Clearing Jalula one neighborhood at a time
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — “We have had strangers come into Jalula,” said Iraqi Police Maj. Mahmood Mahdi Yahia, commander of the 8th ERF. “They have been chased out of other cities by our forces and now they are here.”
In direct response to a series of attacks against U.S. forces in Jalula, Iraq, the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police in the area started Operation Jalula Peacemaker, a series of clearing operations in specific neighborhoods.
Assisting and advising the 8th Emergency Reaction Force and the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division are Soldiers from mortar platoon, Crazyhorse Troop, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, who accompanied them on their fourth mission of the operation on June 20.
While conducting searches of specific areas of the city, the IA and ERF speak with community members, asking for their assistance in finding people of interest said Maj. Mahmood.
Deployment Reunites Brothers
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — “The best memory I had of my brother was going to the airport when he left to live with his dad when I was four,” said Spc. Joshua Wagner, a cook from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
With his own father not around, Spc. Wagner was placed in a foster home for a year until he was able to return to his mother after saying goodbye at the airport, the two brothers lost contact. Specialist Wagner spent the years afterward in and out of foster homes and learned to adapt to the new environments in which he was placed.
While he moved, his younger brother and sister were separated and Spc. Wagner did his best to stay in contact and support them through their difficulties. This is a quality he may have gotten from his older brother, who demanded they stay together until the two were separated.
Once Spc. Wagner was on his own, he spent much of his time finding his own path during his youth. He discovered activities, like wrestling, that he enjoyed throughout middle school and high school, but he could never quite decide on what to do after graduation.
“When I got done with school, I tried the whole college thing but couldn’t really stay focused,” said Spc. Wagner, a Red Bluff, Calif., native. “So I decided to join the Army because I always liked to cook and figured I could get more experience there.”
Soldiers in Baghdad run 12K to raise awareness for cause at home
Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks
JOINT SECURITY STATION NASIR WA SALAM, Iraq – The temperature baked 100-plus degrees of heat on Joint Security Station Nasir Wa Salam when they began running June 12.
No families were at the finish line cheering them on, no money being raised, but for three U.S. soldiers at, the 12 kilometers they traveled were still worth it.
The soldiers, from 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, participated in a shadow run of the Sound to Narrows 12K held the same day in Tacoma, Wash., to raise awareness among fellow soldiers.
“I like running races that support a good cause,” said Sgt. James Maarsignh, from Company B, 4th Bn., 9th Inf. Reg. who organized the run and convinced a few soldiers to run alongside him. “I wanted to run this event to show support to for the organization because they support good health.”
According to the race’s official website, the Sound to Narrows 12k, which has been run in Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park since 1973, raises money to help promote and support the building of healthy lifestyles in children and families in the community.
2/25 SBCT Heads to Iraq
Different mission awaits Iraq-bound isle soldiers - Staradvertiser.com
It's moving time in Iraq.That means 3,800 Hawaii soldiers with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team start to leave today for what may be a turn-out-the-lights mission in northern Iraq as the U.S. is proceeding with a big troop drawdown in the country.
Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said earlier this month that there were 88,000 American troops on the ground. He said he expects the number to be at 50,000 by Sept. 1.
A deployment ceremony was held on Sills Field yesterday as the Schofield unit prepares to head off on what will be an entirely different mission as an "advise and assist" brigade.
Army Today: Stryker Ride [Video]
Story on a Stryker Squadron that patrols the Afghan and Pakistan border. Produced by Gail McCabe.
Stryker Squadron Commander in Afghanistan [Video]
Package of 1st Cavalry Regiment's 8th Squadron protecting the southern border of Afghanistan, as Gail McCabe takes a ride with them and talks to the unit's commander, Lt. Col. Bill Clark. Produced by Gail McCabe.
Army Announces Conversion of Brigade to Stryker Configuration
The Department of the Army announced today the conversion of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, from a modular heavy brigade combat team to a Stryker brigade combat team.
1-1AD will convert to the modular SBCT structure of approximately 4,160 Soldiers effective January 2011. This force structure action represents an increase of approximately 420 military authorizations.
This conversion will take approximately 24 months for the unit to conduct new equipment training, fielding and collective training. The unit will enter the available force pool by second quarter fiscal year 2013.
Media may direct queries to Lt. Col. David Patterson at 703-697-7592, Army Office of Chief of Public Affairs.
(Source: Defense.gov News Release)
Soldier Leaves Iraq Early to Be at Daughter's Side
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — Haley Moss is a 15-year-old girl who was diagnosed at the age of four with the rare heart conditions of Double Outlet Right Ventricle, and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome a condition in which both her primary artery and vein share the right side of her abnormal three-chambered heart.
Her father, Sgt. 1st Class David Moss, is the general support squad non-commissioned officer with the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and will be leaving his post at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, to be with Haley as she ventures to the Boston Children’s Hospital for her third open heart surgery.
“Her plumbing’s all jacked up,” said Moss. “What this causes is that she only gets 75% of the oxygen she needs to her blood so she doesn’t have a lot of energy, she can walk a little bit, but she gets tired easily and she usually has blue fingertips and blue lips.”
In addition to DORV, she also suffers from tachycardia attacks. The irregular blood flow causes her resting heart rate to rapidly increase to a point that can be fatal if not treated right away.
A Man with a Heart for Stone
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — It all started with grief. Three men lost their lives, and another was left with the terrible memory of such a loss. Many people could feel the heartache this situation brings, but this particular case affected Charles Wagner, a mechanic for General Dynamic Land Systems, who was working in Mosul, Iraq.
In an effort to relieve the pain felt from the passing of his friends, Mr. Wagner began shaping marble stones into crests, crosses, or hearts. Since that time, he has created many works of art to escape from the stress that comes during deployment.
“This started out as a way to displace myself from what’s going on over here, working during off hours to focus on other things,” said Mr. Wagner, a native of Rainier, Wash. “I lost three Soldiers on one mission, and it was a way to connect for me to create a heart, crucifix, and a lancer for each one of their parents.”
During that first tour, in 2004 and 2005, he carved a full-size lancer for 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. Then, during the 2006-07 tour with 3 SBCT, 2 ID, he created a replica of the Indian-head shield that represents 2nd Infantry Division. When he traveled with the Arrowhead Brigade to Iraq last August, the request was made for the 3rd Stryker Brigade crest, which includes the 2nd ID shield on top of an arrowhead, with the number three located above the shield.
5/2 SBCT Prepares to Redeploy
250 troops from 5th Brigade return Monday from Afghanistan - The News Tribune
The first major flight of returning soldiers from a battle-tested Stryker brigade in Afghanistan will arrive at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Monday night, officials announced Friday.About 250 troops from the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division will reunite with family and friends at a ceremony scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Monday at Sheridan Gym. The arrival time might change, however, because of the complexities of military transport.
The brigade deployed last July to Afghanistan, where it has faced hard fighting primarily in Kandahar province in the south. Most of its nearly 4,000 soldiers will round out the year-long deployment by coming home before the end of July.
4/2 SBCT Stryker Soldier Offers Thanks
Local care package senders meet soldier on leave from Iraq - The York Daily Record
For more than eight months, the employees of Industrial Distribution Group Inc. have been sending care packages to the members of the 2-23 Infantry Stryker Brigade based in Fort Lewis, Wash.On Thursday, they put a face to the fruits of their labor when Staff Sgt. Shane Gallagher paid them a visit to give thanks for their efforts.
Small American flags and yellow ribbons fluttered in the breeze outside the Manchester Township industrial supply distributor as employees gathered to view a slideshow Gallagher, 28, made for them.
(via FOB Tacoma)
Additional Soldiers Implicated in Afghan Shooting
3 more Lewis-McChord soldiers charged in Afghanistan deaths - The News Tribune
Three more soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord have been charged in the alleged premeditated murders of three Afghan civilians this year – crimes committed using grenades and rifles, according to military authorities.Two other soldiers, who were previously charged in the killings, also stand accused of beating a fellow Stryker soldier in connection with the civilian deaths.
That means a total of five soldiers with the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are now charged in a string of killings that reportedly started in January and ended in early May.
Soldiers Train Afghans in Fire and Rescue Services [Video]
Package about Soldiers with the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, with experience in training fire fighters, extraction teams and emergency medical personnel training Afghan fire fighters in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. Includes introduction by Col. Harry D. Tunnell, IV - commander, 5/2 ID (SBCT) and soundbites from Sgt. Chad Weathers – lead instructor, Staff Sgt. Mark Covington – NCOIC, Lt. Col. Steve Allen – commander, Sultan Mohammad – Spin Boldak police chief, Jamaludin – fire fighter trainee and 1st Lt. Angelo Palacio – OIC.
3rd Army Assists 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment [Video]
Package of the 3rd Army as they help the war fighters by hooking them up with the right people and equipment to get units where they need to go to sustain the fight. Sound bites include Sgt. 1st Class James Rivera, Maj. David Furr and Petty Officer 3rd Class Craig Ewer. Produced by Staff Sgt. Anaidy Claudio.
SPC Christopher W. Opat
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Christopher W. Opat, 29, of Spencer, Iowa, died June 15 in Baquah, Iraq of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Related:
Northwest Iowa soldier dies in Iraq at age 29 - chicagotribune.com
Soldier from 3rd Stryker brigade dies - The News Tribune
SPC William C. Yauch
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. William C. Yauch, 23, of Batesville, Ark., died June 11 in Jalula, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Yauch was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Related:
DOD Identifies Army Casualties
Stryker soldiers ID’d who died in Iraq blast - The News Tribune
Two killed in Iraq remembered as leaders - The News Tribune
SGT Israel P. Obryan
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Israel P. Obryan, 24, of Newbern, Tenn., died June 11 in Jalula, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Obryan was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Related:
DOD Identifies Army Casualties
Stryker soldiers ID’d who died in Iraq blast - The News Tribune
Fund set up for family of fallen 3-2 Stryker soldier - The News Tribune
Soldier with South Dakota connection killed in Iraq - The Associated Press
Two killed in Iraq remembered as leaders - The News Tribune
Summer camp offers hope and opportunity for Iraqi children
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — It’s summertime in Diyala province, Iraq. While school is out so is the sun, and many children are seen playing outside all over the province. For a few, their summer experience will be quite different this year as they are attending a Summer Camp for Kids. This program is organized by the Red Crescent, the Middle East’s equivalent to the Red Cross, and designed for the orphans and special-needs children of Diyala province from June 1 to July 31.
There are camps set up throughout the province in the cities of Baqubah, Muqdadiyah, Balad Ruz, and Al-Abarra. To assist the Red Crescent and to show their support, Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, delivered soccer balls and school supplies to the children at the Baqubah camp, June 9.
“We mixed students from all five qadas [a region comparable to a county in the U.S.],” said Hazim Sarraj, Red Crescent director for Diyala province. “We mix different ethnicities, different sects, different colors, Kurdish, Arabic, Sunni, Shia, we bring all these people here to Baqubah.”
While the program is designed for orphans, camp administrators invite children who are talented in arts, or who excel in class, to the camp to enhance their skills. While attending, young ones participate in many activities and classes such as drawing, music, drama, and English.
Capital Surge Helps Heal Wounds
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines chaos as a state of utter confusion. Anis Abdnishari’s description of the events during a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack in the Khalis suq or market, Diyala province, Iraq, fit that definition very well.
“After the first explosion, there was chaos everywhere and I ran to check on my brothers in our shop,” said Mr. Abdnishari, who, along with his family, owns two furniture stores in Khalis. “There were bodies in the streets and nobody was helping because they were too afraid that there would be another explosion.”
The attack in the market occurred in early May, and while shop owners and patrons still remember it vividly, they are trying to get back to normal daily life. Merchants and citizens in the city still see hope, especially after receiving financial assistance in the form of micro-grants to help rebuild their business.
These grants, which are payments up to $5,000, were organized by Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and were paid on June 10. The Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Red Crescent, an Iraqi government agency similar to the American Red Cross, assisted the 1/37th FA in providing 50 grants that were initially planned to give an economic boost to the city, but will now have an even more significant impact on the community.
Customs Inspectors: No Bugs, Drugs or Dirt
Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A clump of dirt. A bag of pills tucked away in a rolled-up sock. An apple.
Any of these items could make an already long deployment even longer for Soldiers preparing to redeploy from Iraq.
Before any unit can pack up their equipment and head home, they first need the stamp of approval from a customs inspector signifying there are no harmful materials or contraband travelling with them.
But certified inspectors can sometimes be in short supply, so when a group of Soldiers from 472nd Signal Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division heard there was a need for inspectors at Camp Taji, they stepped forward.
Soldiers Receive Recognition for Work in Afghanistan
Story by Spc. David Hauk
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTNAC, Afghanistan – Nine Soldiers from 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division received Army Commendation Medals with Valor on Friday.
Soldiers from 562nd Engineer Company received the honor for feats of bravery during their deployment in southern Afghanistan.
The awards stem from three different incidents during the beginning part of their tour.
The first award was given to Spc. William Oyardo for his actions near Shuyen Solfa in the Arghandab River Valley on Aug. 10. Oyardo knowingly placed himself in danger by driving his Stryker vehicle through 200 meters of terrain known to contain improvised explosive devices to aid a platoon of infantry Soldiers who were under heavy enemy fire. He successfully maneuvered to the company and loaded into his vehicle before driving them to a safer location.
Al Khindi School Opening
Package made from "Al Khindi School Opening" in the B-roll section about the Diyala Province Provincial Reconstruction Team, governance and Third Stryker Brigade reopening a school in Muqdadiya after extensive repairs and refurbishments were completed. Hosted by Sgt. Doug Anderson. Includes soundbites from Capt. Dan Threkeld – commander, B Battery, 1/37 and Abdal Nasir – Diyala provincial governor.
Adavance Parties Arriving
Summer homecomings begin at base - The News Tribune
About 300 Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers returned home early Wednesday as the season of large homecomings began in earnest.In March, the base began welcoming back the first of about 18,000 soldiers who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan last year.
The soldiers who returned Wednesday are from two infantry battalions of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which is completing its third tour in Iraq.
3/2 SBCT Advance Party Arrives Home
Some 3rd Brigade soldiers set to return today - The News Tribune
About 300 early-returning Stryker soldiers from Iraq were scheduled to arrive today at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. [...]And they will come home more than a month earlier than most of their comrades of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Last August, the Army’s original Stryker brigade left Lewis-McChord on what was supposed to be a year-long deployment – its third tour of Iraq since 2003.
The homeward-bound soldiers belong to two different battalions: the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, and the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
Soldiers follow fathers' footsteps
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — Throughout the United States Armed Forces there are numerous examples of service members who are living proof of the strong impact a military father can have on his child's willingness to serve.
This Father's Day, the Soldiers of 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, reflect upon the influences of their fathers, grandfathers, and their shared commitment to protect the citizens of the United States.
Of those who choose to serve their country, many attribute the road they have taken in life to the inspiration and guidance they received from their fathers.
"Both my grandfathers served in World War II, and my father served during Vietnam," said Sgt. Christopher Bowles, from Salem, Ore., a squad leader for Attack Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd SBCT, 2nd ID. "I joined the Army because it was always what I had wanted to do, and it was always in our family."
Even for those who only have one generation to look back on, their fathers' military service was an important factor in their decision to become a Soldier. For one it was almost as though the genes were passed on directly to him.
"My dad was in for a total of 22 years as an 11 Bravo [infantryman] like myself, and he served in the Korean War, earning three Bronze Stars while he was there," said Staff Sgt. Rick Hurt from Cincinnati, Ohio, a team leader for Apache Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd SBCT, 2nd ID. "I tried to rebel at one point and say I wasn't going to be exactly like him, but as I grew up it was almost like it was inevitable and I felt like this was where I belonged."
One of the many benefits these men said they received was very valuable on an emotional level. They discovered a deeper connection and admiration of their dads commitments through the training, fighting, highs and lows.
"After our last tour, I gained a better appreciation for what he and every other Vet had to go through," said Hurt. "Once I saw what that was like, and had been through the lifestyle, it was unavoidable for us to become closer."
That type of connection gives these Soldiers a better understanding of what it means to celebrate Father's Day. Their experiences represent a bond that strengthens the desire to honor the men that inspired them to walk this path.
"This is an opportunity to honor your dad, or fathers anywhere who have stepped up and said, 'this is what it means to be a dad, and I am going to do the best that I can'," said Bowles. "Looking back on my grandfather and father, I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. They've given me tremendous lessons and blessings and this is an opportunity for me to thank them for that and hope I can do the same."
The Soldiers from Apache Company are scheduled to return home this month, making the potential for Father's Day activities a bright possibility. Some look forward to the opportunity to celebrate with their fathers.
"When I get home I am planning to get my car that my dad took care of while I was gone, and drive it back [to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.] on a cross country trip with him," said Hurt. "Even if we aren't able to make it back in time for Father's Day, that would be a great reunion."
For other Apache Company Soldiers who have children of their own to guide through life, the greatest Fathers' Day gift will be to spend it with their families.
"This would be one of my kids' first Father's Day, and the second or third that I have actually spent at home," said Staff Sgt. Justin Hill from Abilene, Texas, a platoon sergeant for Apache Company, 1/23 Inf. "Usually it would be my day to do whatever I want, but to get home to be with them would be really awesome."
(via Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System)
Iraqi Police learn 'use of force' from US forces
Story by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers with C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, recently facilitated "use of force" training at a Tarmiyah police station beginning mid-May.
The class was led by a civilian policeman from the United States with the assistance of previously trained IPs, and with 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers playing the role of local citizens during training scenarios similar to what the Iraqi police encounter out on the streets.
The Soldiers provided the U.S. perspective on law enforcement and how it's supposed to operate, said Staff Sgt. Anthony Lovell, a cavalry scout with C Troop, and the non-commissioned officer in charge of Iraqi Police advisory training.
"[We're] trying to … train the Iraqi Police to where they can start establishing their foothold in their own country and [ensure] that they have the knowledge and training that we would give our Soldiers," said Lovell, a Phoenix native.
During the training, the Iraqi policemen learned the difference between deadly force and non-lethal force through a series of classes and exercises.
1/25 SBCT Officer Switches Careers
Stryker soldier abandoned acting career to take up the call - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FAIRBANKS — With a small role in the Academy Award winning film “L.A. Confidential,” and larger parts in TV shows such as “The X-Files and Nash Bridges,” Scott Eberlein had a promising acting career in the late ’90s.Then 9/11 happened, and the next day Eberlein left it all behind to enlist in the Army.
“To pursue something as trivial as acting was something I had taken for granted all my life, I didn’t think twice about it,“ said Eberlein, now a captain stationed at Fort Wainwright with the Stryker brigade’s 1st battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment. “When I saw it could be taken away in a moment, that spoke volumes to me.”
On Point: 3/2 SBCT Newsletter
"On Point" is a monthly newsletter produced by the 3/2 SBCT, which is currently deployed to Iraq. Read the June edition here: On Point.
Joint Focus Instills Hope for Future
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — "People who aren't here don't see that if one soldier, whether IA [Iraqi Army] or Peshmerga, does one thing wrong it could start an all-out war," said Sgt. Asa Bourrie, a squad leader for Red platoon, Bronco Company, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
Pressure rests upon two cultures historically divided. On one side are the Kurdish, and on the other are Arabs. The future of their communities relies on their ability to resolve problems and move forward united.
Warhorse Soldiers from 1/14th Cav., are working to cool these flames by participating in tripartite operations intended to develop a relationship between the Kurdish and Iraqi armies. At times, also serving as mediators, the Warhorse Soldiers are responsible for helping foster a new era of cooperation between these two armies that allows them to focus on developing solutions to problems together.
A large component of this endeavor is the creation and operation of several traffic checkpoints. By combining the efforts of all three armies, the citizens in this region of Diyala province are able to see that it's possible for Iraqi and Kurdish people to peacefully live and strive to reach a mutual goal side-by-side.
Remote Desert Village Receives Medical Care
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq —Located six kilometers west of the Iranian border is a small village of Al-Hamid where running waters is impossible to find and access to electricity is far and few in between. During the months when livestock are able to graze here, approximately 200 people live in this community. With limited resources their town is able to operate a small clinic, but restocking medical supplies requires a lengthy trip to Balad Ruz over 100 kilometers away.
Soldiers from Charlie Company, 52nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, along with U.S. Army medics and doctors and their Iraqi Army counterparts in the 2nd Border Region Quick Reaction Force, provided medicine and medical assistance to the people of this village during a medical civil action program on June 1.
"This is a very rural area," said Hussein, commander of 2nd QRF Battalion. "They don't have much out there, and it's good to get out there and help these people."
2nd SCR Ships Strykers
Story by Sgt. David Nunn
SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Third Army's support to the Buildup of Afghanistan, and the subsequent pulling of equipment and materiel out of Iraq, is an enormous logistical operation that is the largest known in modern military history. This operation runs 24/7 and incorporates a network spanning Third Army's 22-country area of responsibility supported by a coalition of multiple countries, civilian contractors, and servicemembers of all the U.S. Armed Forces.
This cooperation is evident at every step of the way, from the closing of Forward Operating Bases across Iraq since the beginning of the Responsible Drawdown in 2009, to land, air, and sea distribution networks into Afghanistan.
At an airbase in Southwest Asia, just one step in this highly organized and adaptive operation, the flight-line is alive with activity in the pre-dawn hours of June 1st, 2010. Massive C-17 Globemasters, arrayed across wind-blasted asphalt still hot to the touch from the day before, are readied by their crews for flights into Afghanistan. As the awakening roar of their engines dominates the air, a line of Stryker vehicles emerges from the staging lots nearby; their headlights pushing back the desert night.
Dismantling Terror Network in Iraq
Al Qaeda in Iraq is 'broken,' cut off from leaders in Pakistan, says top US genera - The Long War Journal
Iraqi and US forces have hit al Qaeda in Iraq hard over the last several months, crippling the terror group's senior leadership and disrupting its communications with al Qaeda's top leaders in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the top US commander in the country said."Over the last 90 days or so, we've either picked up or killed 34 out of the top 42 al Qaeda in Iraq leaders," General Ray Odierno, the commander of US Forces - Iraq, told reporters during a Pentagon press briefing.
"They're clearly now attempting to reorganize themselves," "They're struggling a little bit. They've broken -- they've lost connection with AQSL [al Qaeda Senior Leadership] in Pakistan and Afghanistan," Odierno said.
Stryker Soldier in Afghanistan Charged
Lewis-McChord soldier charged with murder in shooting deaths of three Afghan civilians - The News Tribune
The Army has charged a Stryker soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord with murder in the deaths of three Afghan civilians.Three charges of premeditated murder and one charge of assault were filed against Spc. Jeremy Morlock, 22, a native of Wasilla, Alaska. He is an infantryman assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
Morlock was returned home from Afghanistan on Thursday and detained, Lewis-McChord spokeswoman Tamara Parker said. He is being held in the Northwest Joint Regional Confinement Facility at Lewis-McChord.
Related:
Army: Soldier charged in 3 Afghan civilian deaths | Seattle Times Newspaper
Murder charges may spur military to revise soldier screenings | Seattle Times Newspaper
Stryker Offices Comments on Iraq Drawdown
Drawdown in Iraq: The Lights Are Going Out - At War Blog - NYTimes.com
There’s an eerie silence settling over our Forward Operating Base. The generators are shutting down one by one, and every night there are fewer lights.The hundreds of people that made the base a cozy, bustling, American outpost have left, taking their equipment with them, leaving only abandoned buildings. Our unit is the last out, manning the guard towers, defending a quiet shell. In a few days, we’ll turn the lights out at our command post, our battalion commander will make a short speech and shake hands with an Iraqi general, and we’ll get in our waiting trucks and drive away.
Until that time, we have the place to ourselves. Or we would, if it weren’t for the imagined presences that haunt any place that was once alive, but is now deserted and quiet.
Free Event for Stryker Spouses
This free event is taking place on June 3rd at DuPont City Hall for spouses of Ft. Lewis servicemembers. Apologies for the late notice.
Romancing the Spouse is your opportunity to plan for the arrival home of your loved one with great give-aways, travel discounts, classes and much more. It's a day of pampering and preparation. To register, click here and follow the prompts.
A Veteran Reflects
Veteran and former Stryker soldier Alex at Army of Dude has a nice entry on Memorial Day titles, "Metal Memorials".
I don’t have a metal plate in my head or shrapnel in my legs, but I carry with me something that might as well be lodged deep under my skin. After Vietnam, soldiers and civilians alike would wear bracelets etched with the names of prisoners of war so their memory would live on even if they never came home. Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continued the practice, but with a twist. The same bracelets are adorned with the names of friends killed in action. The date and the place are also included as a testament to where they took their last steps. One of the first things my platoon did after coming home was order memorial bracelets from the few websites that specialize in military memorabilia. You don’t even have to type in the name or the date; their system uses the DOD casualty list. All you have to do is filter by name and a software aided laser will burn the selection onto an aluminum or steel bracelet. What emerges out of this casual and disinterested practice is jewelry teeming with the amount of love and commitment found in ten wedding rings.
Third Army Moving Strykers to Afghanistan [Photos]
A Stryker vehicle awaits transportation to war-fighters in Afghanistan, in an airfield staging area in southwest Asia. Third Army assists units mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in moving the war-fighter's equipment and materiel, including Stryker vehicles. This mission critical equipment is being rapidly deployed into Afghanistan by the leader of logistical operations throughout the Central Command area of responsibility in contingency operations.
(via DVIDS)
18th Engineer sharpen their TALON Robot skills
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — The sun beats down upon the Iraqi desert and the dry cracked earth is cluttered with debris and small isolated shrubberies, making this the ideal location to hide an improvised explosive device. Arriving into this potential kill zone is a miniature tank equipped with multiple cameras and a long arm capable of extending in the front with pincers that allow it to pick up items or cut wires.
A safe distance away stands a U.S. Soldier using a joystick on a laptop to dictate every move made by this TALON Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot. Operated by Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, 18th Engineer Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, this machine is able to locate and identify IEDs and other unexploded ordinance hazards in Diyala province, Iraq.
Proven to be a valuable tool used by the 18th Engineer Company, the TALON EOD Robot has been in military service since 2000 and plays a vital role in keeping roads safe during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Iraqi Police and Sykes' Regulars Get Hot on Missions in Abu Sayda
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — The morning of May 28, proved to be a sweltering one throughout all of Diyala province, Iraq. This was especially true for the palm groves of the area, which provided a canopy that trapped humidity making the heat index underneath at 115 degrees Fahrenheit as Gen. Khalis, the division headquarters Iraqi police commander for Abu Sayda, led his men through on the hunt for weapon caches.
Advising and assisting Gen. Khalis and his men was Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, along with military working dogs, an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team, and scout weapon teams from the U.S. Forces.
"We were there because history has shown us that Abu Sayda and the surrounding areas are littered with caches," said Capt. Preston Aaron, commander of Company C, 5/20 Inf.
