendations.
“That’s how we did it last time, too,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Bjerke, the brigade senior NCO. “We got our awards and put them on (at) the deployment ceremony.”
Real-World Learning
Three UAF students and their journalism professor will embed with the 1/25 SBCT in Iraq for a month, according to the Daily News-Miner.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks seniors signed onto a monthlong hitch in one of the most dangerous countries in the world.They leave today on a trip to Baqouba, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad, where they’ll embed with soldiers from Fort Wainwright’s Stryker Brigade to learn what war reporting is all about.
The trio, chaperoned by Associate Professor Brian O’Donoghue, plan to file stories with various media outlets and post to their blog, shorttimers.blogspot.com.
Related:
UAF students get real world experience reporting in Iraq
Book Signing: Last Journey
Darrell Griffin Sr. will be signing copies of his new book, Last Journey, at Ft. Lewis today. We're still trying to get details on where/when.
Update: Darrell confirms it is from noon-2pm today PST.
Firing Army's Newest Howitzer
Soldiers from the 2nd SCR in Germany test out the latest weapon system. Great photos, too!
On July 24, Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment FIRES Squadron became the first unit in Europe to fire the Army's new M777 Howitzers at the Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area.
Extreme Sports Therapy
The Associated Press has a piece on how the military is using extreme sports as a form of post-deployment therapy.
Secured with elastic cords to a railroad bridge more than 200 feet over a gorge south of Mount St. Helens, Portillo's mission was to dive over the edge. She pretended to throw up, getting a nervous laugh out of the troops behind her. Then, keeping her own anxiety in check, she bungee-jumped into the lush green below.Dozens of soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment and the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team took the plunge that day last fall. Most had been recently deployed in Iraq. Few had bungee-jumped before.
As he stood at the edge, Sgt. Steve Damron felt a mix of trepidation and adrenaline that he likened to patrols through Baghdad. ''It's a chance to calm our brothers down,'' he said, ''to push that adrenaline out.''
1/25 SBCT Set to Return Home Soon
Alaska is also preparing for the return of the 1/25 SBCT.
- Wainwright troops near homecoming - Anchorage Daily News
- Stryker Brigade soldiers prepare to return from Iraq - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
- Stryker Brigade poised for September return - KTUU
Photos: U.S., Iraqi Soldiers Clear Village
DVIDS has a new photo album featuring soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
Redeployment on Horizon
Folks in PA are gearing up for the return of the 56th SBCT this fall, according to The Herald-Mail.
Before long, Angell and more than 4,000 other members of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team should be talking to their loved ones face to face. The brigade, which included about 88 guardsmen based in Chambersburg and Waynesboro when it deployed in January, is scheduled to return to the United States in September.“Everybody’s looking forward to coming home, but we can’t lose sight that there’s a bad guy out there,” said Maj. Daniel Cody of Chambersburg.
Extending Our Reach
I've been an avid user of both Facebook and Twitter for personal networking purposes, but to date have not established a presence on either site for Stryker Brigade News and its community. That changes today. You can now follow us on Twitter (@strykernews) and become a fan on Facebook.
I don't expect our presence and participation on these sites to detract from the flow of information here. I anticipate our Twitter feed will publish bits of info that don't warrant a full blog entry, and our Facebook page will simply be another way for our followers to connect to each other.
Best,
Todd
Wolf pack bids farewell to CSM “Bull dog”
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany – Troopers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gathered at Stryker Memorial Park in Vilseck July 17 to say goodbye to Command Sergeant. Major Everett Clark as he relinquished his position as CSM of the Wolf Pack to Command Sergeant Major James Bodecker during a Change of Responsibility Ceremony.
Commander of 3rd Squadron, 2nd SCR, and Lt. Col. Bryan Denny praised Clark for his dedication and commitment to the Pack.
“Known as a bull dog,” Denny said. “Command Sergeant Major Clark jumped into the squadron head first.”
“He tenaciously enforced standards, built systems and put that calibrated Sergeant Major’s eye on problems only he could solve,” Denny said.” He helped pull this squadron into a team.”
Denny went on to describe Clark as a true Soldier’s NCO.
RHHT says goodbye, welcome new commander
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany – Troopers of the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment’s Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (RHHT) gathered Thursday June 9th to say goodbye to a valued teammate and welcome a new one during a change of command ceremony.
Outgoing RHHT Commander Alfreda A. Lacey relinquished her leadership responsibilities to Capt. Nicholas B. Smith with the traditional passing of the guide on ceremony held at building 600 on Rose Barracks in Vilseck.
Lacey assumed command of the Vipers in July 2008 while the Regiment was deployed to Iraq.
“Freda assumed command in the midst of combat of one of the most difficult units in the Regiment,” said Lt. Col. Steven Bergosh, Commander of Fires Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. “She grew in command, instituting systems where none existed before and more importantly she cared.”
2/2, 4/2 SCR prepare for JTF-East
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany – Soldiers from 2nd and 4th Squadrons of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment were working on the railroad all to live long day Thursday July 9 preparing for their upcoming deployment in support of Joint Task Force –East. Troops spent the day learning the proper procedures for loading vehicles and equipment onto rail cars for transport.
Instructor Johann Witt walked the crew through the proper procedures to insure all equipment and vehicles were loaded safely.
“We went through it step by step,” Witt explained. “We start with the safety brief and when that is done the rail team will begin prepping the cars.”
From there Witt went on to explain the proper procedure for driving vehicles on and off the rail cars. According to Witt this lesson covered two very important areas.
“Ground guiding is one of the important things I always raise up to them,” Witt said. “if you don’t practice proper ground guiding you will always have problems.”
The second issue is safety and how to drive onto the car. Following that the crews were taught the various options for blocking and bracing the wheels.
“Basically we are preparing for our closer meter targets which are Romania and Bulgaria for JTF-East,” said 1st Lt. Matthew Simon, Unit Movement Officer for 4/2 SCR, “but we are also working with Soldiers with longevity to prepare for future deployments as well.”
Simon was quite pleased with his Pale horse Troops performance throughout the training.
“We came out with a set crew with specific roles and responsibilities for the Romania movement,” Simon said. “Because we had predestinated ground guides and such, so we were able to focus in on uploading and walk away from today feeling comfortable with the hands on practice.”
Simon said that the day’s training was invaluable to his Soldiers.
“There are so many things that we do in the Army that is by reviewing the book,” he said, “but we always seem to close out training with some type of hands on experience.”
“This really helps solidify what is involved with rail ops,” he said. “Ultimately important to make sure the guys do it safely and then everything gets to its destination in one piece.”
U.S. Army helps improve traffic flow around Diyala Governance Center
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – As a sign of Iraq’s growing self-confidence and sovereignty, the walls around the Diyala Governance Center are being moved closer to the building and out of the street, July 25.
To reduce the “bunker” appearance of the Diyala GC, engineers of the 887th Engineer Support Company, 37th Engineer Battalion, used two large cranes and shear manpower to move the more than 30 one-ton, concrete barriers and guard towers closer to the buildings of the Governance Center and out of the street, allowing traffic to flow more freely.
The work is being done at the request of Diyala’s Governor, Abdul Nasser al-Mahdawi, to reduce the “fortress-like” appearance of the Governance Center and reduce the footprint of the area without jeopardizing security of those who work within the walls, said Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, the unit that operates across Diyala Province.
“We are working to assist the Governor and the Diyala Operations Center commander in their efforts to continue to improve security and stability in Diyala. We have been working this deal for several weeks now. The provincial Governor wants to make changes to the footprint here,” said Thompson. “He wants to send a signal showing things are different now, showing sovereignty while maintaining security and looking less intimidating and bunkered and get back to normal.”
3/2 SBCT Deployment Ceremony
Provided below are links to stories covering Friday's official deployment ceremony for the 3/2 SBCT.
- 'Band of brothers' off to Iraq for 3rd time - KOMO News
- 4000 Fort Lewis soldiers to head to Iraq - Seattle Times
- Going to a changed Iraq - The News Tribune
U.S., Iraqi Forces establish joint information sharing center in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – Soldiers with 25th Infantry Division, keep information flowing and, at the same time, build relationships with their Iraqi counterparts at a new joint operations center in Diyala.
Located at Forward Operating Base Lion, Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment and their counterparts, the Iraqi Army’s 18th Brigade, 5th Division, operate the Combined Operations and Intelligence Cell, the latest joint concept developed by both Iraqi and U.S. forces. The new center is primarily devoted to keeping lines of communication open between the two units, as they continue to work together towards a common purpose.
Capt. Lucas Sandidge, Officer-in-charge of the COIC, said the cell’s mission is to rapidly report significant activities, track all combined Iraqi Army and Coalition forces movements and track IA units operating without a Coalition partner within the battalion’s area of operations.
The method the COIC uses is simple. Soldiers operate a tactical operations center, much like a battalion headquarters. Using interpreters, they feed all information they receive to an almost identical IA TOC in the next room.
Snipers Take Aim
FORT LEWIS, Wash. – He laid perfectly still as he concentrated on the target 600 meters in front of him. His spotter peered through the scope and jotted down a few things in his field notebook. The spotter leaned over and told the shooter the vital information needed to take out their target. Once the shooter was ready, he focused all his effort as he prepared to take the shot.
Having to consider distance, elevation and weather conditions, shooters have to adjust their weapon to make sure the first shot is the last shot.
The Army is fielding the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System to help snipers hit their target. The M110 SASS was dubbed by the Army as one of the inventions of 2007. The M110 SASS was tested by snipers in 5th Striker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Lewis, Wash., July 15.
"Versions of this rifle have been out for a while now, but this is one of the newer models," said Sgt. James Clark, sniper section leader for 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. "The M110 SASS will be replacing the previously used SR-25."
Stryker Vehicle Good Fit for PA NG Cavalry Troopers
TAJI, Iraq – Decked out in "Pope Glass," camouflage netting and possibly an ice chest or two, the vehicle begins to resemble a parade float. But Soldiers who depend on the Stryker each day at Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad, are fond of their "trucks" that bring a new level of versatility and mobility to the battlefield.
Soldiers of one 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team unit also praise the eight-wheeled, all-wheel-drive Stryker for its high-tech communications package and its safety features. U.S. Army 1st Lt. Eric Tomlinson of Warminster, Pa., leader of 1st Platoon, A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, said he appreciates the armor package of the Stryker.
"It's a lot more robust than what you've got in a Humvee," Tomlinson said. "And the other thing that's great about it is the flexibility of being able to have more dismounts in a concentrated vehicle platform."
The Stryker, produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, comes in 10 variants. The infantry carrier variant can shuttle a full squad of seven Soldiers, in addition to a vehicle commander, driver and gunner. The vehicles feature fire-suppression systems and operators can adjust tire pressure to terrain.
Update on Injured Soldier
The Altoona Mirror has an update on a 56th SBCT soldier, SGT Matt Gibbons, who was injured in Iraq.
After a second deployment with the 56th Stryker Brigade of the Pennsylvania National Guard when Matt, 26, and Jon, 37, went to Iraq, an enemy grenade injured the youngest of four Gibbons siblings earlier this year."I wish I was still there," Matt Gibbons said while recently on leave in Altoona during his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
While his brother continues active duty in Iraq, Matt travels to Walter Reed for physical therapy on an injured hand and adjusts to life with only one eye. At the end of the month, he will remain at the medical center until a transfer is complete.
Ft. Lewis Memorial Dedicated
Memorials for soldiers of the 1/25 SBCT and 4/2 SBCT were recently dedicated at Ft. Lewis.
- Fort Lewis Memorial Park honors soldiers - Seattle Times
- Memories of Fort Lewis fallen etched in stone - The News Tribune
56th SBCT Videos
DVIDS has a number of recent videos featuring elements of the 56th SBCT.
- DVIDS 656th Signal Company
- DVIDS Stryker Vehicles Driving
- 56th Stryker Brigade Clears Route of IED's - Interviews
- 56th Stryker Brigade Clears Route of IED's
- 56th Stryker Brigade Clears Route of IED's - Package
Stryker Route Clearance Teams Clear Roads for Soldiers, Local Civilians
TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers of the 856th Engineer Company, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team slowly cruise the roads of the Taji area, north of Baghdad, trying to find anything that might hide a roadside bomb. When the engineers find something suspicious, they poke it.
It may seem like a strange job but it's a necessary one. Soldiers on the route clearance missions have a goal of finding emplaced improvised explosive devices before they can be used against other Soldiers or civilian motorists. Their toolbox includes Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles equipped with hydraulic arms that can "poke" at suspect items and dig through dirt or piles of trash. The teams also use metal detectors and the engineer-variant Stryker vehicle. Teams don't move very quickly. But speed is not the goal; vigilance is.
"It's very interesting because you never know what's going to happen out there," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Bentley of York, Pa., a squad leader with 856th's 2nd Platoon.
A typical mission can last hours. Bentley said the heat and the repetitiveness of the job wears on Soldiers. He said his squad has seen the same stretches of road, and the same garbage, many dozens of times. He said the key is for team members to keep the radio chatter going between vehicles and to call out familiar and unfamiliar objects by the road.
Iraqi Army & JTF Eagle Partner to Complete Diyala Operations Center
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GHALIBIYAH, Iraq – As Iraq commemorated Sovereign Day United States Airmen of Joint Task Force Eagle and Iraqi army soldiers completed combined joint partnership construction of a new Operations Center in Diyala Province.
Airmen from 732d Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Detachment 6 of JTF Eagle, 555th Engineer Brigade and Soldiers from the 5th IA Field Engineer Regiment conducted cross-training on carpentry skills during interior renovation of two hard stand existing structures and building of two additional Southwest Asia huts that serve as office and living space at the new Diyala Operations Center.
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division 'Arctic Wolves' commander Col. Burdett K. Thompson and Lt. Col. Paul S. Sarat, deputy brigade commander recognized service members with certificates of achievement for their part in the construction project. Sarat presented the certificates iy a ceremony Jule 3 at Joint Base Balad. The 'Arctic Wolves' serve as the operation environment owners for the area.
Eyes in the Sky
Stars & Stripes describes a new unmanned aerial vehicle soldiers from the 56th SBCT are testing out.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — It starts with a pull cord, sounds like a high-powered weed whacker and looks like a motorized bucket with legs.Soldiers in the field have already given it a nickname — the "flying beer keg."
But this keg dispenses something more valuable than frosty ale, even for thirsty troops in Iraq. The Gas Micro Air Vehicle gives an individual soldier a view around corners and on the roofs of buildings without having to call back to headquarters for help.
5/2 SBCT Arrives
DVIDS has two videos of the 5/2 SBCT arriving in Kandahar.
(via Northwest Guardian)
Signal Company Keeps Stryker Soldiers in Touch With Each Other, the World
TAJI, Iraq – The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's signal company has been fighting the heat and dust of Iraq to keep brigade units "on the horn" with each other. The Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers understand that the performance of Soldiers on missions may depend upon how well they can communicate.
"In few places can you say life or death depends on being able to talk; this is one of them," Capt. Mark Campbell of State College, Pa., 656th Signal Company commander said, July 11.
The mission of the 656th, based in Torrance, Pa., and currently deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad, is to provide phone, internet and radio communication for the 56th SBCT. Campbell, who as a civilian works in information technology for the Penn State University library, said Soldiers of his unit aggressively look for communications problems to solve by routinely visiting units.
"We go ahead and we ask them, 'How are things going?'" Campbell said.
56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade Commanders Swap Roles
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – For an aviation unit, the concept of performing missions on the ground is perhaps an alien thought, just as being in the air is to the Stryker teams who are helping to keep the Iraqi streets safe.
When the roles are reversed however, and both sides are able to see operations from each other's point of view, the importance of air-ground integration is magnified – revealing how crucial both are to complete these missions.
The commanders of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade and 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team were able to experience this reversal, as both undertook joint training working together to obtain a new perspective on AGI and better understand how it works.
Col. Marc Ferraro, from Cherry Hill, N.J., commander, Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th SBCT, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, said the working relationship between the 1st ACB and the 56th SBCT began last November at Fort Polk, La., when the two trained together in preparation for their upcoming deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Base Construction in Afghanistan
Stars & Stripes describes the flurry of construction activity taking place in Afghanistan to accommodate the influx of new coalition forces, including the 5/2 SBCT.
TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan — The first wave of construction at more than a half-dozen bases across southern Afghanistan designed to accommodate the Obama administration’s buildup of U.S. forces in the region will be finished by the end of July, according to senior U.S. officers involved in the effort.More than 2,700 civilian contractors and 2,100 Army, Navy and Air Force engineers have been working to either expand existing bases or build new ones from scratch at eight locations in Farah, Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces, they said. [...]
The 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., is currently flowing into Kandahar Airfield, the main NATO airbase in southern Afghanistan, but has yet to push out to several bases in eastern Kandahar and Zabul provinces that are currently being expanded.
Armor Center CSM revisits 2SCR
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany – For Command Sgt. Major John Wayne Troxell a recent visit to the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck was like coming home. Troxell, who is currently the CSM of the U.S. Army Armor Center in Fort Knox Kentucky, served as the 2SCR Regimental Command Sergeant Major from 2004 to 2006. Troxell spent time with 2SCR Soldiers discussing issues facing troopers in the 19- Armor series Military Occupational Specialty. (MOS) as well as what it means to be a member of the noncommissioned officer corps.
Transformation was the topic of discussion as Troxell outlined some of the changes being made in today’s Armor units. He talked about the shift from armor heavy teams to a lighter Brigade Combat team.
“In the old days we were a tank heavy force, because we were set up to fight the Russians,” he said. “We were trained to fight them on open plains where you saw them from miles away.”
Troxell then went on to explain the shift from the heavy tank units to a lighter more mobile force.
Growing up Dragoon
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany – The children of the Grafenwoehr Child Development Center received a special treat Friday. Troopers from 3rd Squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment took time out of their busy schedule to stop by and share with the kids what it is like to be a Soldier.
The Soldiers brought along a variety of tools used by Infantryman such as night vision goggles as well as a Stryker vehicle for the kids to get a closer look and climb inside.
“We were asked by the CDC to come out and show the kids our equipment so they can get a better idea of what it is we do as a career infantryman,” said Staff Sgt. Anthony Torrescano. “The overall intent is to give the kids a better understanding so when they see it on TV it isn’t so scary.”
Along with the Stryker, Troopers brought along several pairs of night vision goggles and binoculars for the children to try on and operate. The students who ranged in ages from infants to five-years old donned the Soldiers helmets and talked to each other via the Stryker communication system.
Wolfpack places 24th in local 58km relay
2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Public Affairs Office
VILSECK, Germany A team of Soldiers from 3rd Squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment recently made a dynamic showing as they finished 24th out of 383 teams to compete in the 25thAnnual Amberg-Sulzbach County Run. The race was a 58 km relay on a course stretching throughout the neighboring towns of Amberg, Sulzbach- Rosenburg and Hirschau: in Witzlich and ending in Hanhnbach.
The team, known as the Wolfpack, finished ahead of most of the competition with a time of three hours and 58 minutes. Each runner completed a leg of the relay. Each leg was between three and seven kilometers long.
“This event was a great way to interact with local nationals in positive, friendly competition,”. It was also an impressive success and a way to showcase the physical prowess of our American Soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Mark Read, the team captain. “I was really proud of my guys.”
According to Read the team was the brainchild of 3rd Squadron Commander Lt. Col Bryan Denny.
56th SBCT Memorial Marathon
I wish I had discovered The Warhead earlier. It's is a blog written by CPT Ed Shank of the 108th FA, 56th SBCT. His most recent entry is a great long piece on an effort to organize the 108th Field Artillery Memorial Day Marathon and Half-Marathon in Iraq to honor SSG Mark Baum.
Although 1st Lt. Jeremy Arnett had never met Staff Sgt. Mark Baum, he felt a connection. Like Baum, Arnett was a father and husband serving in a country far away from his family. Arnett knew that, if he were to die in combat, he would want his wife and child to feel that they could count on his fellow soldiers to help ease the sense of inconsolable loss."I kept thinking "what can I do?'" said Arnett. "I just kept thinking of how my family would feel if I didn't come home."
That's when the lieutenant, an avid runner with two marathons under his belt, approached his commander with the idea of hosting a marathon to raise money for Baum's family and the families of other soldiers who (God forbid) were lost during the brigade's tour in Iraq.
56th SBCT Soldiers Honored
Three soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry, 56th SBCT were honored recently, according to the following article by the Patriot-News.
A Bronze Star with valor and two Purple Hearts have been awarded to midstate soldiers injured in an Easter attack that destroyed a Stryker vehicle near Baghdad.1st Lt. Reed Preece, 25, of Gettysburg, received the Bronze Star with valor. [...] Two other midstate soldiers injured in that attack received their Purple Hearts a few weeks ago, said Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver, Pa. National Guard spokesman.
U.S. Air Force Builds New Diyala Operations Center
Story by Spc. Anthony Jones, 145th MPAD
DIYALA, Iraq – After years of cooperation between Iraqi and U.S. security forces at the Diyala Operations Center, a move had to be made.
In conjunction with the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat forces to be withdrawn from Iraq's cities, the DOC, a combined Iraqi – Coalition base located within the Diyala Governance Center, needed to be moved outside Baqubah, the provincial capital.
To continue building relations and work alongside the Iraqi Security Forces against insurgents and violent extremists, senior leaders of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division and local ISF leaders agreed upon a new location outside Baqubah's city limits.
"We had to move the DOC from its previous location to Forward Operating Base Lion, and we couldn't get the infrastructure set up fast enough," said Lt. Col Paul Sarat, the 1-25 SBCT's deputy commander.
Gen. David Petraeus Visits Seattle
Gen. David Petraeus, CENTCOM commander, recently visited Seattle to discuss the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His address was covered by the Seattle Times, and includes a five-minute video segment as well. Once again he specifically mentioned the deployment of the 5/2 SBCT to Afghanistan as being crucial to the renewed efforts there.
Speaking before the Seattle World Affairs Council, the head of the U.S. Central Command said this summer's military campaign in Afghanistan will focus on the 10 percent of provinces that are the source of about 70 percent of a sharp escalation in violence. [...]In Afghanistan, Petraeus is trying to turn around a faltering U.S. military effort with an infusion of new troops, including more than 3,800 soldiers from a Fort Lewis-based Stryker Brigade who are now en route there.
Petraeus said the armored Stryker vehicles performed well in Iraq and that commanders were keen to have them in Afghanistan. He expected they would be deployed in Kandahar province — a major focal point of Taliban violence — as well as in some surrounding areas.
National Guard Unit Formed by Benjamin Franklin Still Defending Freedom
TAJI, Iraq – As America celebrated its 233rd birthday this past week, a Pennsylvania National Guard unit that predates the American Revolution, continued its mission of defending freedom with combat operations here in Iraq.
The 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment is the original unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard and is one of the oldest units in the Army. The unit, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin, first saw action in the French and Indian War and today is a part of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad.
"We're the founding unit in the Pennsylvania National Guard," said Lt. Col. Mark O'Hanlon, commander of the 1st Bn., 111th Inf. Regt. "We're very proud of our lineage. We have been around since 1747 before there was a country."
In the mid-18th Century, Pennsylvania was a British colony, but was still subject to threats from the French privateers and pirates.
Mother, Son Serve Together in Iraq
TAJI, Iraq – One Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier has two ways he can address Capt. Dorothy Watkins. He can call her ma'am or he can call her mom.
Spc. Joshua Watkins and his mother, Capt. Watkins, are both deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad, with the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division. The mother and son from Hazleton, Pa., are able to enjoy lunch together most days, and celebrate family holidays such as Mother's Day.
Capt. Watkins was already in Iraq, deployed with another unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard when her son received orders to deploy to Iraq with the Philadelphia-based 56th SBCT.
Capt. Watkins, an officer in the adjutant general corps, scrambled to find a slot so she could deploy with her son. She was home from Iraq only nine days before she mobilized with the 56th SBCT.
A Good Night for Bayonet Company
Story by Pfc. Casey Collier, 22nd MPAD
For the Soldiers in B Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, packing like sardines into a Stryker armored combat vehicle and going on a night raid to capture a high-valued target is nothing new. The company is preparing for an upcoming deployment to Iraq and most of the troops scheduled to deploy, redeployed less than a year ago. Those who have never deployed are receiving a level of training here that ensures that when the time comes to deploy, they will be ready.
The training takes place at the Joint Readiness Training Center here and simulates real world scenarios including: mock villages, improvised explosive device drills, and cultural role players who portray Iraqi army, Iraqi police, civilians, and terrorists.
What is different for B Co. about the upcoming deployment is that they will no longer be the ones who kick down the doors during raids. That aspect of operations will rest on the shoulders of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police and is reflected in the tactical exercises B Co. has been executing.
Petraeus on Strykers
Centcom commander, Gen. David Petraeus, outlines what the 5/2 SBCT will bring to the fight in Afghanistan.
Reinforcements for Kandahar will be part of the next wave of troops, Petraeus said."The next group that deploys is a Stryker Brigade combat team — it's a very substantial force," he said.
The Stryker Brigades are built around eight-wheeled armored vehicles that are very similar to the LAV 3s that are used by Canadian battle groups in Afghanistan.
"You know the Stryker vehicle has proven to be very sought after in Iraq. It has superb connectivity, satellite (communications), distributed command and controls and it is well protected for an environment that has seen increasing use of improvised explosive devices," Petraeus said.
Editorial From Military Spouse
The wife of a 5/2 SBCT soldier recently had an editorial published in the Washington Post.
My husband is an infantry captain for the U.S. Army. This week, he left on his sixth combat deployment with the 2nd Infantry Division's Stryker Brigade. He is to be gone for one year to launch Stryker vehicles into Afghanistan under President Obama's new surge. My husband served with the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Ga., for 2 1/2 years before attending the Marine Corps' Expeditionary Warfare School.We have been married for three years; he's been deployed for half that time. My husband loves his country and serves it proudly, and for that I love him. Is being an Army wife easy? Not at all. The moving, the worry, the separation, the danger, the evening news and the politics of having your spouse risk his life for wars that most of us don't understand or don't accept certainly does stir something within me.
Land Warriors
Wired magazine takes a look at some of the high-tech Land Warrior gear the 5/2 SBCT will be deploying with soon.
The soldiers of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are shipping out to Afghanistan this month — equipped with a controversial array of infantryman gadgets: electronic maps, GPS beacons, wearable computers, and digital radios. The troops are wondering just how useful the eight-pound, $48,000-per-soldier “Land Warrior” gizmo collection will really be, and whether the benefit will really be worth the extra weight.It’s not the first time G.I.s have expressed concerns about the Land Warrior system. Nor is it the first time the technology array has proven its its value, despite its doubts.
Double Deployment
The News Tribune profiles a military family with two children as both parents prepare to deploy at the same time.
If Tara Schneider can steal a few minutes during her lunch break, she’ll rush to her Steilacoom home and fire up her webcam. On the other end are her two daughters, 3-year-old Autumn and 6-month-old Teagan, both now living in Miami.Schneider, an Army sergeant at Fort Lewis, admits this bit of bonding can’t compare with hugging them and talking in person. “It can be kind of tough,” she said. “I miss them, and the webcam really just isn’t the same.”
But with yearlong deployments looming for Tara and her husband, Sgt. Brandon Schneider, the couple doesn’t have much choice. Their daughters are living in Florida with Tara’s father and stepmother, and the family is preparing for the stress of being apart.
Stryker Brigade Trains on Unmanned Aircraft
Story by Pfc. Victor Ayala, 49th Public Affairs Detachment (Airborne)
Nearly a mile in the sky, a 400 lb. bird of steel flies in deliberate, careful patterns, watching the world below with an unblinking eye. It can tell the living from the inanimate, the friendly from the enemy, and relay that information back to its controllers instantly without ever giving up its position. Armed only with its camera, the unmanned aerial surveillance vehicle, Shadow, is a weapon of intelligence, and it's giving Soldiers with Fort Lewis's 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, the edge they need at the Joint Readiness Training Center here.
Since the training began at the JRTC in early June, the Soldiers of Darkhorse Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, have been sending these UAVs into the air to support the many training missions undertaken by the brigade. While Soldiers may not even realize the Shadow is in the air during many of their operations, they have all benefited from its capabilities at one point or another.
"The Shadow is the commander's eye on the battlefield," said Spc. Eric Myles, a UAV operator with Darkhorse Troop. "It's surveillance, target acquisition and route reconnaissance all in one."
Transition in Diyala
According to The New York Times the transfer of certain combat outposts to Iraqi control in the Diyala Province did not happen as smoothly as expected.
In Diyala Province, where the Americans closed 11 of 18 bases or outposts before Tuesday’s deadline, the transfers did not go entirely smoothly. An official in Mr. Maliki’s office showed up early at a camp near Baquba and complained that the Americans had not left behind generators and air-conditioners for the Iraqis — something the American commander in the region said had never been part of the agreement. The dispute on Sunday delayed the formal transfer.“You can’t treat your partners that way,” the commander, Col. Burt K. Thompson of the First Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, said in Baquba.
Related:
Strykers turn control of combat outposts to Iraqi forces - News-Miner
Update on Injured Stryler Soldier
The Carlsbad Current-Argus has an update on a soldier with the 56th SBCT, SSG Michael Leach, who was injured recently in Iraq.
CARLSBAD — For Staff Sgt. Michael Leach, an army reservist fighting in Iraq, June 17 was a day both lucky and unlucky. It is also a day that will be forever burned into his memory.Leach, who in civilian life serves as director of surgical nursing at Carlsbad Medical Center, was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with al-Qaida suicide bombers. They were flushed out by the Iraqi army during a raid on a house where al-Qaida insurgents were believed to be hiding.
Leach said he is blessed to have survived taking three bullets from an AK-47 two in his right arm and one in his right side and to be able to talk about it.
