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.
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.”
Update on CPT Scott Smiley
Blind soldier from Pasco continues to serve military in new niche - The Associated Press
Since a car bomb blinded Capt. Scott Smiley in Iraq, he has skied Vail, climbed Mount Rainier, earned his MBA, raised two young boys with his wife, won an Espy award and pulled himself up from faith-shaking depths.Smiley, 30, has snagged attention for his big accomplishments. But the daily ones are telling, too, including the recent tour he gave of his staff's offices at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he plans to attend President Barack Obama's address of the Class of 2010 on Saturday.
Unable to see the path around the workers' cubicles, Smiley stepped forward with a joke to the camouflage-clad officers he was showing around: "I walk around, and when I hit things, I move," he said.
Operation Proper Exit
Amputee soldier from Fort Wainwright returns to Iraq as part of Army program - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FAIRBANKS - When Staff Sgt. Brian Beem left Baghdad in 2006, it was on a stretcher with the lower part of his right leg so severely damaged, doctors said there was only a 10 percent chance they could save it.When he returns to Iraq this month, Beem, 32, and now an amputee, is determined to walk out of the country on his own terms. [...]
Beem is one of about 10 other soldiers in the Army who are going back to Iraq as part of Operation Proper Exit. Sponsored by the Troops First Foundation, Operation Proper Exit takes soldiers back to places where they were injured to help them find closure.
Engineer Company Conducts Squad Training
By Spc. Alicia Torbush, 20th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska- Shots rang out as the 73rd Engineer Company conducted military operations on urban terrain training at the Pvt. Joseph P. Martinez Combined Arms Collective Training Facility March 25.
The routine training was conducted to refresh Soldiers on how to properly clear a building and also provided Soldiers who were new to the unit an opportunity to establish teamwork.
Over the last few months, the 73rd Engineers received a lot of new leaders, and the training gives them the opportunity to establish teamwork within their squads and fire teams, explained 1st Sgt. Derrick Brown, 73rd Eng.
The Soldiers arrived at the urban terrain training site on Strykers, quickly dismounted and stacked against the building. They used simulated explosives to open the doors and cleared rooms as directed by team leaders. The squads took enemy prisoners of war played by other Soldiers posing as opposing forces. Some Soldiers remained in the Strykers to maintain communication with the OH-58 Kiowa, a single-engine, armed reconnaissance helicopter, from the 6th Squadron, 17th Calvary Regiment that provided air support for the mission.
The mock-urban facility is used for training such as this because it allows leaders to set up varying situations to prepare their Soldiers for actual combat situations.
“[It] is an awesome facility because you have the multiple buildings set up like [it would be] in a real wartime situation,” said Brown. “It basically lets us prepare for different scenarios of what we would be up against in a real combat situation.”
Photos: View images and video
Holiday Homecoming
The Longmont Times has an article on a Stryker soldier from the 1/25 SBCT who is spending the holidays at home for the first time in many years.
More than nine months after his Stryker combat vehicle was blown up in Iraq, Army Spc. Paul Bryan is home for the holidays.“This’ll be the first Christmas I’ve been home with my family in about three years, now,” said Bryan, during a welcome-back reception for him Saturday at the Longmont VFW. “I never had enough leave.”
He has it now — 45 days worth. He also has a few stories and more than his share of luck.
In February, he needed every ounce of it.
"Camera Boy" Book Signing
Last night I had the pleasure of attending a reading and book signing by Fred Minnick, author of Camera Boy: An Army Journalist's War in Iraq
I've corresponded periodically with Fred, but never had the chance to meet him in person until last night. His reading opened with the following quote from General George Washington.
The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation. - George Washington
This set the stage for the book passage he subsequently read, which described a series of post-deployment events that slowly and painfully made him realize that he needed help to deal with the PTSD he was suffering from. That was four years ago. Minnick made it clear that writing the book and speaking about it are part of the continuing healing process. I'm looking forward to reading the book.
Fred's book tour will take him to Springfield, MO, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK this week. Definitely attend a reading if you're in the area.
Related:
- Buy Camera Boy: An Army Journalist's War in Iraq
- Visit Fred's website
- Become a fan on Facebook
New Commander for 1/25 SBCT
The Daily News Miner profiles Col. Todd Wood, the new commander of the 1/25 SBCT.
FAIRBANKS — Fort Wainwright’s Stryker Brigade has a new commander.Col. Todd Wood took command of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry, from Col. Burt Thompson on Tuesday at a ceremony at the Carlson Center. [...]
Originally from Iowa, Wood was commissioned by the Army as an infantry second lieutenant following his graduation from Central Missouri State University. A recent graduate of the U.S. Army War College, he has had past assignments in Hawaii, Texas, Kentucky and Georgia.
1/25 SBCT Soldier recovering
The Daily News Miner profiles a soldier with the 1-5 INF, 1/25 SBCT who was injured in Iraq and is still recovering.
May 18 began like many others in Iraq, with Montoya’s platoon of about 20 other soldiers ordered into a residential area of the city around noon. The “punisher platoon” had been there before. It was an area known for grenade attacks, and two days before, someone had thrown a suspicious rock at the soldiers as some kind of test.“That’s the only thing we could figure out, see our reaction times,” Montoya said.
The platoon dismounted from their three Stryker vehicles to get a better view of the area. A medic was the first one to notice the grenade.
“I was watching the rooftops, and the next thing I knew I was hearing my medic yelling, so I looked to my medic and he was pointing his weapon at an alleyway,” Montoya said. “As soon as I look over to my right, I saw a grenade with a big stick.”
The Reintegration Process
The Daily News Miner checks in with the families from the 1/25 SBCT.
More than 600 troops from Task Force 49 returned to Fort Wainwright during the summer. And another group of more than 4,000 soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, returned to post in September after a yearlong mission in Iraq. The Stryker brigade deployment was the largest in Alaska military history.The Army, now used to a heavier deployment rotation after eight years at war, has set up a reintegration process for soldiers that starts even before they set foot back in the United States. With soldiers going on yearlong deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan every 18 months or so, the Army now offers everything from marriage retreats to classes on economic responsibility to help troops make an easier transition from combat to the comforts of home.
“This one’s a little easier,” said Melanie Terrill, a Family Readiness Group leader for Charlie Company, 1-24 Infantry while her husband, Capt. Dale Terrill, was deployed to Iraq. “Sadly, it becomes more normal the more they’re gone.”
Redeployment Ceremony
The Daily News Miner has an article and photos covering the official redeployment ceremony conducted by the 1/25 SBCT.
Thousands of soldiers and their families packed into the arena to witness the formal uncasing of the colors, the removal of a covering from the brigade’s flag that signifies the troops officially have returned to work at the post.The 1-25th’s yearlong mission in Iraq’s Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, focused on counterinsurgency operations and rebuilding the infrastructure of the country. After two years of preparation and action in Iraq, Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the brigade, said he was pleased to sum up the deployment in two words: Mission accomplished.
“Words simply cannot describe what these soldiers have done as individuals and as a team,” he said.
Related:
Soldier recalls intense night in Iraq - newsminer.com
1/25 SBCT Redeployment Ceremony
The Daily News Miner reports that the date and location of the official redeployment ceremony (a/k/a homecoming) has been set.
FAIRBANKS — U.S. Army Alaska will welcome returning soldiers back to Fairbanks next week with a redeployment ceremony at the Carlson Center.The event starts at 1 p.m. Thursday [October 8, 2009] and will feature several guest speakers including Gov. Sean Parnell; Maj. Gen. William J. Troy, the commanding general of U.S. Army Alaska; and Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry.
Final Planeload
The Daily News-Miner has two articles covering the final homecomings for 1/25 SBCT troops.
Husband-wife Strykers are reunited with sons in Fairbanks after deployment
Sunday arrival ends regular flights from Iraq for Fairbanks Strykers
Surprise Homecoming
The Daily News-Miner reports on a family that traveled quite a ways to be in Alaska for their soldier's homecoming.
FAIRBANKS -- Every time Janine Jimenez’s cellphone rang, she clutched it tightly, squinched her face and moaned, “I can’t answer it. He doesn’t know we’re here.”Janine, the wife of returning Stryker Brigade soldier, Sgt. Fabricio Jimenez, traveled to Fairbanks from Miami with their son, Nicholas, 3, and her husband’s mother, Maritza Vasquez, to greet Fabricio.
Janine talked to him earlier in the day, and he thought she was still in Miami. Now it was 11:30 p.m. Miami time, and Janine nervously switched the phone off after not answering four calls in succession from Fabricio.
Sustainer Convoy Relocates Stryker Vehicles
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – As the drawdown of U.S. military forces in Iraq continues, the 2025th Heavy Equipment Transportation Company plays a key role in the consolidation of those forces.
During the course of nearly a week, the 2025th HET Company relocated roughly 150 Stryker vehicles belonging to 1st Battalion, 25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, from Contingency Operating Location Warhorse to Joint Base Balad.
The heavy equipment transport is a tractor and semi-trailer system designed for the movement and transportation of large vehicles. It is capable of carrying payloads of up to 70 tons.
The HET system is composed of two components, the tractor and semi-trailer. The tractor is equipped with front and rear-axle steering. The semi-trailer's axles make it possible for the trailer to turn in unison with the tractor, making tight turns possible.
Student Embeds Find Journalism Experience in Iraq
Story by Spc. Christopher Bruce
For many college students, an internship means driving off campus. But for three University of Alaska students, one internship meant flying halfway across the world to a war zone.
Three students and one professor from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, embedded for three weeks in the Diyala province of Iraq. The four journalists got their share of experience while embedding with the Ft. Wainwright, Alaska- based 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, located near the city of Baqubah.
While embedded, the students and their professor went on many missions that included air assaults, palm grove clearing operations and key leader meetings. They created video, print and radio stories that were aired in many of the major media outlets in Alaska. They also contributed to a daily blog called "Short Timers".
Their professor, Brian O'Donoghue, said the missions gave the students a full picture of what the brigade is doing. It allowed them to see the challenges and achievements made in the Diyala province. This, he said, will give the students experience that will make them better candidates for jobs, no matter the career field.
Deployed Soldiers Prepare for Home
Story by Spc. Christopher Bruce
Soldiers loaded Stryker military vehicles onto tractor-trailers late Friday to be shipped back to their home in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Stryker vehicles belong to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team that is part of the 25th Infantry Division.
For the past year, the brigade was headquartered at Forward Operating Base Warhorse and was in charge of the entire Diyala Province of Iraq. They deployed on Sept. 11, 2008 and will be returning home this month.
Tonight was part of a four night period where more than 100 Stryker vehicles were loaded and transported to another base for their departure home. The vehicles were guided onto the trailers under large work lights at one o'clock in the morning.
Sgt. 1st Class Christian Alexander was the top enlisted person in charge of loading the Strykers to be moved back home. He said extreme caution was taken and that safety was the main concern. That is why Dean Phillips Jr., the Brigades Safety specialist was on hand to assist. Phillips said there was potential for tipping the Strykers while driving them up on the ramps to load them onto the trailers.
Redeployment Nearly Complete
The brigade commander and senior enlisted soldier arrived home to Alaska, marking the near-completion of the 1/25 SBCT's homecoming.
FAIRBANKS — The steady flow of the returning 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division continued on Tuesday, with more than 350 soldiers arriving at Fort Wainwright after a year of service in Iraq.Among those landing at Eielson Air Force Base and making the trip to Fort Wainwright were the brigade’s commander and its senior enlisted member, marking the near-completion of the brigade’s return to its home base.
Col. Burt Thompson, the brigade’s commander, said his soldiers have left Diyala province in good hands — the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under the command of Col. David Funk based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
1/25 SBCT Hands Over Diyala to 3/2 SBCT
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – With a combined Iraqi – U.S. color guard and leadership from the Iraqi Security Forces, Diyala Governance and U.S. Forces present, the responsibility for the partnership and security of Diyala Province was transferred from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Arctic Wolves”, to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, “Arrowhead” in a transfer of authority ceremony held on Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Sept. 12.
“Today marks the official day of transfer of authority between two great, battle-tested brigade combat teams. Both units have great and storied traditions and I could not be more proud of both of them,” said Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., Commander, Multi-National Division – North.
“The ‘Arctic Wolves’ deployed out of the frozen tundra of Alaska to enhance peace and stability in the extreme heat here in Iraq; while the ‘Arrowheads’ left the great Pacific Northwest to join this cause and run the anchor leg of our mission in Diyala,” he said.
After spending 11 months in Diyala province, the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division relinquished control of the province where the “Arctic Wolves” patrolled, fought and shed blood. Taking control of the province is the 3/2 SBCT, based out of Fort Lewis, Wash. which is beginning its third deployment to Iraq and second to Diyala province.
“Col. Burt Thompson and Command Sgt. Maj. Cervantes have guided and challenged their 5,600 Soldiers of the ‘Arctic Wolves’ to remarkable achievements this past year. We have all watched with pride and appreciation as the ‘Arctic Wolves’ exceeded all expectations in this ever-changing environment of Diyala province,” said Caslen praising the 1/25 SBCT, adding that the adaptability of the Soldiers was key during to the successful transfer of responsibility with the Diyala Security Forces and the change of mission as U.S. forces moved out of cities and villages as part of the security agreement.
Col. David Funk, Commander, 3/2 SBCT, thanked the leaders and Soldiers of the 1/25 SBCT for their work forming partnerships, operations they performed and projects they completed in Diyala.
“I must also thank the citizens and leaders, both civilian and military, of Diyala province. You also have sacrificed so much to see freedom and democracy to take hold,” said Funk. “Your courage is and inspiration to all of us. We thank you for your commitment to peace and the principals of freedom.”
During his comments, Funk promised the Diyala leaders his units would maintain and build upon the relationships developed by the “Arctic Wolves”.
“To the warriors and leaders of the Arctic Wolves, those remaining to the end and those already at home or en route, I thank each of you for your dedication, discipline, compassion, sacrifice and selfless service,” said Col. Burt Thompson, Commander, 1/25 SBCT. “Along side your Iraqi partners you never failed, you never faltered, you never wavered from the goals we established and for that I am eternally grateful.”
Homecoming Continues
The Daily News Miner provides an update on the expected return of more 1/25 SBCT troops.
FAIRBANKS — About 1,000 soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry will be returning to Fort Wainwright during the next four days.But this group of soldiers returning from Iraq’s Diyala province after a year-long deployment will not have the same three days of leave that earlier groups had.
Effective with soldiers that returned Saturday, U.S. Army Alaska cut time with family to 12 hours. Returning soldiers then begin reintegration training, during which they are given mental and physical health evaluations.
Video: Loading Strykers
DVIDS has a new video of the 1/25 SBCT. Description:
Package made from "Loading Strykers" b-roll about over 100 Stryker vehicles being loaded and transported to another base so the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division can head back home to Fort Wrainwright in Alaska. Produced by Spc. Christopher Bruce.
More 1/25 SBCT Soldiers Return
The Daily News Miner covers two separate arrivals.
- More homecomings for Fairbanks' Stryker soldiers - newsminer.com
- Another round of Strykers returns to Fort Wainwright - newsminer.com
Saying Goodbye
The Daily News Miner carries an article by UAF journalism student Tom Hewitt from his recent embed with the 1/25 SBCT.
BAQUBAH, Iraq — Shortly after entering the police station, Staff Sgt. Daniel Blalock of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment found himself in the embrace of an Iraqi officer.“I knew it was going to be a sad day when we told them we couldn’t come back,” Blalock said, after he returned the hug.
Sgt. Blalock and other members of 1-5’s Charlie Company had come to the station, just north of Baqubah in Diyala Province on a mission to help train the Iraqi Emergency Response Force. The ERF, a special branch of the Iraqi Police trained for security operations, had worked with the American soldiers for months, and it was their final session.
Northern Homecoming
Soldiers from the 1/25 SBCT are arriving home as well. The Daily News-Miner has a nice story and lots of photos.
FAIRBANKS — As dozens of family members of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry soldiers gathered, the Fort Wainwright hangar remained quiet.It wasn’t that they lacked excitement about the return of their loved ones. But it was 2 a.m. Tuesday morning, as evidenced by yawning children and people in pajama pants.
When the hangar doors opened about 45 minutes later and 160 troopers from the 1-25th came back to post following a yearlong deployment to Iraq’s Diyala province, the hangar erupted.
More Embedded Reports
The UAF journalism crew have a few new articles re: the 1/25 SBCT.
- Balancing rockets and recreation - Alaska Dispatch
- Maintenance - Short Timers Blog
- Sheik blames outsiders - Daily News-Miner
Battling the Heat
The embedded journalists from UAF continue their in-depth coverage with this article recounting a joint mission between soldiers from the 1/25 SBCT and the Iraqi Army.
FOB GRIZZLY, Iraq -- The Chinook jostled from side to side, suggesting turbulence rather than touchdown at the LZ. Hugging their guns, Iraqis and Americans streamed toward the big helicopter's gaping rear hatch. [...]The mission called for First Platoon making its way along wadis, notched into the hillsides by rain, to a position where soldiers might observe village ruins identified by aerial mapping. Signs of life would invite further scrutiny, according to the intelligence report, because Al Qaeda Iraq and other dissident groups active in Diyala Province sometimes hole up in such places.
Either way, the platoon and Iraqi Army men would use metal detectors and sweep the village site and surrounding tip of the Udaim River peninsula for cached weapons or explosives. Get in early. Get out before the sun sapped the men's strength. That was the plan discussed at Bravo Company's headquarters back at Grizzly.
Desert Oasis
This is great - SSG Kevin Smith with 1-24 INF, 1/25 SBCT has cultivated a patch of green in the desert.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GRIZZLY, Iraq - Grass sprouting in the courtyard of this small military base north of Baghdad is rooted in homefront struggles larger than the war."You've got to water it every day," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Smith, dutifully shifting the sprinkler to soak another portion of the startling green carpet sprouting near headquarters in this base in Iraq's Diyala Province. It's a bit of the Midwest in the Middle East.
Black, a 30-year-old former landscaper, has nurtured the desert lawn since "Duce Four," the 1-24th Infantry Regiment, withdrew from urban areas and consolidated at Grizzly about three weeks ago.
More Soldiers Arriving Home
According to this article from the Daily News-Miner the next group of 1/25 SBCT soldiers is scheduled to arrive home next week.
About 150 troops from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat, 25th Infantry returned on Aug. 3. That “torch party” is preparing for about 4,000 additional Stryker soldiers who will flood back into town during the next month.Douglass said the next group of Stryker troops will return next week, with a steady stream continuing through September. Douglass said seven Stryker soldiers have died during the deployment, which began in September 2008.
Operation Schoolhouse
WKRG News has a nice story about Allie Maney.
When 12-year-old Allie Maney started Operation Schoolhouse, a project to collect school supplies for Iraqi children, she had no idea how large the response would be.Since its start in October, Allie's project has more than doubled her goal of 1,000 pounds of supplies.
"I'm really excited about it. We got 2,200 pounds," the Shalimar resident said. "It's just great that we got this much and I loved doing it."
Ally started the program after hearing stories and seeing photos from her brother, Army 1st Lt. Drew Maney. In one of his weekly conversations with his family, Drew mentioned the Iraqi children he met on his tour with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Embedded Reports
The UAF journalism students have provided another group of links on their Short Timers blog to the second batch of stories they've published.
Video: Eyes on the Prize
Jessica Hoffman, one of the journalism students embedded with the 1/25 SBCT, has a short video of soldiers talking about what they are looking forward to.
Related: Hoffman also has another video clip from a recent Air Assault mission with the 1/25 SBCT.
Embedded Reports
The journalism students who are currently embedded with the 1/25 SBCT in Iraq are publishing articles in a variety of publications. They've put together a complete list of the pieces written to date, many of which we haven't linked to before.
Justice System
The Daily News-Miner examines the Iraqi justice system in the following article.
The Iraqi legal system is a subject Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry, wishes he had devoted more effort to understanding early on. He hears it from all sides. “The Iraqi police are corrupt,” he’s told. “The judges, they’re all bought off.”The colonel stressed that these are the views of others, not his. But it’s a perception dividing many Iraqis.
“They really do want to move forward,” Thompson continued. “I pray for my civilian leadership, I pray for the president, I pray for my military leaders, and I’m praying for the Iraqi ones too, because they’ve got huge challenges. I’ll never be flippant and say, ‘This is easy, why can’t you figure this out?’ In many ways, we haven’t.”
Torch Party Arrives
The Daily News-Miner was there when the first troops from the 1/25 SBCT arrived home last night. Welcome back!
Advance Party
The Daily News-Miner is reporting that the advance party for the 1/25 SBCT will arrive home on Monday night. The countdown begins.
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
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.
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.”
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Iraqi Minister of Defence, MNF-I Commander visit Diyala
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – Iraqi and Coalition leadership came together May 23 to discuss current and future operations for the Diyala Province.
Iraqi Minister of Defence Abdul-Qadar Mohammad Jassim al-Mifarji along with Multi-National Force – Iraq Commander Gen. Raymond Odierno and Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby received an assessment briefing on the major operation being conducted in Diyala, “Glad Tidings of Benevolence II.”
The operation began May 1 and has led to the detainment of 301 persons for various crimes and the discovery of multiple weapons caches according to officials from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
1/25 SBCT Briefing
The commander of the 1/25 SBCT, COL Burdett Thompson, held a teleconference with the media this week. Provided below are links to the various stories.
- Fairbanks Stryker brigade gives status update - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
- Stryker brigade commander reports on progress in Iraq - Anchorage Daily News
- Strykers continue battling Iraqi insurgents, help stabilize region - KTUU News
Diyala operation continues to show strength and unity
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – A major operation involving Iraqi Security Forces, Peshmerga, and
Coalition Forces continues to make progress throughout the Diyala Province.
Operation “Glad Tidings of Benevolence II” began May 1, and primarily consists
of ISF and Peshmerga forces working together to clear and secure areas in Diyala.
Thus far, soldiers from both forces have continued to capture criminals, discover
weapons caches and deliver humanitarian aid to local residents.
Soldiers of the Iraqi 2nd Brigade, 1st Division conducted a humanitarian aid
mission to assist school children at the Al-Eloom Primary School May 13. The soldiers
handed out school supplies to more than 200 children in separate classes.
More humanitarian missions are currently being planned by Iraqi forces at
locations across Diyala. This assistance aids the people of the province and helps build
strong partnerships between local residents and the Iraqi Security Forces.
“Glad Tidings of Benevolence II continues to cover both ends of the operational
spectrum,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman
Maj. Chris Hyde. “The Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga are both ridding the
province of criminal elements, their weaponry and safe havens, and assisting local
residents with rebuilding and reestablishing their lives and communities.”
Iraqi Forces making strong progress in major Diyala operation
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – Significant progress has been made throughout the Diyala Province one week into a major operation called “Glad Tidings of Benevolence II,” being conducted by Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and Coalition forces.
“What’s particularly significant about this operation is the high degree of cooperation that Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga units have shown in completing various patrols and clearing operations together,” said Maj. Chris Hyde, spokesman, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “I think it’s an excellent sign that the tides are perhaps turning in the relationship between these two groups.”
The operation has consisted of clearing areas in search of weapons caches, checking identification for known criminals and bringing humanitarian assistance to local communities.
Hundreds of illegal AK-47s have been taken off the streets, along with dozens of people detained by the ISF for suspected terrorism.
A major portion of this operation has also included more than 40 civil affairs projects created to help many areas in need. These projects range from refurbishing a school in Balad Ruz to digging a well in Muqdadiyah.
During the operation, ISF and Peshmerga forces have received assistance from Coalition forces, who are predominantly providing aviation and other needed assets.
Recon Platoon/ERF Taking RKG-3 Cell Members Off the Street
Story by Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher, 145th MPAD
DIYALA, Iraq – Being able to locate and detain those who wish to do harm to innocent people is frequently a difficult task. The ability to strike at a moment's notice must be mastered in order to be effectively complete this task.
Recon Platoon, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division specializes in time-sensitive-targeting in Baqubah. The roughly 30-man platoon must be ready around the clock for the moment when they are given the order to strike.
These TST missions are often source driven raids and can range from a high value target to targets that are felt to pose an imminent threat to the population or to security forces.
The Recon platoon trains and executes missions with their Iraqi counter-part, a police emergency response force. Recon trains the ERF on advanced tactics that allow the two to function as one entity while conducting raids.
Glad Tidings of Benevolence II shows early success in Baqubah
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces along with their Coalition partners have begun a major operation to improve the security and stability of the Diyala Province.
Recent operations in Baqubah have yielded early success with 14 people detained by Iraqi forces. Additionally, 158 AK-47s have been taken off the street in the four days since operations began.
Two weapons caches, one pistol, one hand grenade and one semenov rifle have also been confiscated from the area during this period.
“Glad Tidings of Benevolence II continues to prove both the immense ability and passion of the Iraqi Security Forces,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman, Maj. Chris Hyde. “It’s good to see the Iraqis in the lead and on point for their nation.”
Photos: Clearing Operation in Al Asreya
Soldiers from the 5-1 CAV, 1/25 SBCT are featured in a new photo album at DVIDS.
Former Diyala Governor celebrated for service
Multi-National Division – North
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, DIYALA, Iraq – Coalition leadership gathered to wish farewell to former Diyala provincial governor Ra’ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, April 29.
Brig. Gen. James Nixon, deputy commanding general of operations for Multi-National Division – North, Col. Burt Thompson, commander of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, along with 1-25 SBCT battalion commanders and Iraqi Security Forces leaders from around the province attended.
The event was planned as a way to thank Ra’ad Al Tamimi for his service to the province and country while serving as the Diyala governor for the past four years. Soldiers from the 1-25th worked for the last seven months with Ra’ad Al Tamimi, who has also partnered with four other Coalition forces brigades and interacted with countless CF servicemen and women, as well as members of the State Department, during his tenure as governor.
The night’s festivities included dinner and the presentation of several gifts given to Ra’ad Al Tamimi by Coalition leaders to show their appreciation for his many accomplishments as Diyala’s head-of-state.
Ra’ad Al Tamimi thanked the members of the brigade for their hard work and offered thanks to those who gave their lives in the service of Iraq and Diyala province.
New Book From Stryker Relatives
Friends for Life: Strangers Brought Together by the War in Iraq is a new book by Jennifer MackInday and Patti Donahue that many of you might be interested in. Provided below is a description from the book's website, friendsforlifebook.weebly.com, where you can purchase the book as well. It is also available at Amazon.com
Friends for Life is a story of two women who were strangers brought together through the yearlong deployment of the infamous Deuce Four Stryker Brigade to Mosul, Iraq. Patti, the mother of Army medic Jon, and Jennifer, sister of infantry soldier James, forged a dear friendship as their soldiers fought to stay alive in one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq. After meeting online, Patti and Jennifer joined forces at home to support their soldiers and comfort each other while their boys battled in the fierce fight to secure Mosul. Over a year later, Patti and Jennifer finally met in person and truly became friends for life. This book is full of emotional stories from the battlefront and the home front and also includes many resources for military families.
Medical Evacuation Compound Dedicated in Memory of Fallen Soldier
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Ewer
The Pickard Medical Evacuation Compound Naming Ceremony was scheduled for April 20 at 10 a.m. on Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The ceremony was delayed when the vital mission of the MEDEVAC unit took top priority as a flight of two UH-60 Black Hawk MEDEVAC helicopters arrived with five U.S. Soldiers wounded during a suicide vest bomb attack in Baqubah minutes earlier. The MEDEVAC compound received five of these Soldiers, giving them immediate medical attention.
The naming ceremony for the new $15 million MEDEVAC compound began as the twin UH-60s, belonging to C Company, 2-149 General Support Aviation Battalion, lifted off.
The new facility was dedicated by the Texas based C Company, "Alamo DustOff," in the memory of a C Company patient who died of his wounds early in their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-10.
Pfc. Heath K. Pickard, 21, of Palestine, Texas, died Oct. 16 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he received indirect fire in Baquba, Iraq. He was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He was posthumously promoted to specialist.
Retran Keeps Soldiers Talking on the Battlefield
Story by Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher, 145th MPAD
DIYALA, Iraq – Communications on the battlefield are a crucial necessity which can be easily overlooked by the average Soldier conducting their day-to-day business. The ability to pick up a microphone and talk to another person or leadership may seem as simplistic as just a push of the button, in reality it is anything but.
For Soldiers of the 176th Signal Company, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division the mission to keep communications working throughout the Diyala province is a daunting task.
Their response: go mobile.
With three retransmitting teams, the 176th has established two locations in strategic regions of the province and additionally have a mobile asset that can travel to the battlefield to keep the eight different communication networks going.
A Retran team is equipped with a set of four antennas. They move to a location and setup up the antennas to receive incoming signals. These signals are then relayed from the site to their desired location. Without the retransmission, these signals would fall short of their desired recipient and would not be heard.
Combat Outpost Closures Display Security Progress for Baqubah
Story by Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher, 145th MPAD
DIYALA, Iraq – With the recent closure of three combat outposts, or COPs in the city of Baqubah, located in Diyala province, Soldiers of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division are maneuvering themselves to aid in security for the region while allowing Iraqi security forces to take the next step in self sufficiency.
The recent COP closures include COP Khatoon, which closed on February 9, COP Old Baqubah, which closed on February 19 and COP Tehrir, which closed on April 7. These three closures are part of the strategic repositioning resulting from the security agreement signed between the U.S. and Iraq in November 2008.
The decisions made for the closures of the COPs were a joint effort, taking into account both the strategic goals of coalition forces on both the Battalion and Brigade level, along with the ability and needs of the Iraqi security forces.
Tactical Operation Center Keeps the Battle Going
Story by Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher, 145th MPAD
DIYALA, Iraq – The battlefield is a complex place. Having to account for all of the moving pieces and the threats that may hinder those pieces can sometimes be an arduous task.
The job of the tactical operation center for the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division is to understand this battlefield and those elements that go into it in order to succeed in security and stabilization.
For the Soldiers that man this tactical operations center, the mission often differs from other operations centers. Because the battalion is field artillery there are fewer Soldiers available for staffing. This aspect, along with the exchange of one of their FA batteries for an infantry company early on in the unit's deployment, puts an additional twist into the operations field.
"The duel mission requires two separate frames of mind," said the 2-8 Battalion Operations Officer Major Jon Sowards.
Photos: Medical Clinic in Shuzayf
Soldiers from the 1-24 INF, 1/25 SBCT are featured in this photo album from DVIDS.
Iraqi Army and Coalition Soldiers Conduct Combined Strike Training
DIYALA, Iraq – Even in the face of adverse weather Soldiers of the Iraqi army trained alongside coalition Soldiers in combined strike training on the flight line of Forward Operating Base Normandy, April 8.
The training, conducted by the IA's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 20th Battalion, 5th Division and 1st Platoon, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was performed to keep the Soldiers prepared for their aerial quick reaction force mission, said Capt. Morgan Maier, platoon leader, 1st Platoon.
Due to the adverse weather, heavy clouds, sand and partial rain, a helicopter could not be provided for the static training portion, forcing Soldiers to improvise and use cots to simulate the inside of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
The training included how to safely enter and exit a helicopter while maintaining security. Coalition Soldiers demonstrated how to properly conduct the movement then had the IA Soldiers join in and practice conducting combined entering and exiting.
Coalition Forces Teams Up With Emergency Response Force
DIYALA, Iraq – Under the late afternoon sun, Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, work in close coordination with the Iraqi police's Emergency Response Force, April 9.
"The ERF is the best Iraqi force that we've come across," said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell R. Hanson, 1st Platoon's Platoon Sergeant. "They are more than willing to go on any patrol and they share information with us."
Both the ERF and 2nd Platoon spent the afternoon and late into the evening searching for weapons caches hidden by al Qaida or other anti-coalition groups in the Effa Desert.
Photos: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Kanaan, Iraq
Soldiers from the 1/25 SBCT are featured in a new photo album at DVIDS.
Photos: 1/25 SBCT
DVIDS has a number of new photo albums featuring soldiers from the 1/25 SBCT. Thanks to Bill for the links.
- Palm Grove Clearing in Esalwid
- Bunker Survey in Dashtan
- Controlled Burn of a Palm Grove in Daliabas, Iraq
- Palm Grove Search in Jazeera
- Medical Care in Abu Bakr
CF team up with ERF in search of weapons caches
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Under the late afternoon sun, Soldiers of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, work in close coordination with the Iraqi Police’s Emergency Response Force, April 9.
“The ERF is the best Iraqi force that we’ve come across,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell R. Hanson, 1st Platoon’s platoon sergeant. “They are more than willing to go on any patrol and they share information with us.”
Both the ERF and 2nd Platoon spent the afternoon and late into the evening searching for weapons caches hidden by Al Qaeda or other anti-Coalition groups in the Effa desert.
“The enemy runs a decentralized supply operations, which would be caches,” said Hanson. “The check points the Iraqi Army, the IP’s and the Sons of Iraq have up and down the Mukdadia area have pretty much denied [the enemy] freedom of movement. With taking their supplies away and already having their freedom of movement [taken], they’re pretty much hurting.”
Photos: 1/25 SBCT
Bill sent along links to two new photo albums on DVIDS featuring soldiers from the 1-24 INF, 1/25 SBCT. Thanks!
- Medical Care in Abu Bakr (13 images)
- Patrol in Albu Sawwat, Iraq (15 images)
Embedded Reports With 1/25 SBCT
It looks like local news station KTUU is featuring a three-part series on the 1/25 SBCT from embedded, independent journalist Doug Grindle. His reports feature articles, photos and videos. Parts 1 and 2 are up so far. Check back for a link to Part 3 after it has been published.
- On patrol: Alaska's Strykers in Iraq, Part 1
- On patrol: Alaska's Strykers in Iraq, Part 2
- On patrol: Alaska’s Strykers in Iraq, Part 3
Iraqi Army assumes control of COP Ayres
Multi-National Division – North PAO
Diyala, Iraq – The Iraqi Army assumed control of Combat Outpost Ayres from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division during a ceremony held March 19.
Capt. Matthew Caprari, commander, Apache Company, 3-21 Inf., the unit that had operational control of COP Ayres, signed control to Iraqi army commander Lt. Col. Khalil Malik Ahmed, commander, 3rd Battalion, 20th IA Brigade. The official documents were signed during a brief ceremony, presided over by Khalil and Lt. Col. James R. DeMoss, battalion commander, 3-21 Inf.
“Today is a significant day for the Iraqi and U.S. partnership,” DeMoss said. “It marks the recognition that the Iraqi Army, specifically, 3rd Battalion of the 20th IA Brigade, is increasingly ready to handle more and more security responsibilities.”
“Speaking for myself and all my officers,” Khalil said, “we are very thankful to the Coalition forces for all their efforts and giving us the opportunity to secure the area. Today we received this COP; it will be a good start for the IA to get ready to secure this area and our country.”
Khalil said there are still obstacles in the way, but with the help of Coalition forces, the Iraqi Army will be able to solve their problems and sees his country improving every day.
“For us,” Khali said, “we will continue this partnership by training and supporting; for democracy and for the new Iraq.”
Washington Times journalists train Diyala journalists
Multi-National Division – North
Baqubah, Iraq – Addressing complex issues ranging from journalistic license to the independence of the press, Mr. Richard Tomkins recently gave a media class to local journalists at the Diyala Governance Center in downtown Baqubah, the capital city of Diyala province, March 11.
A veteran journalist currently writing for the Washington Times, United Press International, and the Middle East Times, Tomkins has a career that spans more than 36 years, four continents, and a multitude of different publications across the globe.
Recently, while embedded with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in Diyala, Iraq, Tomkins indicated that he would be interested in giving some media training to many of the province’s journalists.
1/25 SBCT Mission
Richard Tompkins with the Washington Times recently patrolled al-Abbara with elements of the 1/25 SBCT.
AL-ABBARA, Iraq | U.S. and Iraqi soldiers scouring the palm groves here for extremists' weapons caches during a recent patrol seemed to take in stride the announcement that the majority of U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq within 18 months. [...]Added Army Specialist Steve Schumer: "I think there is still a lot of work to be done as far as leaving the country. I don´t know if they have the support structure to handle the country on their own. [But] with us now in more of an observation/support role we're in a position to train these guys a lot and pass on our knowledge more."
Sgt. Athab and Specialist Schumer are members of reconnaissance platoons that partner and operate south of Baquoba, the capital of Diyala province. The area is still a battle zone against al Qaeda and other extremist groups. The day before the president's announcement the two units were searching for arms caches and terrorist "spider holes" in deep and bone-dry irrigation canals near Baladrooz, where Iraqi and U.S. forces are conducting a major operation to root out al Qaeda and other terrorist cells.
Get Caught Up
We are just now realizing that we've missed a number of story from the DVIDS website regarding both the 1/25 SBCT and the 56yh SBCT. The best way to get caught up on everything is to head over there and work your way back through the Stryker-related stories. We're subscribed again to the correct content, so hopefully we'll catch everything going forward. While you're there be sure to browse the images, audio and video sections as well.
Tradition Lives On
Traditions live on in memory, by an act, a custom or handing down a meaningful item. Through the handing down of one particular rucksack, aptly named “True Blue Bobcat Cherry Lieutenant," 5th Infantry Regiment keeps the memory alive of the Soldiers who once served before them.
“I heard that 1/17 Inf. Reg. used a hat with horns and buffalo hair as their Lieutenant tradition,” said 1st Lt. Sean Raleigh, officer in charge, personnel officer, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Regiment. “I have heard of other traditions existing Army-wide but only have knowledge a few. There is evidence that this particular rucksack was first issued out in 1996, but the rucksack itself came with no written history inside it,” Raleigh stated. “It is possible that it is another version of an older rucksack that was retired or lost. The rucksack was found in a storage container late last year after the unit was deactivated.”
Why a rucksack some people may ask? Rucksacks are still used today by Soldiers just as it was when the Army was first established back in June 1775.
“I would assume [the rucksack] goes along with the foot marching traditions of the infantry,” Raleigh stated. “A rucksack being a vessel to carry many different items inside over time, it‘s like a mobile time capsule.”
Overview: Coalition Forces in Iraq
The Long War Journal has a very thorough overview of the coalition forces currently operating in Iraq, and how future reductions in combat forces will be made. Excerpt:
The number of US and allied combat brigades deployed in Iraq has been cut in half since the height of the "surge" in the summer of 2007, while the number of Iraqi security forces has nearly doubled during the same period of time.The US Department of Defense has announced the reduction of two more US combat brigades during 2009. The announcement also noted the withdrawal of the last non-US coalition combat brigade from Iraq. The UK 20th Armored Brigade starts its departure this month. The reductions will bring the total coalition forces in Iraq from 24 combat brigades at the peak of the "surge" to only 12 in the fall of 2009.
Iraqi Army uncovers weapons cache in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Soldiers from the 18th Iraqi Army Brigade, 5th Division, working alongside U.S. Soldiers with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, uncovered a weapons cache in Diyala province, Iraq, March 5.
The cache included 47 blasting caps, 36 pressure plates,10 pounds of homemade explosives, nine rockets, two bags of propellant, and two hand grenades.
The cache was discovered while Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces investigated a site where a cache was previously found.
“This discovery marks a significant step forward for the Iraqi Army,” said 1/25th SBCT spokesman Maj. Chris Hyde. “With every cache they find, Iraqi Security Forces become better and better at maintaining a consistent and comprehensive appraisal of their area of operations, particularly when monitoring historic sites for weapons caches.”
The Hunter, the Hunted
The hunt is on. An improvised explosive device detonates in the Diyala province of Iraq. No time for thinking or questioning, just training put into action. Without a second to lose Chapman calls his team to a halt, “turn it around,” he yells.
Sgt. 1st Class Brent Chapman, team leader, Thunder Troop, Company A, 5th Squadron, 1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division and his team are hungry. Not hungry in the sense that they need sustenance but they are hungry to find the whereabouts of an IED blast site.
There are hunters and then there are the hunted, and these Soldiers are hungry. Today’s menu includes one IED blast site and one battlefield damage assessment by Thunder Troop.
“We got word from the Iraqi army or Iraqi police, I’m not sure which, that an IED went off and hit a civilian vehicle,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bland, squad leader, Thunder, 5-1Cav. “Even though the IA and IP are responsible for that - just to maintain situational awareness in our sector so that we have an accurate picture of what the threats are - we’ve sent an element to check it out and link up with the IP to find out what the deal is.”
Endgame
Col. Burt K. Thompson, commander of the 1/25 SBCT, is quoted in the following article from The New York Times regarding the situation in Iraq.
MAHMUDIYA, Iraq — As he returned to base here after a day patrolling a place once called the Triangle of Death, Capt. Landgrove T. Smith of the First Battalion, 63rd Armor, summarized the war in Iraq in a way that would once have been unthinkable.“We’re in the endgame now,” he said. [...]
More than 140,000 American troops remain in Iraq — more than the level before President Bush’s “surge” in 2007 — and the still unanswerable question is what kind of Iraq will be left behind when most of them are gone.
“What is good enough in Iraq, to say that we can pull out in 18, 19 months?” asked Col. Burt K. Thompson, commander of the First Stryker Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division at Forward Operation Base Warhorse in Diyala.
PFC Zachary R. Nordmeyer
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis, Ind., died Feb. 23 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
All of us here offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
SPC Micheal B. Alleman
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Micheal B. Alleman, 31, of Logan, Utah, died Feb. 23 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind.
CPL Michael L. Mayne
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, 21, of Burlington Flats, N.Y., died Feb. 23 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Bases Returning to Iraqi Control
Bases currently occupied by the 1/25 SBCT are among those that will be handed over to Iraqi control eventually, according to an article by the Washington Times.
American troops in Iraq are beginning to pull back from bases and outposts that were linchpins in the U.S. surge that helped reduce violence, prevent a civil war and allow peaceful elections. [...]In Baqouba, 35 miles north of Baghdad, a sprawling compound known as Combat Operations Post (COP) Hatoon was returned to its private owners earlier this month, and COP Tahrir, a school once used as a headquarters by al Qaeda in Iraq, will soon return to the Ministry of Education.
Soldiers on outposts near populated areas in Iraq often establish friendly relationships with residents during patrols. New restrictions on U.S. operations and the withdrawal of troops from cities may make that more difficult. (Richard Tomkins/The Washington Times)
Only a third or fewer of the 14 installations in Baqouba and surrounding Diyala province will remain after the withdrawal deadline, said Maj. John Sutton, the assistant operations officer of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which is part of the 25th Infantry Division.
"Just because we pull back doesn't necessarily mean we aren't going to have any presence. We just won't be in the populated areas themselves," he said.
Scattered Insurgency
The 1/25 SBCT is featured in the following article from the The Christian Science Monitor.
Ongoing violence in outlying provinces such as Diyala and Nineveh indicates that although violence has fallen and some normalcy is returning to Baghdad, the fringes of Iraq – the rural towns, farming villages, and desert outposts – have become the new fronts in the fight against the insurgent threat as extremists have fled cities and are hiding in the country's remote corners.During a joint US-Iraqi patrol, the shadow of an active insurgency loomed large. Searching a dried-up canal, members of Vanderhoff's platoon discovered "spider holes" and tunnels dug into the sides of the empty waterway. Insurgents use these tunnel systems to hide from passing helicopters and stash everything from weapons to motorcycles.
"Everywhere we go people tell us they're here and they're around, so you know they're here," says Staff Sgt. Patrick Wixon. His platoon member, Spc. Chris Calhoun adds, "And in the wintertime they're also not that active," so the present lull in activity may be deceptive.
Still, while fighting insurgents outside major cities has often proved something of a "whack-a-mole" scenario, US forces here say they're finally beginning to make progress thanks in large part to increasingly capable Iraqi security forces and an emboldened local population.
Thanks to Steve for the link.
IA Senior NCO speaks at induction ceremony at FOB Warhorse
Multi-National Division – North PAO
Diyala, Iraq – An induction ceremony for new noncommissioned officers in the 202nd Military Police Company, 607th Military Police Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, took place at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, located in the Diyala Province of Iraq, Feb. 17.
“Inducting noncommissioned officers into the corps is important for them because it teaches them the line that they have to separate between Soldier and noncommissioned officer, and becoming a leader as opposed to a follower,” said 1st Sgt. William F. Finch Jr., first sergeant, 202nd MP Co.
Speakers at the ceremony included Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Cervantes, command sergeant major, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, and Command Sgt. Maj. of the Army Adel Hassan Hamad, command sergeant major of the Iraqi Army.
Command Sgt. Maj. Adel Hassan Hamad, command sergeant major of the Iraqi Army, speaks at a ceremony to induct newly promoted sergeants with the 202nd Military Police Company, 607th Military Police Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, into the corps of noncommissioned officers Feb. 17.
Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Cervantes, command sergeant major, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, speaks at a ceremony to induct newly promoted sergeants with the 202nd Military Police Company, 607th Military Police Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, into the corps of noncommissioned officers Feb. 17.
Photos: 1/25 SBCT
DVIDS has two new photo albums featuring soldiers from the 1/25 SBCT conducting operations.
- Search for Weapons Cache - 3-21 INF, 1/25 SBCT
- Bombs Drop on Booby Trapped House - 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT
You can view other Stryker-related albums on DVIDS as well.
Quieter Times?
Soldiers from the 1-5 INF, 1/25 SBCT are featured in the following article from the Washington Times.
U.S. troops aren't allowing malaise to happen. Each pre-mission brief - whether the mission is to run supplies to an outpost, join Iraqi forces in a sweep or visit a neighborhood - includes updated threat assessments based on recent incidents and intelligence. [...]Before the Jan. 31 provincial elections, a platoon from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment was on its way for a routine visit to Iraqi police stations in the Tahrir district of Baqouba to check on Election Day security plans. A bomb explosion temporarily diverted them from their mission.
It wasn't a large bomb; few people were around when it went off on 40th Street, and injuries were minor. However, the explosion and the shredded body in the street of the man who had been transporting the bomb when it went off were stark reminders to stay focused on threats, especially car bombs, and one of Diyala's terrorist hallmarks: female suicide bombers.
Thanks to Steve for the link.
Inside Information
In Stars & Stripes soldiers with the 1/25 SBCT comment on the rising friction between the Iraqi Army and the Sons of Iraq groups.
NAHR AL IMAM, Iraq — After stumbling across a few hundred yards of dirt clods outside this Diyala province village, Rahim Muhammad Mahmoud points a group of U.S. soldiers to a crater in a drought-hardened farm field.After some digging, U.S. Army Capt. Timothy Walton nods approvingly as Mahmoud, the area’s "Sons of Iraq" leader, hands him several jagged, twisted bits of metal — proof of a reported rocket strike the soldiers were investigating.
It’s this type of intelligence U.S. soldiers fear losing if rising friction between members of the Iraqi army and the "Sons of Iraq," a security group largely made up of former militants who turned against the insurgency, is not addressed.
1/25 SBCT Commander Interviewed
The Anchorage Daily News caught up recently with the commander of the 1/25 SBCT, COL Burdett Thompson.
In a teleconference with Alaska reporters from his headquarters at Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Diyala Province, Col. Burdett Thompson said Iraq remains a dangerous place, with suicide bombers, insurgents and militiamen trying to disrupt security.But it's also long past the day when American forces regularly patrolled on their own or faced complex, coordinated attacks on their forward bases, at least in Diyala, just to the north and east of Baghdad, Thompson said.
"The days go by extremely slow sometimes, but the weeks go flying by," Thompson said.
Related:
Stryker commander hopeful after Iraqi elections - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Pre-Election Raids
According to the following Stars & Stripes article (see sidebar photos) the 1/25 SBCT was involved in pre-election raids in Iraq.
BAGHDAD — More than 100 joint raids by American and Iraqi forces helped keep Baghdad free of attacks during Saturday’s provincial elections, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond said Tuesday during a lunch with reporters.Iraqi and American forces conducted combined operations against 111 different "deliberate targets" in the 72-hour period before election day, said Hammond, the Multi-National Division—Baghdad commander.
Units hit all the targets within a concentrated period just before the vote in order to cause maximum disruption to any violence enemy fighters had planned for election day, he said.
Recruits
Stars & Stripes has an article on the practice of hiring local Iraqi's to man checkpoints that mentions the 1/25 SBCT.
SARI TAPA, Iraq — A group of Kalashnikov-wielding young men in street clothes sits by a makeshift checkpoint on the outskirts of this gritty farming village in northeastern Diyala province, rocks strewn across the road to slow cars. Under normal circumstances, U.S. troops coming upon such a group would ready themselves for a firefight.This time, a group of American soldiers is stopping simply to check that the Iraqis have been paid.
Even by the lax uniform standards of Iraqi security forces, the group is ragtag, but it is part of a new force organized by the provincial government to augment the Iraqi army and provide jobs for Iraqis in places where unemployment is often the norm. The Diyala program is drawing mixed reactions from U.S. soldiers, who applaud the increased security but are deeply nervous about the potential for mistaken identity.
SPC Cody Lee Lamb
Several news outlets have confirmed the death of SPC Cody Lee Lamb, who passed away at his parents' home in Tennessee during his mid-tour leave. Lamb was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Related:
East Tennessee soldier dies at home on leave from Iraq - WVLT TV
Alaska-based soldier dies at parent's Tenn. home - The Associated Press
Memorial planned for soldier - The Associated Press
Fort Wainwright memorializes soldier - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Election Preparation
Stars & Stripes outlines some of the preparations soldiers from the 1/25 SBCT are making for upcoming elections in the Diyala Province.
U.S. Army Lt. Drew Holt, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, estimated that only half of the residents in Mandali know where and when to vote. He said improving the flow of election information is part of the U.S. outreach effort.The criticism from townspeople, while highlighting the economic devastation wrought by years of war, also shows a strengthening democratic dialogue, said Staff Sgt. Brian Bailey.
"The people complain, but that’s good … They’ve got the right to do so, which means they’ve got a right to change things," he said. [...]
U.S. troops stress that they will have a background role in the elections, in contrast to 2005, when they ferried transported ballots and protected polling places.
Related:
Strykers join Iraqi soldiers in providing election day security - Daily News Miner
Operations in Diyala
Stars & Stripes checks in with troops from 1/25 SBCT operating in Diyala Province.
First Lt. Thomas Maney said he distrusts anyone in town who stayed despite the insurgent threats."It’s because they’re al-Qaida or supporters of them," said Maney, of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
The unit, like thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq, occupies a battlefield that lurches between violence and calm during these murky latter days of the war.
As in much of Iraq these days, actual battles are almost unheard of in Diyala. But bombs — under roads, in cars, even on bicycles — still lurk. Insurgents have retreated to the shadows, but there’s a palpable unease about their ability to re-emerge. American troops work daily with Iraqi security forces, with Iraqis ostensibly leading or at least approving all missions, but often don’t trust them enough to share sensitive information.
The soldiers now find themselves trying to stimulate local economies and mediate sectarian disputes. Just figuring who’s on whose side can be dizzying.
Photos: 1/25 SBCT On Patrol
Bill sent us a link to a nice photo album featuring the 1-5 INF, 1/25 SBCT on patrol in Mufrek, Iraq.
1/25 SBCT Commander Interviewed
Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the 1/25 SBCT, recently conducted a press briefing from Iraq with lots of background on the brigade's activities. The full transcript is available at the DoD website.
I'll talk a little bit about the campaign plan. Since we arrived here, our primary effort was to maintain and establish security, a safe and secure environment. That's our critical enabler here in Diyala province. Governance is the primary line of effort for us here in Diyala, working closely with Governor Rah from the Diyala governance here and the provisional council. So we spend a lot of time -- as a matter of fact, my deputy commander is the primary-line- of-effort lead for the brigade in Diyala province. Next to that is essential services, reestablishment of and continuation of essential services in Diyala, on behalf of 1.2 million. And then close to that is economics, helping Diyala province spend three years' worth of budget. And we're working down the list of projects there that they could spend money on. The brigade basically has been partnering with the ISF security forces, Iraqi security forces, the army and police, for the past 60 days. There's four areas I'll highlight real quickly for you, and I'm sure you'll have some interesting questions then.
Udaim River Valley Patrol
An album featuring the following photo was forwarded by a reader. View other recent Stryker-related photo albums at the DVIDS website.
Photo Caption: U.S. Army Sgt. Steven Mason from Grayson, Ga., of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division looks around a cliff in the Udaim River Valley, Dec. 11, 2008. The U.S. Army is partnering with the Iraqi army to clear the Udaim River Valley and disrupt al Qaida networks and weapons caches in the Diyala province of Iraq.
Weapons cache found in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Iraqi Army forces, working with Coalition forces, uncovered a weapons cache west of Beijat, in the vicinity of Shilba, Diyala province, Jan. 6.
The cache consisted of 65 rocket propelled grenade rounds, eight shotgun shells, five packages of explosives, three crush wires with battery packs and an automatic weapon.
“This represents another successful combined mission with Iraqi forces in the lead,” said Maj. Chris Hyde, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman.
Weapons cache found in Shilba
Diyala, Iraq – Iraqi Army soldiers in Reconnaissance Platoon, 18th Brigade, 5th IA Division, uncovered a weapons cache, after receiving a tip, in the vicinity of Shilba, Diyala province, Iraq, Jan. 5.
The cache consisted of six rocket-propelled grenade launchers, approximately 50 RPG warheads, a 130-mm round with fuse, a 122-mm rocket, approximately 50 miscellaneous rockets, a Dishka machine gun with several cases of rounds, detonation cord, improvised explosive device materials, small arms rifles with rounds and bipods, and three Iraqi Police blue vests.
“Finding this cache is especially significant for two reasons,” said Maj. Chris Hyde, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman. “First, this was an enormous cache and will certainly make a large dent in the enemy’s ability to project terror on the people of the region. Second, it was the Iraqi Army acting on their own who found this cache. This should send a message to insurgents and terrorists throughout the region that the government of Iraq has a good hold on the situation, and are consistently proving their validity and significant abilities.”
The Changing Role of an Infantry Soldier
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
Normally, the role an Infantry Soldier plays can be summed up simply: Infantry Soldiers are Soldiers who are primarily trained for fighting on foot. However, with ever-changing modern warfare and the enhancements made to the country of Iraq by the efforts of coalition forces and Iraqi security forces, the role of the Infantry Soldier is undergoing changes of its own.
“It’s changes from us, primarily, spearheading just about every operation,” said Staff Sgt. Brian McDermott, weapons squad leader, 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “That’s leveled off considerably and the majority of those responsibilities are falling on our counterparts here in Iraq – the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army.”
McDermott – who has been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Saudi Arabia – explained that, although implemented differently, his responsibilities as an infantry Soldier in Afghanistan and during his first deployment to Iraq were the same.
Operation Archangel Pursuit III Smokes Out Threats
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
NAQIB, Iraq - In theology, an archangel is a heavenly being who is meant to protect humankind by serving in the army of God. Conserving and protecting the wellbeing of their fellow men is an ideal that Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, as well as their Iraqi army counterparts, took to heart during the appropriately named Operation Archangel Pursuit III.
“The purpose of the mission was to go into the town of Naqib and conserve it,” said 1st Sgt. Dean Johnson, Battery A, 2nd Bn., 8th Field Artillery Regt. “Enemy forces came in the area and forced the families who lived there out.”
The importance of saving this area is great. The town of Naqib, which is located in the Diyala province of Iraq, is an agricultural area that once provided the majority of the families in the vicinity with an income, Johnson explained.
Cash for Trash
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
There is a popular saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” And it is as true today as it was in the past.
At Forward Operating Base Warhorse, one unit is taking it to heart and really getting down and dirty for the good of the community as well as creating jobs and new opportunities for local nationals along the way. Since arriving to Warhorse, Forward Maintenance Company, 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, has been hastily staying busy by creating new job opportunities for young male local nationals looking for work, Dec. 16.
As part of their ongoing program with Iraqi-Based Industrial Zone, Soldiers with FMC, 25th BSB, 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div., have created several jobs to include filling recycled burlap bags with sand, construction work, plumbing and even scrap metal work at a dump site.
Walking the Line
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
“Sergeant, line ‘em up,” yells Amarillo, Texas, native 2nd Lt. Mark Herrmann, platoon leader, 73rd Engineers Company, 25th Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, as he draws an imaginary line with his finger in the air.
“Roger sir. Line it up guys,” hollers Big Fork, Mich., native, Staff Sgt. Peter Johnson, a combat engineer squad leader with 73rd Eng. Co., 25th BTB, 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div. And just as quickly as the command is called, several engineer Soldiers form a line to sweep an open field of any possible improvised explosive devices in the Southern Legion Area of Operations during a route clearance mission, Dec. 21.
Slowly but surely the 73rd Engineers have been clearing the Southern Legion AO of IEDs and munitions threat in the area over the past months.
Forward Area Support Team Makes Rounds
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
DIYALA, Iraq - A vital role in today’s military is logistical resupply for troops in the battlefield.
In Diyala province, there are several outposts scattered across the battle space which are not capable of housing or distributing supplies for themselves.
Having the manpower to push supplies out to troops on mission has become a priority of the Forward Area Support Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. And in order to ensure all unit outposts have a constant supply of goods for the Soldiers, the FAS Team continues to make rounds every week.
“We are one of the main outlets; we support several locations including Forward Operating Base Gabe, Contingency Operating Base Old Baquba, COB Tarear and COB Khatoon, just to name a few,” said Greensboro, N.C. native, 1st Lt. Karoline Hood, FAST officer in charge, 1-5 Inf., 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div. “We resupply the FOBs and COBs with food, water, fuel and even construction supplies.”
Husband, Wife: United Even in Battle
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
Despite already having served a combined service of 17 years to their country, husband and wife team, Sgt. Danielle Stephens with 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 98th Chemical, and Cpl. Clayton Stephens with Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, re-enlisted together to be closer to each other.
With their hands raised, standing side by side, the Stephens’ began to recite the Oath of Enlistment during a re-enlistment ceremony at Forward Operating Base Mosul, located in Ninuea, Iraq, Dec. 10.
According to Clayton, he and his wife met on their first deployment to Baghdad in September 2005. The following year, they married in August. Unfortunately, Danielle already had orders set for Fort Hood, Texas and Clayton was being sent to Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
IP find weapons cache in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Iraqi Police working with Coalition forces found a cache of weapons and protective equipment while conducting a joint operation in Iraq’s Diyala province Dec. 24.
The cache consisted of 13 automatic weapons magazines, six ballistic vests, five body armor plates, four bayonets, three Kevlar helmets, two grenade fuses, two black balaclavas and one automatic weapon as well as Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police uniforms and over 100 rounds for automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
“The finding of this cache should send a message to terrorists and criminals in the area,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman, Maj. Chris Hyde. “The partnership between local Iraqi Police and Coalition forces represents a formidable force and opposition to those who would do harm to the people of Diyala.”
A New Role
The News Tribune provides an update on a former 1/25 SBCT soldier, Armando Mejia, who is now the military outreach director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.
The 31-year-old father of three clearly relished watching the Christmas play last week at an auditorium at Fort Lewis’ Madigan Army Medical Center. The Spanaway resident is the military outreach director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.Mejia’s job has become a bit of salvation for the former Fort Lewis soldier who nearly died four years ago when a roadside bomb exploded under his Humvee in Iraq. He struggled with a grueling physical recovery and a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Today, he helps coordinate programs for the hundreds of children in the area – from as far west as Belfair and Bremerton and eastward to Spanaway and Graham – whose parents serve in the armed forces.
“Working with these kids,” he said, “has helped turn everything around for me.”
Baghdad terrorist leader apprehended in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
TIKRIT, Iraq – A suspected terrorists was apprehended and detained by Soldiers from1st Battalion, 24thInfantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in Khan Bani Sab, Iraq, Dec. 18.
The successful capture and detainment of the alleged terrorist involved coordination with multiple Iraqi Security Forces elements.
The individual detained is suspected to be involved in weapons trafficking, indirect fire attacks, and other acts of terrorism.
“The capture of this suspected terrorist represents a tremendous success for the combined efforts of Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces alike,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Chris Hyde. “This effort also speaks to the enormous amount of cooperation and teamwork necessary to carry out any long-term, complicated, but ultimately rewarding operation to apprehend terrorists and criminals.”
Maintaining Security in Balad Ruz, Diyala
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
Some people might have noticed there’s a new unit in town. But that makes no difference at all.
Even though 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division has only been in country for a short while, the mission still remains the same; maintain security while transitioning the return of Iraq to its people.
Alpha Troop, 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div. has taken the lead on maintaining security for Forward Operating Base Caldwell located in Diyala, Iraq, by making it their mission, one day at a time.
Forward Operating Base Caldwell, formally inhabited by 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and recently turned over to 5-1 Cav., has already begun creating sand storms throughout Diyala and Balad Ruz by ensuring the local Iraqi police, Iraqi army, Sons of Iraq and emergency relief forces continue to stay on task for the betterment of Iraq.
Mechanics Help Soldiers Stay Mission Ready
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
No one ever likes taking their vehicle to the shop.
Often, a person will take their car in to get something simple like the brake pads replaced; a job that will only cost them around $35 or so.
By the end of the initial consultation, they’ll drive out of the shop needing several other parts and pieces replaced, repaired or added to the vehicle, costing them far more than they originally bargained for.
Good or bad, vehicle maintenance is a necessity which cannot always be avoided. Even in the military, all vehicles and aircraft must be maintained in order to continue supporting missions.
The U.S. military employs a great variety of vehicles and every one must be maintained, especially while deployed. This is particularly true at Forward Operating Base Caldwell, Iraq, where there is an entire team of unit mechanics on the job.
Lightning Strikes Twice
By Task Force Lightning Public Affairs
TIKRIT, Iraq — The event on stage at Contingency Operating Base Speicher’s main gym must have looked very familiar to many Iraqi and U.S. leaders, military members and civilians in attendance. Only this time the team roles were reversed.
The 25th Infantry Division officially took charge of Multi-National Division – North from the 1st Armored Division during a ceremony, Dec. 9. The proverbial passing of the baton between these two distinguished U.S. Army divisions was a reversal of roles, as the 1AD, “Iron Soldiers,” began their deployment in Northern Iraq in 2007 by replacing the “Tropic Lightning” warfighters of the 25th ID.
“This Transition of Authority, like all TOAs, is about the departing unit handing off the relay baton while at full speed. No drops of mission, or tasks,” said Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commanding general, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. “The teamwork both division headquarters displayed during this transition is indicative of the race we are all in together, the race towards a stable and prosperous Iraq,” said Austin.
New Workforce of the Military
By Spc. Opal Vaughn, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
Due to the demands of today’s competitive workforce, many Soldiers have found themselves reassigned from their trained military occupational specialty and tasked with new job responsibilities at Forward Operating Base Caldwell, located in Diyala, Iraq, Nov. 26.
But re-tasking is not something the Army has just recently begun.
Retraining in an unfamiliar MOS can either be done by a Soldier choosing to re-class or if there is a need for a Soldier to fill a job slot which is important for the needs of the Army. “Re-classing” may seem a bit drastic, but it allows many Soldiers an opportunity for advancement as well as the opportunity to become certified or trained in another specialty.
The numbers of dually-trained Soldiers are a growing trend in today’s military. In fact, it is becoming even more popular in order for personnel to become more competitive in today’s workforce.
1/25 SBCT Commander Interviewed
The commander of the 1/25 SBCT, COL Burdett Thompson, was recently interviewed by KTUU News. Follow the link for video as well.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Members of Alaska's 1st Stryker Brigade are in high spirits, extremely motivated and dedicated to the cause, according to the commander of the brigade's 4,200 soldiers serving in Iraq.The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division deployed to Iraq in September, and the brigade is making great strides with helping Iraq become a safer place said its commander, Col. Burdett Thompson.
The 25th Infantry Division has been very busy in Iraq, Thompson said.
"Iraq is a very dynamic place right now," he said in a phone interview.
Invisible Wounds
Oregon Public Broadcasting (NPR) has an article and audio story featuring a former 1/25 SBCT soldier, John Blaufus, who is still struggling in the aftermath of his deployment.
For Blaufus, the war became an endless cycle of missions, house-to-house searches, supply work — anything to avoid thinking too much about what was happening. [...]Blaufus' mother, Anne, says things changed when her son was discharged. [...]
Blaufus says one thing keeps him going.
"Persistence. If I had trouble with it yesterday, I'll try it again today," he says. "And that just goes with anything, from getting up to take a shower to playing songs."
Sons of Iraq registration kicks off in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
Diyala, Iraq – Local Iraqi nationals lined up and waited for hours to become registered members of the Sons of Iraq while at a registration station at Forward Operating Base Gabe, in Diyala, Iraq, Dec. 4.
More than 300 local Iraqis showed up for the registration, put together by Coalition forces and the Iraqi Army.
“It’s been a great turn out,” said Col. Burt Thompson, brigade commander, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “And it’s really good to see both U.S. forces and the Iraqi Army working together as a joint force to ensure the registration of as many local Iraqi nationals to become registered members of the Sons of Iraq.”
Not too long after the registration commenced, local Iraqi nationals began to flood the registration site wanting to register themselves as SoI members.
“I think it’s great,” said Maj. Erick Salisbury, 18-5 Brigade Military Transition Team chief at FOB Gabe. “We’re definitely on the road toward transferring the SoI over to the Iraqi army.”
The SoI registration is implemented by CF leaders Brig. Gen. James Boozer, Brig. Gen. James Nixon and Col. Burt Thompson, along with Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf and 5th IA Division deputy commander Brig. Gen. Bayaz Ahmed Ramaden, which they spoke about at a pre-registration rehearsal and meeting held Nov. 26.
Holidays at Ft. Wainwright
The Daily News Miner has a nice article about preparations for the holidays at Fr. Wainwright.
FAIRBANKS — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Fort Wainwright.Almost 800 members of the Fort Wainwright community showed up at the Physical Fitness Center on Friday night for the 16th annual Christmas tree lighting.
With the 9th Army Band playing “O Christmas Tree” in the background and with the assistance of a countdown from the crowd, 5-year-old Timberly Kneebone officially rang in the start of the holiday season by flipping the big red switch that lights the 24-foot-tall tree.
General Ham Interview
FOB Tacoma points us to an article last week in USA Today featuring General Carter Ham, who was the commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul during 2003-2004. Ham, who now commands all American forces in Europe, talks about his decision to seek counseling for PTSD.
"You need somebody to assure you that it's not abnormal," Ham says. "It's not abnormal to have difficulty sleeping. It's not abnormal to be jumpy at loud sounds. It's not abnormal to find yourself with mood swings at seemingly trivial matters. More than anything else, just to be able to say that out loud."The willingness of Ham, one of the military's top officers, to speak candidly with USA TODAY for the first time about post-traumatic stress represents a tectonic shift for a military system in which seeking such help has long been seen as a sign of weakness.
It's also a recognition of the seriousness of combat stress, which can often worsen to become post-traumatic stress disorder.
Two suspected AQI members detained in Diyala
DIYALA, Iraq – Coalition forces detained two individuals suspected of being members of Al Qaeda in Iraq’s Diyala province Nov. 28.
The two men were detained while Coalition forces were conducting a routine combat patrol through the local community of Sahker and positively identified the men as suspected AQI members.
Custody of the men was later remanded over to local Iraqi Police for detention and subsequent investigation. “This capture marks a definitive victory in the ongoing fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman, Maj. Chris Hyde.
“Coalition forces will continue to assist provincial Iraqi Security Forces as they hunt down, apprehend, and fairly adjudicate members of AQI and other terrorist organizations in the region.”
Influential Sons of Iraq leader returns to Baqubah
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – A senior member of the Sons of Iraq returned to Baqubah after the Iraqi government released him from custody in Baghdad Nov. 28.
Sheikh Abdel-Karim Salih al-Mujamai, aka Abu Ali, arrived at combat outpost Tahrir near downtown Baqubah, Friday afternoon and was met by members of his tribe and extended family.
Iraqi Security Forces originally arrested Abu Ali in late October under charges of violating Iraqi Anti-Terrorism Law for alleged activities more than two years ago. Abu Ali has since reconciled under a Coalition forces contract and served as a local leader for the Sons of Iraq in Diyala.
“The release of Sheikh Abu Ali is completely legitimate and well within all related, established, and enforced Government of Iraq legal processes,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman, Maj. Chris Hyde.
The decision to release Sheikh Abu Ali is a strong statement of the Iraqi government’s commitment to reconciliation and is a very positive development on the eve of registration of the Sons of Iraq in Diyala province.
The Government of Iraq is preparing to assume responsibility for the Sons of Iraq in Diyala province and individual registration as part of the formal transfer begins Dec. 1.
MND-B Soldiers seize weapons, munitions
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized weapons caches throughout Baghdad Nov. 27
Soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B discovered a weapons cache in Nasr Wa Salam, west of Baghdad at approximately 12:15 p.m.
The cache consisted of four cases of 20 mm anti-aircraft ammunition and three empty missile canisters. The cache was collected by the explosive ordnance team and transported to a joint security station to be safely disposed of at a later time.
Members from the Iraqi Army from 4st Battalion, 22th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division working with Soldiers from 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, found a weapons cache in Southwest Kadamiyah at approximately 1:30 p.m.
The cache consisted of two 73 mm rockets, four 57 mm projectiles and 10 blocks of TNT.
“Iraqi Security Forces with the little assistance from Coalition forces are taking a stand against terrorist and extremist who wish to harm the Iraq people,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, MND-B and the 4th Infantry Division. “They continue to demonstrate their dedication and professionalism creating a secure Baghdad.”
1LT William K. Jernigan
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. William K. Jernigan, 35, of Doraville, Ga., died Nov. 24 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Related:
Fairbanks-based Stryker soldier dies in Iraq - Daily News Miner
Fort Wainwright soldier remembered for sense of humor, loyalty - Daily News Miner
Mass Grave Found In Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
Diyala, Iraq – A mass grave site was found in Diyala Province Nov 26. The 1st Battalion, 24th Striker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division received a report from a local contractor of a mass grave.
The 23 bodies appear to have been deceased for about a year and a half.
Local Iraqi Police will hand over the remains to respective families for proper burial.
Leaders discuss new change for Sons of Iraq in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GABE, Iraq – Coalition force leaders Brig. Gen. James Boozer, Brig. Gen. James Nixon and Col. Burt Thompson, along with Iraqi Army Diyala Operations Commander Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf and the 5th Iraqi Army Division Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Bayaz Ahmed Ramaden, conducted a rehearsal and meeting to discuss the future of the Sons of Iraq at Forward Operating Base Gabe in Diyala, Iraq, Nov. 26.
The main focus of the meeting was to ensure the smooth transition of the SoI program with new leadership. Currently the SoI program is managed by Coalition forces; but with the new plan, the Government of Iraq will soon assume responsibility for this program.
Backing the new plan, Khalaf said, “We must ensure we get the right people for the job.”
In order to implement a smooth transition, Coalition forces and Iraqi Forces have implemented a plan to register each member of the SoI. CF will provide teams for securing the registration sites, said Capt. Johnny Sutton, assistant operations officer for 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
“We’re going to conduct registration in the upcoming month of December and continue registration for the SoI every day except for Fridays,” said Sutton. “We have constructed a plan over a period of time now and starting next month we will implement it.”
Weapons caches found during cordon and search
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – Iraqi Police uncovered two weapons caches while conducting a cordon and search in the Nidah Region in the Diyala province of Iraq Nov. 20.
At approximately 7:30 a.m., IPs discovered two caches consisting of materials for making improvised explosive devices.
Following the search, Coalition forces reduced 260 pounds of home-made explosives, 200 feet of detonation cord, 10 blasting caps, four anti-personnel mines and two unknown fuses on scene.
“Our finding of this cache will certainly make a dent on terrorists’ activities and their efforts in the area,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman, Maj. Chris Hyde. “Residents should be able to sleep a little better tonight knowing that Coalition and Iraqi Forces have removed yet another threat to their daily life.”
Transfer of Authority in Diyala
A reader sent an article from the Christian Science Monitor regarding the Diyala Province, which is where the 1/25 SBCT is operating now.
BALAD RUZ, Iraq - The US is actively transferring ownership of Iraq's troubled Diyala Province, using a tough-love approach to force Iraq to take on greater control ahead of any deal that would put limits on the American military next year.From handing over irrigation projects to cutting funding in favor of a more cumbersome Iraqi payment system, the strategy amounts to the de facto first steps of withdrawal.
"Our big thing is getting Americans to stop doing things and get the Iraqi government to do them," says US Army Staff Sgt. Dave Schlicher, a civil affairs team leader who has worked in the towns along the Iran border for months.
New bridge to be built in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – A groundbreaking ceremony took place in the Diyala province of Iraq Nov. 17 in order to observe the beginning of construction on a new bridge adjacent to the town of Muqdadiyah.
Connecting the communities of Jaq Jaq and Muqdadiyah, the bridge will enable local farmers to commerce across a local canal in order to sell their goods in both towns.
“The beginning of this construction project will make an enormous impact on both communities,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Chris Hyde. "This new beginning should support rapid economic development for many people; when complete, the bridge will be a shining beacon of progress for the people of Diyala.”
Diyala province holds second SoI transfer meeting
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – The Government of Iraq committed to the Sons of Iraq in a second transfer to GoI control briefing in Diyala province at Forward Operating Base Normandy outside of Muqdadiya Nov. 19.
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s Reconciliation councilman, Gen. Muthrir Mawla, Iraqi Army and Coalition force leaders from across Iraq attended to show their support for this important event.
The meeting began with a welcome from Brig. Gen. James Boozer, deputy commander of Multi- National Division – North. Boozer thanked the SOI members for attending and complemented them for their service. Salim Kareem, deputy commander of Diyala’s Iraqi Army element and headquartered at Baqubah’s Diyala Operations Center, praised the attending SoI representatives and thanked them for their service and sacrifice. He also addressed the upcoming transfer of SOI to GoI control in January 2009 and eventual goal of transitioning the SoI into ISF positions or other meaningful jobs,“We will help you to succeed,” said Kareem.
Kareem will have the task of working closely with the CF element in the province, the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to successfully register and transfer all area SoI from CF to GoI control.
1/25 SBCT Operations
Stars & Stripes has a nice article describing some recent operations by the 1/25 SBCT in the Diyala Province.
BOWADISH, Iraq — Once part of the breadbasket of Diyala province, the flat, dusty plain surrounding this ghostly collection of mud huts sprouts brown, scrubby stubble and little else these days. The lifeless soil mirrors the town, empty since a terror campaign by insurgents chased residents away more than a year ago. [...]Many houses remain rigged, and many towns are abandoned. U.S. forces have yet to do a thorough inventory, so it’s unclear how many houses in towns like Bowadish may be booby-trapped. Troops have adjusted to the landscape and treat entering houses with much more care than they used to, said 1st Lt. Thomas Maney, of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
"It definitely slows down the pace of your operations because you can’t just go in and clear a house — you have to approach it very methodically and systematically," he said.
Update on Injured Stryler Soldier
A local paper has an update on SSG Ralph Franklin Frankie Steward Jr., a 1/25 SBCT soldier who was seriously injured earlier this month. Our thoughts are with him and his entire family.
A Highland County soldier sustained life-threatening injuries while serving in Iraq, family members of the soldier told The Times-Gazette in Hillsboro Tuesday.Army Staff Sgt. Ralph Franklin “Frankie” Steward Jr., 37, lost his right leg from the knee down, injured his left leg, shattered bones in both arms and suffered a bruised lung and damage to his right eye, according to his aunt, Carolyn Goins. [...]
She said Steward, a Hillsboro High School graduate, is now in good condition. He is surrounded by his wife Amy Steward, his parents Ralph and Jennifer Steward and his brother Michael Steward.
1/25 SBCT Photos
One of our readers kindly forwarded links to two photo albums at DVIDS featuring 1/25 SBCT soldiers.
Admittedly we don't do a very good job of linking to every photo of Stryker soldiers at DVIDS, but you can always jump over there and do a quick search to view the latest. They also have a nice catalog of videos as well.
Stryker Soldiers Injured
Stars & Stripes is reporting that three 1/25 SBCT soldiers were injured in an explosion on Sunday.
Three soldiers were seriously injured when a booby-trapped house exploded Sunday in Diyala province, military officials said.All were flown to Balad for treatment and were listed in stable condition Monday.
The soldiers were on patrol in the town of Mullayah northeast of Baghdad when a house they were entering blew up. Names of the soldiers, who are part of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, are being withheld pending notification of their families.
Eyes in the Sky
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
One of the most important assets to military aviation in a deployed environment is the one that leaves its crew on the ground.
The Shadow-200, also called the RQ7, is an unmanned aerial vehicle that allows the United States military to have aerial surveillance of occurrences on the ground.
“It’s got an on-board camera that can look down and kind of depict what I going on, on the ground and tips us off to possible enemy activities or do some over-watch if we have some troops on the ground doing something,” said Capt. Phillip Mann, commander of Troop D, 5th Battalion, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, which falls under the SBCT’s Brigade Troops Battalion.
The UAV is operated by a team of two who work out of a shelter in the back of a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle.
New Unit, New Weapons
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE - As King Battery, 1st Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment starts to filter out of the Diyala province of Iraq and Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division replaces them, a weapon switch from Paladins to M777A2 howitzers takes place as well.
While the Paladins are mechanized and M777s are not, the M777s are just as capable at helping artillery Soldiers complete their mission.
“It’s a very good system,” said Capt. Renaldo Rivera, field artillery commander for King Battery, 1-3 ACR. “It’s just employed in a different way. Once we have all the systems in place, it’s pretty much an even swap.”
The biggest challenge of switching these weapons out, said Rivera, is the undertaking of their placement in three separate locations throughout the province.
Over 700 graduate from IP academy in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO
DIYALA, Iraq – An Iraqi Police Academy graduation ceremony took place in Ashraf in the Diyala Province of Iraq Nov. 6.
The academy graduated 727 new Iraqi Police officers; 27 graduates were women. The ceremony marked further the security improvements that have been taking place in the province.
Coalition forces leaders were in attendance to show their support.
“This ceremony marks a huge, bold step forward for the people of Diyala,” said 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Chris Hyde. “Now the citizens of this great province can rest a little easier at night, knowing that there are qualified, talented, and motivated police officers making their communities safer.”
MND-B Soldiers seize weapons caches
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army soldiers, Iraqi policemen, Sons of Iraq and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized weapons caches in Baghdad Nov. 2.
Soldiers serving with 4th Battalion, 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, found a cache west of Baghdad at approximately 2 p.m. The munitions include four RPG-7 rocket motors, 19 flares, two hand grenades, a bag of AK-47 ammunition, and two bags of PKM ammunition.
A tip from a local SoI shaykh led MND-B Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to a cache north of Baghdad at approximately 3:15 p.m. The weapons seized included a 120 mm high-explosive mortar round, 15 57 mm anti-aircraft projectiles, a can of 14.5 DSHKA rounds, three 82 mm mortars, a 73 mm high-explosive projectile, a 100 mm APC-T projectile, two 100 mm projectiles and two rocket motors.
At approximately the same times Soldiers serving in Company C,1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, found three PG-7s, a 82mm mortar round and a rocket war head north of Baghdad.
While on patrol, policemen serving with 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, found a 10-inch explosively formed penetrator and an 82mm rifle round on the side of the road in the New Baghdad district of Baghdad.
“Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers continue to sweep more harmful munitions and weapons from the hands of those who would use them to harm the Iraqi people,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman, 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
Stryker Documentary
The News Tribune has a nice feature about a filmmaker who spent some time with the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul in 2005. The result is a documentary called "The Long Road Home," which has not been released yet.
Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment of the 25th Division’s Stryker Brigade was also assigned to Mosul. The core incident of the film comes at the end of the unit’s yearlong deployment when a platoon of Stryker soldiers take a perilous three-day, 560-mile convoy journey down the highway from Mosul to Kuwait City. At the end of the trip was the jet that would take the troops back to the states.The highway was called “IED Alley,” Slee said, and “the pucker factor was very high” during the long drive south. The platoon Slee rode with was lucky. Their vehicles weren’t hit by roadside bombs. But they saw blast holes on every side, mile after mile.
Platoon Sgt. Corey Meyers, one of the soldiers prominently featured in “The Long Road Home,” recalled an incident in which a convoy of Humvees two or three miles ahead of his platoon hit an IED. Other soldiers went to the men’s aid, and Meyers and his convoy kept rolling.
1/25th Takes Over Battlespace
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq - A transition of authority ceremony took place, Oct. 27, 2008, at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, located in the Diyala province of Iraq, signifying the end of a 15 month tour of duty for the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Dragoons and the start of a year-long tour of duty for the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Arctic Wolves.
“It’s a very important day because the Arctic Wolves are coming in – a very good organization,” said Maj. Gen Mark Hertling, commander of 1st Armored Division and Multi-National Division-North. “They’re coming at a very historic time in Diyala. There’s still a lot of clearing-out of enemies to do, but, more than that, they’re going to be forced to meet the big challenge of reconstruction, improvement of economic capabilities and the assistance of the government in a time where we’re about to head into elections.”
Hertling said he’s seen Col. Burt Thompson, commander of 1st SBCT, 25th In. Div., and his Arctic Wolves rise to the challenge of taking over the battlespace.
Kings of the Mountain
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - He didn’t climb Mount McKinley for the thrilling rush of adrenaline through his veins when there was nothing but a 5,000 foot drop on either side of him, or for the sheer adventure of climbing a 20,320 foot mountain, or even to just to have the ability to say that he did it. Capt. Graham Ward climbed the tallest mountain in North America simply to help his best friend, Capt. Keelan McNulty, fulfill a life-long dream.
“I had no desire to climb it before then,” said Ward, the recon platoon leader for 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “I was always envious that he, at least, had the desire to climb it. I never knew where he got that desire from.”
The whole thing started while the two were driving around in a car one day.
“He was telling me all his friends canned him,” Ward said. “Things came up and they wouldn’t be able to do it before we deployed.”
Swap Meet
By Pfc. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment
Separate battalions within 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division traded one unit for another after recently deploying to Iraq. The units making the swap were 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment.
“Bravo Battery, from 2-8, was switched with Bravo Company from 3-21,” said 1st Lt. Justin Geen, 4th Platoon leader, Company B, 3rd Bn., 21st In. Regt., 1st SBCT, 25th In. Div. “It was mostly due to a personnel issue.”
An artillery battery contains fewer Soldiers than an infantry company, Geen said.
“The sector for 2-8 was a little more active that they originally thought it was going to be,” Geen said. “So they wanted an infantry company with Strykers in the area in order to augment the other two batteries.”
Changing Role of Women
The Honolulu Advertiser has a great article on the changing role of women in the armed forces, which features a number of soldiers from the 2/25 SBCT.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, women fly fighter planes and attack helicopters.They are on the front lines on the ground, and nearly 100 have been killed in the nation's two wars. They are allowed to serve in many jobs, but not all.
There are no women crew members on U.S. submarines. In the Army, women are barred from certain specialties, including infantry, armor, field artillery and Special Forces, but the traditional no-go lines are getting more blurred all the time.
New, old commands meet with influential local leader
(Confirmation that the 1/25 SBCT will assume command of the Diyala Province from the 2nd SCR)
Multi-National Division – North
DIYALA, Iraq – The commanders and command sergeants major from both the new Coalition unit entering the Diyala province of Iraq and the unit leaving the province met with Sheik Abu Ikhlaas, an influential local Iraqi leader Oct. 24.
The purpose of the meeting was to help bridge the transition with the local Iraqi population and 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. The commander of the 1st SBCT, Col. Burt Thompson, stated his brigade is committed to working toward and achieving the same goals as the Dragoons of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
The Arctic Wolves plan to pick up where the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment left off, continuing to remain committed to the safety and security of Diyala province.
The Arctic Wolves relieved 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment of responsibility for Diyala.
PFC Cody J. Eggleston
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston, 21, of Eugene, Ore., died Oct. 24 at the National in Bethesda, Maryland, of wounds suffered on October 16 in Baqubah, Iraq, when he received indirect fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
Related:
Second Stryker soldier dies after being wounded in mortar attack - Daily News Miner
War in Iraq claims Eugene soldier - The Associated Press
Eugene soldier dies of combat wounds - The Oregonian
Family mourns loss of soldier who always said, ‘Don’t worry’ - The Register Guard
PFC Heath K. Pickard
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Heath K. Pickard, 21, of Palestine, Texas, died Oct. 16 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he received indirect fire in Baquaba, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We offer our condolences to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
Related:
East Texas soldier killed in Iraq - Associated Press
East Texas soldier back home; funeral set for Saturday - KLTV News
East Texas soldier killed in Iraq remembered by family - KLTV News
Local man killed in Iraq - The Palestine Herald
Memorial service honors Fort Wainwright soldier killed in Iraq - Daily News Miner
Alaska Soldiers Complete Training Before Movement North
(This is the first article I've seen re: the 1/25 SBCT - hopefully there will be more soon.)
By Pfc. Alicia Torbush, Desert Voice Staff Writer
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division fired M777A2 howitzers, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Oct. 2, 2008.
Calibrating the artillery piece and improving accuracy, the firing crew uses an M94 chronograph to measure the muzzle velocity of the weapons, explained, Maj. Jon Sowards, executive officer, 2-8 FA.
“The crew then subtracts that measurement from the standard velocity and makes adjustments to improve the accuracy of the weapon,” added Sowards.
The SBCT is assigned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and has been at Camp Buehring to complete training, while adjusting to the environment.
End of an Era
Mike Gilbert, the military reporter for The News Tribune, announced he was leaving the paper after 21 years. For my money he has been the best reporter covering Ft. Lewis and its Stryker Brigades. I hope you join me in wishing him the very best. Thanks Mike.
Soldiers Reunite
The Daily News has a nice profile of two childhood friends who are now both LTs with the 1/25 SBCT, which is set to deploy to Iraq. Excerpt:
Drew Holt, 23, and Drew Maney, 24, have a lot in common. In addition to sharing a first name, the Shalimar natives attended the same schools, played soccer on the same team and shared the same dream of joining the Army.After graduating from Choctawhatchee High School one year apart, the longtime friends didn't see much of each other. But that all changed last March.
First Lt. Maney and 2nd Lt. Holt found themselves in the same brigade as part of the 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
1/25 SBCT Deployment Ceremony
The 1/25 SBCT is holding its deployment ceremony today at Fort Wainwright.
Related:
Fairbanks-based Stryker Brigade ready for challenges in Iraq - Daily News Miner
Alaska Stryker brigade to deploy to Iraq - ArmyTimes.com
Mosul Update
The Iraqi city of Mosul is where many of the Stryker Brigades operated during their first deployments. You don't hear much about the city in the news, but The Long War Journal has a lengthy update on the current situation there that many long-time visitors might find interesting. Excerpt:
MOSUL, IRAQ: The Battle for Mosul over the past several years has worked as a microcosm for the larger Iraqi conflict, with Coalition and Iraqi forces successfully imposing their will only after al Qaeda and other insurgent groups held large parts of the city and region for long periods. Control over the city of 1.9 million people and the surrounding Ninewa province has been lost to Coalition and government forces twice since 2003. A successful security operation in May brought attacks to their lowest recorded levels since the conflict began. [...]“The fight in the North is still on-going. It’s a balanced fight, pursuing insurgent on the one hand and doing reconstruction and supporting Iraqi government activities,” said Major General Mark Hertling, commander of Multinational Division North and the US 1st Armored Division in an interview on July 22. “When you talk about the growth of security, you have to mention that the government is getting stronger.”
1/25 SBCT at NTC
Over the weekend there were two articles published about the 1/25 SBCT training at Ft. Irwin.
Brigade heads south for desert dress rehearsal - KTUU (Includes video)
FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- They've trained for months in frigid Fairbanks winters and now Alaska's Stryker Brigade is battling the desert heat.It's all in the name of war rehearsal for the 125th as they prepare to deploy.
The environment here is as desolate as it is unforgiving -- where the heat is both felt and seen.
Strykers simulate attacks on terrorist camps - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — In the past few years, a saying has developed among the soldiers at the National Training Center in California.“If you can do a month at NTC, you can do a year in Iraq.”
The missions at NTC are more difficult, the insurgent attacks come with more regularity and the enemy is better trained. These facts were especially apparent Thursday afternoon as units from Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry prepared for a training assault on two terrorist training camps.
Dogs of War
The Daily News-Miner has another article from the NTC. Excerpt:
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — By now, most people in Fairbanks have heard that the more than 4,000 men and women who make up Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division will go to Iraq for a 12-month tour of duty this fall.But what most people might not know about is the 16 dogs that will accompany the Strykers to Iraq to sniff out bombs and track targets.
Sgt. Nathaniel Epps, of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, was among those selected to work with one of the dogs.
1/25 SBCT at NTC
Chris Freiberg of the Daily News-Miner has another article from the National Training Center. Excerpt:
Like the rest of Fort Wainwright’s 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team of which it is a part, the 1/24th is finishing up a month of training at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., before heading to Iraq this fall for a 12-month deployment.The 1/24th has had it especially tough since training kicked into high gear, however.
The unit went on three consecutive patrols Sunday, and when it returned to camp outside the police station in the fabricated town of Medina Wasil, it went through the streets of the village for a fourth patrol.
By noon Monday, most soldiers had been awake for 24 consecutive hours — or more.
Smiley Wins ESPY
CPT Scott Smiley won an ESPY as Best Outdoor Athlete at last weekend's awards show. His hometown paper, the Tri-City Herald, has a nice write up. Excerpt
Army Capt. Scott Smiley was named the best outdoor athlete Sunday in ESPN’s 2008 ESPY awards after climbing Mount Rainier despite being blinded by a suicide blast in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005.Smiley, who wrestled and played football at Pasco High, didn’t start mountain climbing until after he was injured. But when he was stationed at Fort Lewis with the 25th Infantry Division, he used to stare at Mount Rainier in the distance and think about climbing it one day, according to the Army News Service.
1/25 at NTC
Chris Freiberg with the Daily News-Miner has two new articles from the National Training Center where the 1/25 SBCT is training right now.
Strykers are latest in long line of soldiers to visit remote training center
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — It’s a long and lonely drive to Fort Irwin and the National Training Center. A simple green sign off I-15 in Southern California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas points the way to the base, but there’s no indication of the 30-mile trip to come or of the premiere training facility that lies at the end of the road.At the off-ramp there are a few houses and at the end of the road there is a truck driving school.
In between is only desert and sky as far as the eye can see.
Fort Wainwright Strykers arrive at National Training Center
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — First Lt. Caitlin Ebbets has spent nearly as much time at the National Training Center as at Fort Wainwright.The Colorado native asked to be transferred to Fort Wainwright after her previous assignment — in Korea — ended. She moved to Fairbanks in hopes of trying cross-country skiing, but she barely had time to get to know her new home in the Arctic before she and the 4,000 other men and women of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team were shipped to the California desert for training.
“It was hot the first week, but it’s amazing how fast you get used to it,” she said.
Wounded Warrior Gets ESPY Nod
BY Elizabeth M. Lorge, Army News Service
WASHINGTON (July 14, 2008) - Capt. Scott Smiley brings new meaning to the section of the Warrior Ethos that reads "I will never quit."
Blinded by a suicide blast in Mosul, Iraq, in April 2005, he hasn't let his injuries stop him from remaining in the Army, pursuing a master's in business administration at Duke University in North Carolina or climbing Mount Rainier in Washington state in July 2007.
The 14,410-foot climb, which only half of about 10,000 annual climbers actually complete, according to the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer," earned Smiley a nomination as "Best Outdoor Athlete," for the 2008 ESPY awards.
Additional Promotions
Mike Gilbert at FOB Tacoma notes that two more former Stryker Brigade colonels were recently promoted to brigadier general.
Daily News-Miner Blog
Daily News-Miner reporter Chris Freiberg has launched a new blog, 1st Stryke, dedicated to covering the 1/25 SBCT during its training and upcoming deployment. Might be a good one to bookmark.
1/25 SBCT Trains at NTC
The Daily News-Miner has a nice article outlining the 1/25 SBCT's activities as it prepared to deploy this fall. Excerpt:
Alaska’s Arctic warriors are preparing for battle in the desert.Most of the roughly 4,000 men and women that make up the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team are now at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in Southern California prepping vehicles and equipment for several weeks of intensive training.
Located in the Mojave Desert, NTC is the site of temperatures that often exceed 115 degrees.
“It’s good preparation for Iraq when it comes right down to it,” said Maj. Chris Hyde, the public affairs officer for the 1-25th.
Palin tours Fort Wainwright, signs legislation
Gov. Sarah Palin was in Fairbanks Friday to sign two pieces of legislation that will help military veterans as well as the spouses of soldiers killed in combat.
The governor visited Fort Wainwright in the morning to sign House Bill 285, which gives cities the option of creating property tax exemptions for homes owned by the spouse of a soldier killed in combat. The bill takes effect in September, about the time of the expected deployment of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Video: Unloading Strykers in Alaska
Latanya sent us a link to a video showing the unloading of the 1/25 SBCT Strykers at the Port of Anchorage.
General addresses Iraq war, Strykers
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News Miner
The commanding general of the U.S. Army in the Pacific said Thursday that he sees the lack of media attention for the Iraq War as a sign progress is being made in the country.
“It’s interesting the amount of media attention there was while we were, quite frankly, struggling with the insurgency,” Lt. Gen Benjamin Mixon said at a Fairbanks meeting of the Association of the United States Army, a civilian support organization. “But all of a sudden there’s not a lot of coverage, and I attribute that to the current success in Iraq.”
Mixon, who assumed command in February, was in Fairbanks to review the progress of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The brigade is in the process of shipping equipment and vehicles to California for training. It is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in the fall.
“They’re very confident,” he said. “Their equipment is in good shape. They’re looking very good.” [...]
Stryker vehicles leave for California ahead of troops
Click through for a number of photos as well.
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News Miner
When Lt. Nicolas Duimet was transferred to Fort Wainwright this time last year, he knew it meant a deployment to Iraq was imminent.
But the first visible sign of the deployment of the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team has become more apparent to the rest of Fairbanks this week as thousands of tons of Army vehicles have been loaded onto rails, eventually destined for the desert sands of Iraq.
Stryker vehicles start long journey to Middle East
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News Miner
The 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team has begun the long process of shipping its equipment to the Mideast.
This week, the 1,100 vehicles used by the brigade, including the eight-wheeled armored Strykers from which the unit gets its name, were put on trains for the first leg of the journey. The 1-25th is scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime this fall.
Those trains will travel through Alaska to Anchorage where the vehicles will be loaded on a ship destined for the Mojave Desert in California.
Remembering the soldiers of 1–25
Jack Lewis, a reservist who served alongside the 1/25 SBCT in Iraq, wrote the following tribute.
I saw their faces again the day our local paper decided to run a list of Washington-connected KIA — the military's way of shortening the phrase "Killed in Action" — from 2005. Members of the 1-25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, they were all stationed at Fort Lewis prior to deployment. Ft. Lewis features a military museum, thousands of housing units, a post exchange (the Army's version of a "big box" store), an artillery brigade, and two Stryker brigades.
Laid out neatly on my desk adjacent to the slapdash piles of notes and software and phones and pens, these faces looked back at me, unchanged from when I last saw them. These men weren't packing for Europe with the rest of their brigade. The brigade had returned from Iraq without them, and it would go to Germany without them.
There was a First Lieutenant from Ohio, remembered better by my gunner (now a Redmond cop) than by me. He was with the 73rd Engineers, a company that spent time with us out in Tal Afar before they were relieved by a National Guard unit that turned out to be a danger to itself and others.
1/25 SBCT Receives Official Deployment Notice
It's official - the DoD just announced that the 1/25 SBCT (Ft. Wainwright, AK) will be among those units deploying to Iraq next fall. This unit previously deployed to Iraq as the 172nd SBCT, but was renamed following its return to Alaska.
3-21st Inf. Handle Training As Actual Mission
By Spc. Elayseah Woodard-Hinton, 20th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska -- Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company of 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, at Fort Wainwright concluded a two-day Air Assault training exercise at the Yukon training center March 18 and 19.
Air Assault training allows Soldiers to stay abreast of tactics that enable them to effectively seize and hold key terrain from enemy forces in a war zone if necessary; therefore, much planning, preparation and teamwork went into completing this task because Soldiers are trained as if they were on a real mission.
Prior to going into the field, the unit was given time to rehearse and check the equipment used during the field training portion of the exercise.
Recreating Iraqi warfare in the Far North
Thanks to Latanya for the story, which also includes video.
by Angela Blanchard, KTUU News
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska -- It's not the Middle East but a state-of-the-art training center at Ft. Wainwright comes pretty close.
When all is said and done it provides soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade the training they'll need when it comes time for the real thing.
The 1st Strykers will soon be deploying to Iraq and to prepare they're enduring a third and final high-intensity training day, in which dozens of men prove their muster and preparedness.
More funding needed for Fort Wainwright memorial
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News-Miner
If everyone in the Fairbanks area donated just $1, the Fairbanks Veterans Association would have enough money to fund a Fort Wainwright memorial to those in the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team who have paid the ultimate cost in defense of freedom.
Contractors who have donated their time and money to the project are putting the finishing touches on the first phase of the Monterey Lake Memorial Park.
The nonprofit organization of about 50 veterans has raised $1,000 internally to pay for the $40,000 memorial, but is now appealing to businesses and the community for additional funding.
Books of Interest
Two recently published books have connections to the Stryker brigades.
- Moment of Truth in Iraq
, by Michael Yon: Yon has embedded with numerous Stryker brigades.
- I Lost my Love in Baghdad
Stryker soldier gets to meet Bush
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News Miner
A tour of duty in Iraq led to a trip to the nation’s capital for Sgt. Gregory Williams of Fort Wainwright after he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in December.
Last month, the sergeant, one of only eight men to receive the Army’s second-highest honor since 2001, spent 15 minutes with President Bush.
“It was very exciting,” Williams said. “It didn’t hit me until I got in there that this is the president. He’s a very nice, family-oriented man. Very energetic, too.”
News Tribune on 5th Anniversary
The News Tribune has a number of items related to the 5th Anniversary of the start of the Iraq war.
- The Iraq conflict five years later: A look back and ahead as war rolls on
- A Fort Lewis & Washington timeline of the Iraq war
- More comments on the 5th anniversary - Views from the paper's readers
- Five years from Tacoma to Iraq - Multimedia presentation posted on YouTube
Five years later, soldiers reflect on casualties
Follow the link for video as well.
By Keith Eldridge, KOMO 4 News
FORT LEWIS -- This base is 6th on the list of military bases with the most casualties in the war in Iraq. But the soldiers at Fort Lewis say they want to make sure each and every soldier is honored for their supreme sacrifice.
When the fighting in Iraq began, it was everyone's hope that the U.S. could get through the conflict with very few soldier deaths, and have it be over and done with quickly.
That was five years and 179 Fort Lewis casualties ago.
Time and again, soldiers, their families and friends have gathered to pay honor to those who've fallen.
On this 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, the soldiers and their commanders say the deaths that happen today are just as hard to take as those back in 2003.
[...]
Training met with fervor as Strykers prep for war
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News-Miner
The temperature is in the single digits and a recent dusting of snow has covered the icy patches on the ground, making each step a hazardous one.
Spc. Mike Moore, originally from California, has been waiting outside in this weather for a good half hour, yet he is excited.
“We are super motivated, super pumped about this because we’ve been training all week,” he says enthusiastically, pumping his fists. “There’s nothing I would rather be doing than being with my squad leader, with my squad on this beautiful Alaska day.”
Ex-Fort Lewis chief predicts tough spring for U.S. troops
Dubik was the top commander at Ft. Lewis until his recent assignment in Iraq.
FORT LEWIS, Pierce County — For three years, thousands of Army soldiers from this Western Washington post patrolled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. More than 40 lost their lives.
With the security situation improved, the last of three Fort Lewis Stryker brigades withdrew in mid-2006, but during the past year, as U.S. forces clamped down on al-Qaida activities farther south, Mosul has once again emerged as a violent center of insurgent activities, a key U.S. commander said on Thursday.
The experience in Mosul offers a cautionary note as the U.S. military nears the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war amid a drawdown of American troops.
Alaska-based Stryker troops are able to hone more skills in Daegu
By Franklin Fisher, Stars and Stripes
DAEGU AIR BASE, South Korea — When the troops of an Alaska-based Army Stryker unit roll out to the field, the subzero cold of their home turf often prevents them from doing more than a fraction of the training they want and need.
So when they wrapped up three weeks of combat training in South Korea on Monday, soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment said they were more than satisfied with the chances they got to practice for combat. They’re stationed at Fort Wainwright as part of the 25th Infantry Division.
Stryker troops warm up for exercise in South Korea
By T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes
RODRIGUEZ RANGE, South Korea — Sitting high in an observation tower on a ridge above the sprawling Rodriguez Range, Capt. Jeremiah Hurley watched his soldiers pour steady streams of deadly accurate .50-caliber fire from their Stryker light armored vehicles.
“It’s an awesome, awesome machine,” said Hurley, commander of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, as his troops worked through gunnery training.
Hopes, fears run high for Fort Lewis troops who served in Mosul
By Mike Gilbert, The News Tribune
Fort Lewis soldiers and their families could be forgiven for feeling uneasy about the news lately out of Mosul. They made a steep investment in whatever security and stability has taken hold in the northern Iraqi city of 1.8 million.
Thousands of Fort Lewis soldiers have served there; 700 members of a helicopter squadron are stationed in and around the city now.
And of the 176 who have died in Iraq since the war’s beginning, more fell in Mosul – 46 – than anywhere else.
Battle Flag Flies in Iraq Again
See the previous article we posted regarding the flag.
By Spc. Aaron L. Rosencrans, 2nd SBCT Public Affairs, 25th ID
TAJI, Iraq — The tattered, yet proud American battle flag once again made its way from Hawaii and patrolled the streets of Iraq, Jan. 22, to honor the fallen Soldiers who served with it.
Rather than appearing in combat, the battle flag was shared with the Iraqi army on a humanitarian mission and a mounted patrol in the vicinity of Taji, Iraq.
Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, brought the flag with them to a new medical clinic outside Taji, where the Iraqi army delivers medical supplies and furniture.
Stryker vehicle flips, causing minor injuries
By Amanda Bohman, Daily News-Miner
A Stryker vehicle slid into a ditch and rolled, injuring the two Fort Wainwright soldiers who occupied it Thursday morning, the U.S. Army announced Friday.
The unnamed soldiers were treated and released from Bassett Army Community Hospital, said Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Allen. They have since returned to duty.
Damage to the Stryker vehicle, which came to rest upside down, is still being determined, Allen said.
The single-vehicle accident on Old Badger Road took place shortly after 9 a.m., said Allen, speaking from Anchorage. The soldiers, assigned to 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, were conducting training.
[...]
Strykers prep for September deployment
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News-Miner
The commander of the 1-25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team confirmed Tuesday that the unit likely will be going back to Iraq next year.
Speaking to the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, Col. Burt Thompson told the crowd of several hundred business owners that the Stryker Brigade, formerly known as the 172nd Infantry Brigade, is training for a September deployment.
“We won’t be celebrating Christmas here next year,” he said.
Stryker Soldier Awarded Distinguished Service Cross
Congratulations to SGT Williams. There's a related article linked at the bottom of this as well.
BY Spc. Vincent Fusco, Army News Service
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (Army News Service, Dec. 13, 2007) - A 1st Stryker Brigade Soldier who saved the life of his platoon leader was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Dec. 12 at Fort Wainwright for his actions during an ambush in Iraq.
Sgt. Gregory Williams received the Army's second-highest award for valor from Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. for what he did in a gun battle that ensued after an improved explosives device stopped his Stryker last year in Baghdad.
Wainwright soldier to receive DSC today
Hopefully there will be a couple stories in tomorrow's papers covering the presentation today.
The Army’s chief of staff on Wednesday will honor a Fort Wainwright, Alaska, soldier with the nation’s second highest award for heroism in combat for fighting off an enemy ambush in Iraq last year.
Gen. George Casey will present Sgt. Gregory Williams of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, with the Distinguished Service Cross, according to a recent U.S. Army Alaska press release.
The prestigious award is second only to the Medal of Honor.
[...]
Hawaii battle flag will serve again in Iraq
Allen Hoe, a Vietnam veteran, donated an American flag to be taken to Iraq by the 2-14 CAV, 2/25 SBCT. He is the father of 1LT Nainoa Hoe, who was killed in Iraq while serving with the 3-21 INF, 1/25 SBCT. The following articles describe the ceremony, and each is accompanied by photos and video.
By Gordon Y.K. Pang, Honolulu Advertiser
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — A 40-year-old legacy in the form of a tattered yet proud American battle flag is being passed on.
During an emotional ceremony yesterday, Vietnam War veteran Allen Hoe entrusted the flag to leaders of the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division. The squadron, like other Stryker troops, is leaving Schofield next month for a 15-month deployment in Iraq.
The 400-member squadron is headed by Col. Thomas Mackey, who was once commanding officer to 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, Allen Hoe's son. The younger Hoe, 27, a 1995 Kamehameha Schools graduate, was killed by a sniper as he led a patrol in Mosul, Iraq, in January 2005. The flag was with him when he died.
Stryker Brigades: Where Are They Now?
Mike Gilbert of The News Tribune has a nice summary of where each Stryker Brigade is right now (deployed/dwelling), and when each might be called on again to head overseas.
Fort Wainwright experiencing a baby boom
By Amanda Bohman - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — As Nancy Cone awaited the arrival of her 13th grandchild at Bassett Army Community Hospital last weekend, the atmosphere was intense, she said.
And Cone wasn’t just referring to her daughter-in-law’s labor. Cone could hear the wails of multiple expectant mothers or new arrivals echoing through the hospitals maternity ward Sunday.
“There was, like, five or six babies born the day we came in,” Cone said. “You could see the nurses just moving.”
Alaska’s Strykers take on global task
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska's Stryker Brigade came home from Iraq almost a year ago but has been anything but idle.
The Strykers are in elite training with a foreign army and soon they will enter a new era of service to its country and the world.
The 1st Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division, previously known as the 172nd Brigade, renamed after arriving home from Iraq. They spent almost two weeks at Fort Greely training with the Indian Army on counter insurgency drills.
Family day helps defuse anxieties
By Chris Eshleman, Daily News-Miner
Shelby Winch picked up a black Army radio receiver and held it to her ear.
“You got me?” 8-year-old Shelby asked.
“Roger that,” 22-year-old Spc. Justin Banner answered back from another radio a few feet away.
Training Testing Stryker Mobile Gun System
Soldiers are training and testing a new Stryker mounted cannon at Fort Wainwright this month.
The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, is the third Stryker brigade to receive the M-1128 Mobile Gun System.
The MGS has a 105-mm, direct-fire cannon mounted on top of the vehicle, similar to the main gun on an M-1 Abrams Main Battle Tank.
1SG Michael S. Curry Jr.
On July 25th, 2007 the Department of Defense announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
1st Sgt. Michael S. Curry Jr., 37, of Dania Beach, Fla., was killed July 23 in Sarobi District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Curry was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.
Although Curry was not currently a Stryker soldier, he had a close connection to the Ft. Lewis brigades. According to a Major with the Stryker Program:
Michael Curry was the first NCOIC of the I Corps G3 Transformation cell responsible for coordinating the efforts to transform 3/2 and 1/25 into the first 2 Stryker Brigades. Unfortunately, he was killed last week in Afghanistan as part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. I would appreciate if you would post something to the site.
Godspeed 1SG Curry.
Overhauls equip Stryker vehicles for next mission
By Margaret Friedenauer, Staff Writer
Nearly 300 Stryker vehicles from Fort Wainwright spent 16 months in Iraq in 2005 and 2006 with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
It only took four months to make those same Strykers ready for combat again, this time for the post’s 1st Stryker Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division.
In an informal ceremony Wednesday, brigade commander Col. Burt Thompson praised the civilian employees and soldiers involved in the expedited reset of the equipment. Four of them received Army commendation medals.
Thompson, against the backdrop of a freshly painted and newly equipped and overhauled Stryker vehicle, thanked the contractors who had created a “Santa’s workshop” in refurbishing the vehicles. The large garage where the work occurred was quiet and nearly empty Wednesday, with only leftover gallons of GoJo orange pumice hand cleaner lining the sinks leaving any sign that the garage had been bustling for the last four months.[...]
Iraq War Vet Thankful for the Simple Things
Mark House is a lot more careful when he drives the streets of Santa Clarita, avoiding potholes and trash. In Iraq, those were likely hiding places for bombs.
He still instinctively looks for spots where a sniper might hide.
He still wakes up in the middle of the night from nightmares.
For the most part, the 36-year-old doesn't talk about a lot of what he went through, because a lot of people don't really understand.
Haunted by memories, a warrior seeks change
The following article is a detailed profile of retired CSM Thomas Adams, who is struggling to recover from PTSD. He served with the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul.
SPANAWAY, Pierce County -- By the end of his tour in Iraq, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Adams was crushed by memories. Too many memorial services for dead soldiers. Too many visits to the wounded in the hospital wards. Too many innocents -- men, women and children -- blown up by insurgent bombs or killed inadvertently by his Fort Lewis brigade.
Adams, the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in his brigade, started taking tranquilizers to help him sleep. In an unusual step, he shared his struggles with the homeward-bound troops.
At a dusty desert base in Kuwait, Adams went from unit to unit, telling his fellow soldiers that he was not OK and would seek counseling when he returned. He urged others to do the same.
78 teams compete for Best Ranger title
One of the teams competing is from the former 172nd SBCT, now the 1/25 SBCT.
When the 24th annual Best Ranger Competition begins Friday at Fort Benning, Ga., 78 two-man teams will hit the dirt and start pumping out push-ups, embarking on a 60-hour odyssey that one organizer called the “endurathon.”
The mental and physical contest is one of the Army’s toughest. More soldiers are competing this year than in the past five. [...]
October earliest deployment for Stryker Brigade
The 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright continues to refit from its 16-month Iraq tour and isn’t slated to be considered for another deployment until at least October.
Until then, the brigade will continue its “reset,” or overhaul, of about 10,500 pieces of equipment used by the unit in Iraq when the unit was known as the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The reset is expected to be completed by mid-June. More soldiers will continue to arrive at Fort Wainwright, replacing the more than half of the 172nd soldiers who rotated out after their return from Iraq in December.
Maj. Michael Blankartz said the brigade isn’t expected to be ready to deploy until the first quarter of the fiscal year, which for the Army and other federal entities runs from October through the end of December. At that time, he said, the unit will be placed in a pool of eligible units available to deploy.
Focus: Through the Lens of a Soldier
Former 1/25 SBCT soldier Walt Gaya has a new book of photos for sale called Focus: Through the Lens of a Soldier. Gaya has been mentioned many times previously on this site.
(via Blog-Ah!)
‘It’s scary, it’s exhilarating’
Smiley was an officer with the 1/25 SBCT when he was injured in Mosul, Iraq in 2005.
VAIL — Skiing with your eyes closed is very dangerous, but if you’re Scott Smiley you have no choice.
It has been just over one year since Scott Smiley has skied Vail, and almost two years since he was blinded by shrapnel from a suicide bomb in Iraq.
On April 6, 2005, Smiley and his squad received intelligence of enemy activity in Mosul. Smiley and his squad were checking for car bombs when something went wrong.
Soldiers talk about life after Iraq
Anchorage, Alaska - They spent 16 months in Iraq enduring a last minute four month extension, just days away from coming home.
Before these five soldiers walked into the room, the men, all from different companies, had a lot more in common than just being volunteered for this interview. All served in Iraq with the Stryker Brigade.
"The brigade needs these soldiers back to be the whole and very capable force that has been over the last year," said Major Gen. Charles Jacoby, commander, U.S. Army Alaska.
General gets look at Stryker overhaul
By Mary Beth Smetzer, Daily News-Miner
Hunkered inside a Stryker vehicle with a half dozen soldiers and Army staff, retired four-star Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey seemed right at home Thursday afternoon.
In Alaska for a Society of American Military Engineers meeting, McCaffrey broke away to stroll through the newly built Vehicle Maintenance Facility on Fort Wainwright to view the overhauling of the Stryker vehicles and talk to soldiers who became intimately familiar with them during 16 months in Iraq.
Mess Hall Bombing Special on CNN
Tonight (3/1/07) CNN will broadcast a special on the Anderson Cooper 360 show regarding the soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 25th ID (SBCT) who died in the Mess Hall bombing in December 2004. According to one family member interviewed, CNN spent time with each of the six families that lost loved ones. The show airs at 10 PM EST, 7 PM PST, although I'm not sure when during the 2 hour show this piece will air.
Pace Travels: A Little ‘Moosenip,’ A Lot of Thanks
Here's another story regarding the Chairman's recent visit to Alaska.
By Linda D. Kozaryn, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2007 – You’ve heard of catnip, right? Well, somebody must have sprinkled “moosenip” around the VIP quarters where Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace and his wife Lynne stayed at Alaska’s Elmendorf Air Force Base last week.
Three full-grown, female moose spent several hours, morning and evening, right outside the quarters, nibbling at low-hanging branches and nestling in the snow catching some rays. The 800- to 900-pound, lanky-legged animals ignored the ever-present security specialists and the comings and goings of SUVs and military vans.
As for the chairman and his wife, the moose maneuvers were a first. But for the couple who spend much of their time traveling the nation and the world, it was just part of their latest adventure. On their last trip, they saw koalas in Australia.
Chairman Visits Brigade Using New ‘Reset’ Process
By Linda D. Kozaryn, American Forces Press Service
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Feb. 23, 2007 – The 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team here is the first unit to employ the Army’s new “reset” process to rapidly refurbish everything from M-16 rifles to state-of-the-art Stryker combat vehicles.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came here yesterday to check out the new process. Accompanied by Maj. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., commander of U.S. Army Alaska, Pace toured a huge maintenance facility where work is under way.
The 3,000 troops and 200 contractors employed in the effort “are dedicated to getting these machines cleaned up and turned faster than normal -- in this case, probably in four months instead of six,” Pace said.
Hawaiian warrior spirit lives at Army's Nainoa Hoe Center
The following artcle was sent by Allen Hoe, Nainoa's father, and describes the ceremonies surrounding the opening.
By Dan Nakaso, Honolulu Advertiser
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Allen Hoe wore his son's oversized desert combat boots, his own Vietnam War medals and carried an ancient Hawaiian battle weapon made of wood and shark teeth.
In a mix of modern military ceremony and ancient Hawaiian warrior rituals, Hoe yesterday offered a chant in honor of his son, Army 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, who was killed in Iraq in 2005.
Fallen Hawai'i soldier Nainoa Hoe to be honored
By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
The Army tomorrow will dedicate the Battle Command Training Center at Schofield Barracks in honor of Army 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, a 1995 Kamehameha Schools graduate who was killed in 2005 in Iraq.
The $33 million, 90,000-square-foot training center opened in November 2005 and serves as a Pacific-area training center with communications, mission planning and simulators.
America Supports You: Blind War Veteran Enjoys View from the Top
John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service
STERLING, Va., Feb. 5, 2007 – At the Sport Rock Indoor Climbing Center here, a sign warns that climbing can cause serious injury. If Army Capt. Scott Smiley could see the cautionary sign, he would probably disregard it.
“I know I’ve done more dangerous things than this,” Smiley said Feb. 2 from the base of the 50-feet-tall rock he prepared to climb.
In April 2005, Smiley’s 25th Infantry Division platoon was patrolling Mosul, Iraq, for suicide car bombs when the soldiers saw a suspicious vehicle on the road.
“He was facing west, and I was headed north when I saw him. I stopped in my Stryker vehicle and yelled at him to get out of his car to interrogate him,” Smiley recalled.
1-25 Stryker Brigade Begins Reset Period
BY John Pennell, Fort Richardson PAO
Before the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team - now the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division - left Iraq, the Army was already busy planning for its return to the Army's "Ready Force Pool" and future missions.
Before the unit could be considered ready, a major reset - or complete overhaul of equipment and re-stationing and training of personnel - had to be accomplished fast enough to allow incoming personnel to train on the necessary equipment and in the proper training strategies.
Overhaul window short
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
Scrubbed clean but showing a few scuffs and scratches, the Stryker vehicles being offloaded from rail cars at Fort Wainwright on Thursday looked much different than they did roaming the streets and countryside of Iraq just a few months ago with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
There were no 50-caliber machine guns mounted to the tops, no reams of barbed wire, no slat armor or ballistic shields. There was no rubber duckie mounted to the front of the vehicle once commanded by Lt. Col. Al Kelly to illustrate his penchant for encountering improvised explosive devices, a trait earning him the moniker “sitting duck.” Replacing the white, wooden signs with red Arabic writing that warned motorists and potential vehicular suicide bombers to “Stay Back” were pink labels with “Packing Slip Enclosed.”
CNN Video from Operation Tomahawk Strike
CNN had a reporter on Haifa street yesterday and she filed this video report. Some of the footage is the same the video we posted yesterday.
On a side note, some Iraqi soldiers in the video are sporting a skull logo on the back of their helmets that is identical to the logo used by 1-24 INF (Deuce Four), 1/25 SBCT. Coincidence?
Counterinsurgency takes center stage in Iraq
The following article mentions an incident from 2004 in Mosul involving the 1-24 INF (Deuce Four), 1/25 SBCT.
By Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON - When Col. Ralph Baker commanded an Army brigade combat team responsible for a volatile area of Baghdad, he found that one of his most effective weapons was the handbill.
That's right, handbills. Fliers. Paper. In the United States, they're generally toss-aways, ads for hair salons or Chinese food. In Iraq, they can be an important way to disseminate information. [...]
Traumatic brain injuries taking toll on U.S. soldiers
CPT Scott Smiley, who was injured serving with the 1/25 SBCT in 2005, is featured in the following story.
By Matt Millham, Stars and Stripes
With improved body armor and field medicine, U.S. troops are living through attacks that would have killed them in previous wars, many surviving with secondary injuries that might have been moot in the past.
Among these, Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, is the most pervasive.
Anatomy of a Stryker
Unfortunately I don't get the Military Channel with my cable package, but for those of you that do they are broadcasting a show right now called, "Anatomy of a Stryker". Apparently it features the 1/25 SBCT operating in Mosul, and also the 3/2 SBCT as it prepared to deploy.
Follow the link for showtimes. Thanks to David for the heads-up.
Former Stryker Soldier Missing
Please follow the link below for photos and contact information.
Link To Full Article
WCPO News
Eight months after returning from Iraq, a Hamilton, Ohio, Army sergeant has gone missing.
Garry Jones, 24, was last seen leaving his apartment last Saturday morning, driving a late 1980's maroon Chevrolet Cavalier.
The Big Hammer
Michael Yon has published a very moving tribute to 1SG Michael J. Bordelon on his Frontline Forum. Bordelon was a member of the 1-24 INF, 1/25 SBCT who died in May 2005 from wounds received in Iraq. The tribute was written by Michael Cutrone, a lifelong friend of Bordelon.
IKAIKA (strength) House
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (July 3, 2006) --The 274th Forward Surgical Team held the grand opening of Ikaika house on Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq June 26.
The house is named in honor of 1st Lt. Nainoa K. Hoe, platoon leader, 2nd Plt, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, (Tropic Lighting), Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Hoe paid the ultimate sacrifice when he lost his life in June 2005.
Two historic units reflag during ceremony
Link to Full Article
By Don Kramer, Northwest Guardian
Two respected military units conducted a joint reflagging ceremony at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Gray Army Airfield.
The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division deactivated to be reflagged as 2nd Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Cav., in turn, joined the 2nd Infantry Division, activating as the Indianhead Divisions 4th Brigade.
A Piece Of Cake
Michael Yon, who covered the 1/25 SBCT extensively from Mosul last year, provides a new update on the status of Walt Gaya. It's a must read.
SGT Gaya was previously the subject of a profile by Associated Press reporter Antonio Castaneda.
One Year Later - A Parent's Perspective
Thank you to Michael Yon for this article. Your online magazine provides great information and insight into the lives of our soldiers.
Soldier Honored By Tacoma Police
SGT Timothy Phillipson was recently awarded a Medal of Courage by the Tacoma Police Department for assisting those wounded during a shooting at the Tacoma Mall last November. The award ceremony took place on April 27, 2006. Congratualtions to SGT Phillipson and the others who were recognized for their efforts.
Plumondore Railcar Dedication
One of Adam Plumondore's relatives alerted us that five railcars will be dedicated in his honor this Saturday, May 20, in Portland, OR. If you live in the area and are interested in attending the dedication, it will take place at 10:00am at Northwest Container Services located on Burgard Road in Portland (Google map). The railcars will operate between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR, so perhaps you'll see them in operation.
SGT Plumondore, a member of 1-24 INF, 1/25 SBCT, was killed in Mosul on February 16, 2005.
First of 3,200 Stryker soldiers arrive at Vilseck
Link to Full Article
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany The first big influx of soldiers who will become the 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment arrived Wednesday, charged with paving the way for hundreds more who will arrive over the next month.
A total of 180 soldiers, accompanied by family members and pets, got off the bus at Vilseck after a 10-hour charter flight from Fort Lewis, Wash. Ultimately, the regiment will include 3,200 soldiers.
South Sound recognizes Real Heroes
Link to Full Article
By Lisa Pemberton, The Olympian
Military Hero: Sgt. Walt Gaya
Sgt. Walt Gayas love and pride for his country is undeniable, but it has come at a high price and much self-sacrifice.
Last July, while he was deployed in Iraq, a roadside bomb tore apart the hull of Gayas combat vehicle wounding all nine men inside. As he rushed to help the other soldiers escape from the burning vehicle, Gaya felt a deep throbbing in his leg. The explosion had lodged pieces of shrapnel in his leg and shredded ligaments in his knee.
Deuce Four unit salutes its lets-go-get-em leader
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
A lot of Fort Lewis units have made their way to Iraq and back, but none has endured as much pain or attracted as much acclaim as the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment.
The fortitude of its soldiers against a raging insurgency brought fame to the battalion known as Deuce Four.
On Friday the man who led the units 800 soldiers through its trials in Mosul relinquished command.
War Without End
This week the San Francisco Chronicle is publishing a four-part series of articles chronicling the recoveries of two 1/25 SBCT soldiers - SGT Mike Buyas and SGT Brent Bretz. The newspaper has created a homepage for the series, called War Without End, featuring supplemental information (photos, videos etc.). Parts one and two have already been published, with parts three and four following later this week. Check the link above for additional information.
UPDATE 3/28/06: Part three is now available.
Priory-made dolls a big hit in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Suzanne Roig
Army 1st. Lt. Nainoa Hoe of Honolulu hoped rag dolls made by students of a local school could bring joy to some children in war-torn Iraq.
Although he was killed by a sniper before the dolls arrived, his fellow soldiers ensured the dolls got to the right little hands.
From Fort Lewis to Germany, here they come
Link to Full Article
By MIKE BARBER, P-I REPORTER
FORT LEWIS -- For two days this week, Stryker armored infantry carriers were abandoned for strollers, diaper bags replaced combat rucksacks, and military intelligence homed in on housing and schools.
An entire population of 6,000 to 7,000 people, roughly the size of Duvall or Gig Harbor, is packing up and moving permanently -- jobs, equipment, spouses, kids, cars, even pets -- to Germany this summer.
Fallen hero's memory lives on
Link to Full Article
By Tracy Dang
t's been a year since Spec. Clint Gertson of Eagle Lake was killed while serving in Iraq, and Gayle and Susan Gertson are beginning to heal from the loss of their youngest son.
When they first told me, I wanted to fall on the ground and die, Gayle said. It takes everything out of you.
The Coming Normalcy?
The following is a lengthy article decribing the efforts of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (1/25 SBCT) during its year in Mosul. Written by Robert Kaplan for the upcoming issue of The Atlantic magazine, this is likely the most detailed profile of the brigade's operations since Michael Yon published his dispatches. The link provided below will give you full access to the article for 3 days, after which time it will only be available to subscribers. So, follow the link and print it out. There is an accompanying interview with Robert Kaplan that is available to everyone.
Link to Full Article
by Robert D. Kaplan
The Iraqi city of Mosul is an age-old caravan crossroads whose history defies the concept of the twentieth- century nation-state the kind of nation-state the U.S. military occupation of Iraq is trying to hold together (if not create), and to keep from imploding into full- scale civil war.
Veteran one step closer to normalcy
Link to Full Article
Edward Stoner, Vail Daily
VAIL - Dennis Walburn kept interrupting his own story. He did it on Chair 4 and at Mid-Vail. He was shifting attention to the 23 other Iraq war veteran amputees who are skiing at Vail this week - and the many more who are not.
"All these other guys' stories are the same," said Walburn, who skis with one ski and two outriggers. "This is just an example of what many guys have gone through."
So here is an example.
SB High grad earns Silver Star for bravery in Iraq
Link to Full Article
Michel Nolan, Staff Writer
Staff Sgt. Shannon Kay recalls the fireball as the suicide car bomber rammed the rear of his Stryker armored infantry vehicle.
The massive explosion and subsequent firefight are seared in the Rancho Cucamonga native's memory.
"It was a huge physical force - the biggest I ever felt," said Shannon, 29. "Some of the guys inside were kind of unconscious, so we dropped a ramp and dragged people out. It was just a natural reaction - any soldier would have done the same."
Gritty Iraq Blog Gained Freelancer Fame
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) - He didn't have to go, it wasn't his job and nobody paid him to do it. But Michael Yon says he went to Iraq because he wanted to see for himself what was going on.
The 41-year-old former Army Green Beret, self-published author and world traveler didn't know exactly what he was going to do when he got to the war zone last year, nor did he have any particular plans to report what he saw to the world at-large.
But that's what he did.
On Iraq's Front Lines, Digital Memorials For Fallen Friends
SSG Solorio, who is mentioned in the following article, was a member of the 1/25 SBCT. You can follow the link to download the memorial video. Thanks to Paul North for providing a link to this article.
Link to Full Article
By DIONNE SEARCEY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The night his buddy was killed by insurgent gunfire in Iraq last March, Army Spc. Mitchell Bass hopped out of his bunk and grabbed his laptop. He searched his computer for every digital photo he could find of the friend, Staff Sgt. Juan Solorio, and then wandered around the camp in Mosul with his portable hard drive asking other soldiers whether they had any photos or video clips.
They gave him shots of Sgt. Solorio sporting a newly shaved head and leaning against a burned-out truck on an Iraqi roadside. They found footage of Sgt. Solorio reaching for his pistol, dropping it in the mud and laughing. Spc. Bass strung all the images together into a video and added a soundtrack, "The Night That the Lights Went Out in NYC" by punk band the Ataris. Then he played it at a memorial service in Iraq.
Benning sergeant earns Silver Star
Link to Full Article
BY MICK WALSH, Staff Writer
The citation accompanying Thursday's award of the Silver Star to a Fort Benning soldier for his heroic actions in Iraq reads more like an action movie script.
But for Staff Sgt. Shannon Kay, now a member of the 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, what transpired on Dec. 11, 2004, was far from Hollywood fiction.
Then a squad leader of a Fort Lewis, Wash., Stryker outfit stationed near Mosul, Kay was manning the left-rear air guard hatch of his vehicle at a traffic stop when, without notice, a car broke the traffic pattern and accelerated toward the Stryker. Kay's gunner alerted him to the approaching car, prompting him to fire a warning off the front of the vehicle.
Good deed doesn't go unnoticed
This article was originally published two weeks ago, but we just came across it recently.
Link to Full Article
Jim Souhan, Star Tribune
Today, we will watch Mike Tice stalk the sideline in his customary black garb.
Some of us will see a gridiron Johnny Cash dancing in a vocational ring of fire.
Some of us will see a lame-duck coach slogging through his contractual duties.
Somewhere in the Metrodome today, though, there will be four sets of eyes viewing Tice as a man with a heart as big as his Long Island accent.
Vote for Michael Yon Photo
You now have the opportunity to vote for Michael Yon's gripping photo from last May as Time Magazine's photo of the year. Visit his site for the details.
Operation Steel Curtain concludes
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq Iraqi Army Soldiers and Marines, Soldiers and Sailors with Regimental Combat Team 2 wrapped up Operation Al Hajip Elfulathi (Steel Curtain) today near the Syrian border.
The 17-day offensive, which took place in the cities of Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi, was part of the larger Operation Sayaid (Hunter) designed to prevent al Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists from operating in the Euphrates River Valley and throughout al Anbar province. The operation made way for the establishment of a permanent Iraqi Army security presence in the al Qaim region and set the conditions for local citizens to vote in the upcoming Dec.15 elections.
A Vision of Iraq
The Associated Press has put together a very nice multimedia presentation regarding SGT Walt Gaya (previous entry) of the 1/25 SBCT. It features photos and audio content from Gaya, who suffered an eye injury while serving in Iraq.
Stryker brigade to split
Link to Full Article
BY CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
FORT LEWIS -- Soldiers with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, who returned last month from a yearlong deployment to Iraq are preparing for a move to Germany.
Between 1,000 and 1,500 brigade soldiers and their families would begin leaving next spring to form the nucleus of a new Stryker brigade forming in Vilseck, Germany, suggested Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling, operations officer for U.S. Army Europe.
The exact number isn't yet known, he said.
War blog rings true for many
Link to Full Article
By Hal Bernton, Seattle Times
Back in February, one month into his stay in Iraq, writer Michael Yon almost ended his attempt to chronicle the war in an online blog. He lacked the backing of a newspaper, magazine or book publisher, and grew weary of the risks of life in a combat zone as he embedded with U.S. troops.
"I was ready to get out. I wasn't getting paid, and it was damn dangerous," Yon said. "Every day I was thinking 'Is this the day I might get killed or get my legs blown off?' "
Fort Lewis soldiers to be sworn in as U.S. citizens
By MELANTHIA MITCHELL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE -- As far as Nicaraguan immigrant Jean Zamora is concerned, the United States has always been his home. So after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he wanted to serve and fight for a country that, legally, was not his own.
Until now.
Zamora and at least 20 other Stryker Brigade soldiers are to be granted citizenship during a ceremony Thursday at the Army's Fort Lewis, 40 miles south of here.
Heroics on two other days earned Silver Stars for Deuce Four
Link to Full Article
Silver Star goes to Stryker soldiers tested in Iraq
MICHAEL GILBERT
Massive truck bomb had turned much of the Fort Lewis soldiers outpost to rubble. One of their own lay dying and many others wounded.
Some 50 al-Qaida fighters were attacking from several directions with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
It was obvious that the insurgents had come to drive the platoon of Stryker brigade troops out of Combat Outpost Tampa, a four-story concrete building overlooking a major highway through western Mosul, Iraq.
Die Hard actor makes a cameo at ball honoring Fort Lewis troops
Actor Bruce Willis attended a formal homecoming ball Saturday night for members of the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.
Willis praised the soldiers of Deuce Four and sat at the head table with Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla, the battalions commander, and Col. Robert Brown, the departing commander of Fort Lewis second Stryker brigade.
Stryker brigade gains new leader in ceremony
Link to Full Article
The Olympian
A Stryker brigade that recently returned from Iraq has a new commander.
Col. John S. RisCassi assumed control of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, on Friday during a change of command ceremony at the post. He replaces Col. Robert Brown, who is being reassigned to U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.
Vet who photographed Iraq loses some sight
Link to Full Article
ANTONIO CASTANEDA, Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Army Sgt. Walt Gaya spent his time in Iraq peering - through the scope of his sniper rifle and through the lens of his camera, snapping black-and-white pictures of his unit and of life in the turbulent city of Mosul.
Becoming a professional photographer was his dream. Losing his sight was his nightmare, which he sometimes mentioned in long-distance phone calls to his wife, Jessica, in Washington.
1/25 SBCT Homecoming Ceremony
We'll list all articles we find regarding yesterday's Homecoming Ceremony for the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (SBCT) at Ft. Lewis.
UPDATE: We fixed the link to the Seattle Times story.
Related Articles:
Stryker Brigade Combat Team Welcomed Home - KOMO News
Strykers take time to rest, reflect - The News Tribune
Flags fly as soldiers return home - The Seattle Times
Photo 1, Photo 2 - Frontline Photos
Dispatches From Iraq
Even though his friend Matt has returned safely from Iraq, Dave has posted a Dispatch he's held in reserve. If you're interested he has links to previous Dispatches as well.
Greenwich soldier earns Bronze Star
Link to Full Article
By Hoa Nguyen
On an April Sunday in Mosul, Iraq, a vehicle carrying a suicide bomber came racing toward Lt. Nate Raymond's platoon, exploding and injuring several soldiers inside an armored vehicle.
Raymond didn't hesitate.
"I organized a perimeter around the vehicle," said the 24-year-old Greenwich native.
The other Strykers surrounded the hit one, providing cover so the injured soldiers could be evacuated. His actions during that attack as well as other combat situations earned him a Bronze Star Medal, which will be awarded at a battalion ceremony later this month at his base in Fort Lewis, Wash.
All party, no pity
Sgt. Brent Bretz, who was seriously injured in Mosul last year, makes the trip to Ft. Lewis to welcome his company home.
Link to Full Article
The Arizona Republic
PUYALLUP, Wash. - The boys of Charlie Company are finally home, and they want steak.
In a tiny apartment near Fort Lewis, Wash., they knock back bottles of Rolling Rock and Budweiser, fire up the patio grill and try to outdo each other with pickled one-liners.
The Battle For Mosul IV
Michael Yon has posted his latest dispatch, The Battle For Mosul IV, which, as always, is a must read. In his email he mentions that after a brief respite in the States he is on his way back to Iraq, presumably to cover the upcoming elections.
Outpost in the Sand
Link to Full Article
By CRAIG S. SMITH, The New York Times
RAWA, Iraq - A few miles outside this sleepy river town, marked in many places with black spray-painted scrawls hailing the network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, called Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, American troops are building a desert outpost of plywood huts protected by dirt-filled blast barriers and surrounded by a high berm.
Dispatches From Iraq
Dave has posted a new Dispatch From Iraq on his site from his friend Matt with the 1/25 SBCT.
Local soldier slowly heals from Iraq blast wounds
Link to Full Article
By SHAWBONG FOK, Democrat staff Writer
Sgt. Brandon Huff of Woodland, whose left leg was taken by a hidden explosive in Mosul, Iraq last April, is still being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
He has been receiving physical and occupational therapy five times week. The physical therapy has strengthened him to walk again while using a prosthetic leg. And the occupational therapy addresses his weaknesses incurred from a stroke he suffered as a result of blood clots. Doctors haven't yet figured out precisely when the blood clot happened.
Homecoming Photos
One of the nice things we were able to do last year when the 3/2 SBCT redeployed was create an album in the gallery with various photos of the homecoming ceremonies. If you attend one of the 1/25 SBCT ceremonies and have pictures it would be great to share them with other family members that perhaps were not able to attend in person.
If you are already a gallery contributor you can simply create a new album on the main photo page and we will consolidate them in one album. If you have photos to share, but need an account, you can send an email to photos (at) strykernews (dot) com and we will forward instructions.
A joyful homecoming at Fort Lewis
Link to Full Article
By Alex Fryer, Seattle Times
Amid the handmade "Welcome Home!" signs, low-cut jeans and high expectations, there was Jamie Dillard in a white sweater and floral dress, waiting for her husband in a Fort Lewis gymnasium yesterday.
It had been a year since Spc. Charlie Dillard left for Iraq, along with about 3,800 others in the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Thirty four weren't coming home, the victims of enemy fire, roadside bombings and other violence.
Soldiers and families rejoin, rejoice at Fort Lewis
Link to Full Article (Updated w/ photos)
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Nearly 300 Stryker soldiers got a loud, joyous welcome home Friday afternoon at Fort Lewis as the first waves of troops from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division returned from their year in Iraq.
By late Friday when two more flights were due more than 1,000 of the Lancer Brigades 4,200 soldiers were expected to have made it home. The rest will arrive daily through next weekend.
Stryker troops face big task
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, News-Miner
Col. Robert Brown gave some insight Wednesday into what the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team may face during the next 12 months of its deployment in Iraq.
Brown is the commander of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, which will return to Fort Lewis, Wash., after 11 months in Iraq. The 172nd is taking over operations and duties in northern Iraq from the 1/25th.
Dispatches From Iraq
Dave has posted a new Dispatch From Iraq on his site written by his friend with the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul. Previous Dispatches are linked to as well.
Operational Update Briefing on Operations in Northwest Iraq
Portions of the previous article were based on a recent press briefing from Iraq by Colonel Robert Brown, Commander of the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul.
UPDATE: There is video of his briefing available at The Pentagon Channel website as well.
MR. WHITMAN: I can hear you fine here in the Pentagon briefing room in the Pentagon. Thank you very much for joining this morning. We know that you're very busy, but we also know that you're about to come to the end of your tour in Iraq with your unit, and we appreciate the opportunity to get some perspectives from the commander that's been on the ground for some time now.
Battle for Mosul: Progress Report
Michael Yon has updated his blog and has changed the format of his entries. It is worth the time to read the latest entry and look around the new site.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Iraqi Army Preserves Security of Ninewah Province, MNF-NW DCG Meets with Local Leaders from the Tigris River Valley, Local Leaders from Al Hadr Meet to Discuss Issues in their Village, Medical Clinic Treats 30 Iraqis, NCO Academy Completes Room Clearing Phase, Civil Affairs Team Continues CMOC Opportunities for Iraqis, Qayarrah Begins Construction of Medical Clinic
ISF and CF continue to whittle away at terror
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 7, 2005) Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained three suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches Tuesday and today.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search in northern Mosul today. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment seized a weapons cache of mortars in eastern Mosul Tuesday. An Explosive Ordinance Disposal team reduced the cache without incident.
Michael Yon Q&A
Embedded freelance journalist Michael Yon was kind enough to particpiate in a question and answer session via email from Mosul. Provided below is the full transcript of our conversation. These questions were submitted prior to the publication of his recent dispatch, Gates of Fire.
We would like to thank Michael for taking time out of his busy schedule to respond. If you would like to support his efforts you can sponsor his dispatches by making a donation via PayPal.
Dispatches From Iraq
Dave has posted a new dispatch on his site from his friend Matt, a SGT with the 1-25 SBCT in Mosul.
SPC Jason E. Ames
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SPC Jason E. Ames, 21, of Cerulean, Ky., died on Aug. 31, 2005, in Mosul, Iraq, from non-combat related injuries. SPC Ames was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and comrades he leaves behind. We will add any future articles to this entry.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police Work Hand in Hand, Joint Operation Unearths Caches and Detains Nine, NCO Academy Goes to the Range, TF Automatic and 917th CSG Deliver School Supplies, 3/3rd Iraqi Army Detains Four Suspected Terrorists
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
A/2-8 Conducts Interdiction Operations, D/52 IN Detains Two Suspected Terrorists, 1/3rd Iraqi Army Detains Five and a Cache, Botha Rogee Celebrates New Road Bridges
Michael Yon Interview Transcript
Michael Yon was interviewed today by talk show host Hugh Hewitt. You can read the full transcript at the Radio Blogger site. Excerpt:
HH: Michael Yon, yesterday I got a letter, or actually today, from Lamonte Long, whose son is Specialist Craig Killian with your unit. He has said, Lamonte told me, that your dispatches have been crucial lifelines for families of the soldiers you're serving with. Was that your intention starting out? Or what was the intention of the Deuce 4 reporting?MY: No, I never really intended to be, for instance, a lifeline to units, or to families. Although I'm very flattered by that remark. Basically, I just wanted to come over and tell what was going on. But now I realize, too, that there's truly nobody telling the day to day stories. Or if they do, it's very, very rare. Mostly, you know, obviously, we're just getting body counts and bombings and that kind of thing. But it doesn't tell what's going on here on a day to day basis.
(via Blackfive)
U.S. Soldiers train Iraqi leadership at academy
Story by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
MNC - I PAO
August 10, 2005
FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq In the U.S. Army, noncommissioned officers are known as the backbone of the Army, and a group of these Soldiers has set up an academy to help the Iraqi army produce its own rigid corps of NCOs.
The Iraqi NCO Academy here is a new training ground for Iraqi troops, and is the brainchild of U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Victor Martinez, sergeant major, 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Toll on terror continues to climb
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 24, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 27 suspected terrorists Tuesday and today.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division detained three individuals at a checkpoint in Makuk today.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained twelve individuals suspected of terrorist activity in southern and eastern Mosul Tuesday and today. Soldiers from 1-5 Infantry also wounded three suspected terrorists and seized a weapon from their vehicle while responding to small arms fire in Mosul Tuesday. The wounded suspected terrorists were transported to the Combat Support Hospital, and one uninjured suspected terrorist was detained.
Security forces continue pressure on terrorism
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 22, 2005) Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained eleven suspected terrorists Sunday and today.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity in northern Mosul. Soldiers from 1st Battalion 5th Infantry Regiment also detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized several weapons from their vehicle while at a checkpoint in southern Mosul today. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Dispatches From Iraq
Dave has posted a new dispatch on his site from his friend with the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul. He's provided links to the four previous dispatches as well.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of recent articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Third Iraqi Army NCOA Class Graduates, Over 50 Shieks Gather to Meet with TF Automatic and the IA, Successful Cordon and Knock by Iraqi Army, Khalif is Elected as Mayor of Ash Shura
SPC Jose L. Ruiz
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SPC Jose L. Ruiz, 28, of Brentwood, N.Y., died on August 15, 2005, in Mosul, Iraq, when he was conducting security operations and enemy forces using small arms fire drove by his position in a civilian vehicle. SPC Ruiz was assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. This entry will remain at the top of the page today, please scroll down for other recent news.
Lives Blown Apart
The following editorial profiles Sema Olson and her son, CPL Bobby Rosendahl. CPL Rosendahl was a member of the 1/25 SBCT who was seriously injured in Mosul in March 2005. He is still recovering at Walter Reed and Sema has moved back there to be with him. The struggle described by this family is one that I've heard many times before, unfortunately. We've put together a list of organizations that offer direct support if you're interested in helping families in similar situations.
Link to Full Editorial
By BOB HERBERT, The New York Times
Sema Olson was in the living room watching television when the phone rang. It was the Department of the Army calling. A voice asked if she'd heard from her son in the past 24 hours.
Ms. Olson tried to ward off the panic. "Is he still alive?" she asked.
After verifying her identity, the man on the phone assured her that her son, Bobby Rosendahl, who was stationed in Iraq, was still alive. But he'd been badly wounded.
A small, sweet homecoming
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
They call it the torch party a small group to go ahead and light the way for others to follow and Tuesday it touched down at Fort Lewis.
Sixty-two Stryker soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division arrived home from Iraq to begin making way for the rest of their 4,000 comrades over the next several weeks.
Video Of Stryker Homecoming
Local TV station KING 5 has a video clip of the homecoming tonight at Ft. Lewis for the advance team of the 1/25 SBCT. Registration is required to access most content on the site, but it might be worth it. If you are already registered you can follow this direct link to the clip. Otherwise, visit the home page to register, then navigate to the video section of the site.
Welcome home!
Iraqi and MNF net terrorist suspects and weapons
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 15, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom killed two terrorists, detained 16 individuals suspected of terrorist activity, and seized weapons and ammunition during operations today and Sunday.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division detained seven individuals suspected of terrorist activity, seized three weapons and a large amount of ammunition during a raid in northern Mosul today. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Unit finds possible chemical laboratory
Link to Full Article
By Matthew Cox, Times staff writer
MOSUL, Iraq The contraption looks like a homemade moonshine distillery fashioned from junk-yard parts, but the Army suspects it is a clandestine chemical plant .
Army officials today took reporters here on a brief tour of the facility, which was captured during an Aug. 9 raid along with 1,500 gallons of suspicious chemicals.
The good fight: Forging bonds in the community
Link to Full Article
By Matthew Cox, Army Times
RAWAH, Iraq Soldiers are beginning to think fighting off suicide car-bombers here was easy compared to convincing the locals to trust coalition forces.
The troops with B Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, patrol the streets daily here in search of insurgent activity, but they also spend a lot of time trying to convince the residents of this town near the Syrian border that they no longer live under the control of terrorists.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of recent articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Iraqi Army Conducts Combined Operation with TF Automatic, Iraqi Army Delivers IED Detonating Device, Iraqi Army and C/2-8 Conduct Combined Cordon and Search
Coordinated efforts continue to strike out against terrorism
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 13, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom killed one terrorist, injured another four, detained seven suspected terrorists and seized weapons during operations in northern Iraq Friday.
Iraqi Police detained one individual after being attacked with small arms fire in northeastern Mosul Friday. The suspect is in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of recent articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
DEO Meeting Held on FOB Endurance, Iraqi Army Reports Partially Detonated IED to TF Automatic, 1/3rd Iraqi Army Battalion Detains 11 Suspected Terrorists, Makhmur Plays IA-TF Automatic Team in New Stadium, Ash Shura Comes Together for Area Security Council Meeting, Third Iraqi Army NCOA Class Begins
Iraqi Cops: These Are Street Fightin' Boys!
Link to Full Article
Jim Kouri
In two staggered columns, one on each side of a busy Mosul street, a group of Iraqi Police Commandos file on foot away from the safety of Forward Operation Base Blickenstaff and into the uncertainty of mid-afternoon rush hour. They make foot patrols through the streets of Mosul a few times a week, wearing body armor vests, weapons always at the ready.
These are the street fightin boys, says US Army Staff Sgt. Chris Paschel, who works with the commandos of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade with US Army Sgt. 1st Class Carl Paris. They are combat tested.
Michael Yon Interview
Michael Yon, who is currently embedded with Deuce Four in Mosul, will be a guest on the WRKO Pundit Review radio program this Sunday. Details:
Michael will be on live from Mosul, Iraq this Sunday evening at 9pm EST. You can stream the show live at WRKO and you can call us toll-free with questions at 877-469-4322.
Visit the Pundit Review site for more information.
UPDATE 8/14: Michael Yon has posted a brief entry on his site regarding the interview as well.
UPDATE 8/15: For those of you who were not able to hear the Michael Yon interview live, you can hear the entire hour-long interview in recorded format at this URL. The recording is courtesy of Pundit Review.
Welcome home, pack your bags
Additional reorganization details provided in this article.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The first returning 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division soldiers are due in from Iraq on Sunday night, but they and their families might not be at Fort Lewis for long.
Many will move to Germany next year under an Army-wide shift of its 43 combat brigades.
Such Men
Provided below is an email sent by SSG Holcomb to his family and friends, which we are sharing with his permission.
Soldier's spirit
The following story profiles Brent Bretz, a soldier recovering from injuries sustained in Mosul last December.
Link to Full Article
Justin Juozapavicius, The Arizona Republic
Brent Bretz has a Purple Heart.
He also has a small plastic cup with some of the stitches, staples and screws that held his broken body together for months. Even the shard of glass shrapnel doctors took out of his lower lip is rattling around in there someplace.
That cup is his other badge of honor.
US troops see gains in Mosul
Link to Full Article
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA, Associated Press Writer
MOSUL, Iraq -- There's one clear sign that life in the Sunni Arab-dominated western half of this city is changing for the better -- children are again playing soccer at night. The reason: fewer insurgent attacks.
The US military says there were fewer bombings and mortar attacks in the Iraqi city of Mosul in July than any month since October.
A 50% drop in attacks in western Mosul in the past eight months is a marked improvement from the days when US troops routinely had to call in airstrikes and repel synchronised attacks.
Army unit offers weekly medical screenings for Iraqi children
Story, photos by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
MNC-I PAO
August 2, 2005
MOSUL, Iraq U.S. Army medical personnel conducted medical screenings for more than 200 Iraqi children at a schoolhouse in Western Mosul July 28th.
Soldiers from the 1st Styker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., arrived in the neighborhood at daybreak with doctors and medics in tow.
No let up by Security Forces
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 8, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 18 suspected terrorists, killed three terrorists, injured another, and seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq today and Sunday.
Iraqi Intervention Force troops from 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in Rawah Sunday. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division injured one terrorist and detained two suspects after they were attacked with small arms fire while patrolling in Tal Afar Sunday. The injured terrorist was detained following treatment. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Dispatches From Iraq
Dave has posted a new dispatch on his site from his friend Matt in Mosul.
God's Will
Michael Yon has a new dispatch, God's Will, posted on his site. In it he talks about the recent loss of PFC Nils Thompson. Excerpt:
PFC Nils Thompson had just celebrated his 19th birthday the day before. Nils was deeply religious, and would go to Catholic and Protestant services. He was a great kid and everybody liked him; but we were in downtown Mosul searching for the sniper that killed him, and had to stay focused.
Security Forces continue offensive operations
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 7, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 32 suspected terrorists, killed one terrorist, injured another three, and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today and Saturday.
PFC Nils Thompson
Task Force Freedom has announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
PFC Nils Thompson, a Soldier with 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, was killed during a terrorist attack in Mosul Thursday.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Joint Security Force operation provides medical care
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 6, 2005) Over 200 Iraqi children received medical screenings from Multi-National Force Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) with support from Iraqi Police during an operation in western Mosul Friday.
Soldiers and medics from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment along with Iraqi Police conducted the screenings and handed out soccer balls and hygiene products to the local children. This is the fifth operation of its kind in western Mosul over the last three weeks; over 1,000 children have received medical screenings during those operations, with local citizens providing an extremely positive response to the care and security provided by Soldiers and their police force.
Three weapons caches seized as part of successful day of operations
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 5, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained eight suspected terrorists and seized three weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq today and Thursday.
Iraqi Commandoes from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in western Mosul today. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Division detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in eastern Mosul today. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of recent articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Iraqi Police Works Hand in Hand with Iraqi Army, Locals Request to Have Rocket Removed, 9th Monthly Regional Security Council Meeting
Stryker brigade to return in early fall
Link to Full Article
By MIKE BARBER
Alaska group to replace Fort Lewis troops in Iraq
The deployment of nearly 4,000 Army Stryker Brigade troops from Alaska to Iraq this month heralds the beginning of the return of Fort Lewis' Stryker Brigade this fall.
An advance team of 200 soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Forts Richardson and Wainwright in Alaska are in Iraq.
They're laying the groundwork for the rest of the brigade's 3,800 members to deploy this month.
The Alaska unit is replacing Fort Lewis' 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, known more commonly as the nation's second Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
"We expect in the next couple of weeks to start seeing some of the early, early returnees" from Fort Lewis' Stryker Brigade now in Iraq, said Fort Lewis spokesman Joe Piek. ...
Michael Yon Dispatch
Michael Yon has posted a new dispatch, Monday, on his website. Excerpt:
The three most dangerous places in Iraq are Baghdad, Mosul, and Al Anbar province. While most of Iraq is functioning peacefully, a civil war sizzles and pops in these important areas.The key to long term stability in Iraq is the Iraqi Security Forces, which are comprised of the Police, Army, Navy, Border Police and similar organizations. From a grounds eye perspective, the ISF progress is remarkable. In Mosul, for instance, the ISF is fielding increasing personnel, and operations. Their success has had a few unanticipated consequences. US Army Captain Paul Carron recently reported that so many undercover police are operating in Mosul, that they have been arresting each other, sometimes accusing each other of possessing fake ID cards.
Be sure to read the rest.
Iraqi Police and Multi-National Forces team up to provide medical care for children
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 3, 2005) Over 200 Iraqi children received medical screenings from Multi-National Force Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) with support from Iraqi Police during an operation in western Mosul Tuesday.
Soldiers and medics from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment along with Iraqi Police conducted the screenings and handed out soccer balls and hygiene products to the local children. This is the fourth operation of its kind in the last three weeks with local citizens providing an extremely positive response to the care and security provided by Soldiers and their police force.
Iraqis make U.S. soldier honorary sheik
This is a great story regarding a soldier serving with the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT near Mosul.
Link to Full Article
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA, The Associated Press
QAYYARAH, Iraq Sheik Horn floats around the room in white robe and headdress, exchanging pleasantries with dozens of village leaders.
But he's the only sheik with blond streaks in his mustache and the only one who attended country music star Toby Keith's recent concert in Baghdad with fellow U.S. soldiers.
Army Times reporter Matthew Cox describes attack
Embedded reporter Matthew Cox was injured today during a suicide car bomb attack. Photographer James J. Lee took a number of pictures of the scene following the attack. Start here and scroll forward through the gallery.
Link to Full Article
By Matthew Cox, Times staff writer
AL BU HARDEN, Iraq I heard the two shots from Spc. Eddie Martinezs M16 rifle, but I had no idea he was firing at a suicide car-bomber steering straight for us.
It was about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 1 and Army Times photographer James Lee and I were standing near the rear ramp of B Company commander Capt. Mark Ivezajs Stryker combat vehicle.
Operations in northern Iraq continue
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 1, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 49 suspected terrorists, killed six terrorists, injured another, and seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq today and Sunday.
Iraqi Police killed three terrorists after being attacked with small arms fire while on patrol in northeastern Mosul Sunday. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division alongside IA Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade killed one terrorist, injured another, and detained three suspected terrorists after being attacked with small arms fire while on patrol in eastern Mosul Sunday. Iraqi Commandoes from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in Mosul today.
U.S. Relies on Local Leaders in Rural Iraq
Link to Full Article
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA, Associated Press Writer
QAYYARAH, Iraq (AP) - Last fall, insurgents overran police stations and Iraqi army bases in this northern rural region, scaring off nearly all 2,000 Iraqi troops and keeping people locked inside their homes at night.
Last month only two attacks took place in this Rhode Island-sized area mostly populated by Sunni Arabs and Kurds, according to U.S. commanders in the area.
Rebels on the Run, Locals Too
Link to Full Article
U.S. forces appear to have driven militants from a safe haven near the Syrian border, but most of the town's residents have also fled.
By John Hendren, Times Staff Writer
RAWAH, Iraq In the barren streets of this dusty town, Iraqis say the U.S. Army has chased away the foreign fighters who for two weeks staged sporadic battles with the Americans.
Also gone are nearly all of the town's 20,000 residents. The sheep munching shrubs on the outskirts appear to outnumber people.
Over the last two weeks, three out of four residents fled the town, which military strategists say was an insurgent safe haven. A few have since returned, but many have sought temporary shelter with friends and relatives across the Euphrates River in the village of Anah....
Security Forces detain nine during overnight
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 31, 2005) Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained nine suspected terrorist and seized weapons during operations in northern Iraq Saturday night.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained seven individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in southeastern Mosul. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity while on guard in northern Mosul. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a search operation in southern Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported..
Base Set Up to Curb Rebels
Link to Full Article
The U.S. military hopes its first long-term presence near Iraq's border with Syria will help stem the flow of suicide bombers.
By John Hendren, Times Staff Writer
BAGHDAD American troops have established the first long-term military base along a major smuggling route near the Syrian border in a new effort to block potential suicide bombers from reaching targets in Baghdad and other major Iraqi cities.
A force of 1,800 U.S. troops, responding to continuing concerns that foreign fighters are crossing the Syrian border into Iraq, recently began an operation that includes setting up the base, three miles from the crossroads town of Rawah....
War as entertainment
This is a very long article, but well worth reading in full.
Link to Full Article
Reality meets fiction on a new show about Iraq conflict
By Kirsten Scharnberg, Tribune national correspondent. Reporter Kirsten Scharnberg was embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq and has reported extensively on the war
NEW YORK -- A much-touted television drama about the war in Iraq made its debut in living rooms across America last week. In the show's final scene, a convoy of military vehicles rolls over a roadside bomb, and a young man who had joined the Army with the hope of eventually being able to afford college writhes in pain, one leg nearly severed.
About the same time, in a very real war zone several thousand miles away, in a place where no director can yell "Cut!" or request another take when something goes wrong, an explosion shook a northern Baghdad neighborhood. According to news reports, fire and searing shrapnel ripped through Humvees and flesh, and two U.S. soldiers lay dead when the smoke and chaos had cleared....
On televisions in Seattle on Wednesday, actor-soldiers detained a dozen insurgents; on the streets of Mosul, Iraq, soldiers from the base in Ft. Lewis, Wash., detained 11 suspected terrorists. On TV screens in America, a young Army wife cheats on her deployed husband; on bases all across Iraq, troops are finding that time away from home has contributed to divorce rates among Army officers and enlisted personnel nearly doubling. On previews for this week's "Over There" episode, a panicked wife gets the dreaded call that her husband was gravely wounded in combat; in Indiana last week, the family of Spec. Adam Harting received the visit every military family prays will never come--from grim-faced Army officials informing them that their 21-year-old son had been killed in Samarra...
Security Forces seize weapons, detain 11
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 30, 2005) Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 11 suspected terrorists and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq today and Friday.
Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained five individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation northwest of Tal Afar today. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized a number of weapons during a cordon and search operation in southeastern Mosul Friday. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in eastern Mosul today. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity at a checkpoint in Rawah today. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Security Forces seize two weapons caches and detain 12 suspects
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 29, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 12 suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq today.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division detained 10 individuals suspected of terrorist activity at a checkpoint in northern Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Welcome Aboard
Michael Yon has a new dispatch from Mosul posted on his site. This time he covers the recent ceremony that welcomed 12 members of Deuce Four as American citizens.
Security Force operations lead to capture of terror suspects and seizure of weapons
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 29, 2005) Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 10 suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today and Thursday.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained six individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in Tal Afar Thursday. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity while patrolling in Rawah today. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in southern Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Operations continue to net security gains in N Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 28, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 49 suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraq today and Wednesday.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade alongside Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained 10 individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in southeastern Mosul today. Iraqi Police alongside Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained 10 individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in southern Mosul today. Suspects are in custody with no ISF or MNF injuries reported.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of recent articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Medical Visist in Jedellah, Local Leaders from Al Hadr Meet to Discuss Issues in their Village, Da Bombs, Sewage Treatment Plant Completion Ceremony
Security Force operations net terror suspects and weapons cache
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 26, 2005) Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained seven suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq Monday.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained six individuals suspected of terrorist activity during two cordon and search operations in eastern Mosul. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in western Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Dispatches From Iraq
Oh his site Dave has posted the third Dispatch From Iraq written by his friend with the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul.
Operations continue, in the north, to suppress terrorists
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 23, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 17 suspected terrorists and defused a mine during operations in northern Iraq today and Friday.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in northeastern Mosul Friday. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division detained one individual after they dropped a box with a mine in it near their checkpoint in Qayyarah Friday. The IA Soldiers had the mine defused. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Brigade also detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity while patrolling in Qayyarah Friday. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
TF Automatic Articles
Provided below are a number of recent articles written by 1LT Dana Scott highlighting recent operations by the 2-8 FA, 1/25 SBCT.
Headlines:
Doctor Mohammad Brings in Hachow, TF Automatic Captures High Value Target, Successful Mission Conducted by Iraqi Army, 3/3rd IA Detains Three Suspected Terrorists, Iraqi Army BCT Graduates Over 60 Soldiers, Automatic 6 Meets with Local Shieks, Qayarrah Comes Together for Area Security Council Meeting
1/25 SBCT Good News Links
Provided below is a note from the brigade that includes a long list of stories highlighting the good work the brigade is doing in Iraq. Many of the articles we've featured before, but it's nice to have them all in one spot.
Security Forces detain nine suspects, seize weapons
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 22, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained nine suspected terrorists and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq Thursday.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division alongside Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in eastern Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF or MNF injuries reported.
Iraqi Police repel terrorist attack
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 21, 2005) Iraqi Police traveling in civilian clothes and a civilian vehicle were attacked with small arms fire by terrorists in western Mosul today. Iraqi Police alongside Multi-National Force Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) repelled the attack killing one terrorist and detaining six others. No IP or MNF injuries were reported in the attack.
Coordinated efforts of Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom are leading to the arrest of terrorists and criminals responsible for attacks against innocent Iraqi citizens. Anyone with information on anti-Iraqi insurgent activities should call the Joint Coordination Centers telephone numbers at 513462 or 07701623300.
Security Forces uncover two more weapons caches and detain 29
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 21, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 29 suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches in northern Iraq Wednesday.
Iraqi Police detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized a weapons cache during a cordon and search operation in northern Mosul. The cache included a number of improvised explosive devices and detonators. Suspects are in custody with no IP injuries reported. The weapons were confiscated for future destruction.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division detained five individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized a number of weapons during two separate operations in eastern Mosul. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation south of Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Security Forces detain 36, seize three weapons caches
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 20, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 36 suspected terrorists, killed two terrorists, and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq Tuesday.
Iraqi Police detained 19 individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized a weapons cache during three separate operations in and near Mosul. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi Army detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in western Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported. Weapons were confiscated for future destruction.
A Co., 1-24 INF Announcement
(From the A Co. FRG)
The Alpha Company, 1-24 Infantry's Family Readiness Group (FRG) has created an email account for all Apache families and friends to contact in order to receive official updates regarding homecoming information, including upcoming fundraisers, The Single Soldier Project and various other activities. For more information, please contact apaches1_24@msn.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Stryker units again clash with insurgents in western Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Matthew Cox, Army Times
RAWAH, Iraq U.S. forces destroyed a suspected terrorist safe house with a 500-pound bomb today after shooting dead two insurgents during a brief gun battle.
This is the third day of violent clashes between insurgents and soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (SBCT), since the U.S. troops set up a camp Sunday outside this remote city in west-central Iraq near the Syrian border.
Security Forces detain 20, seize two weapons caches
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 19, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 20 suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Monday.
Iraq Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi Army seized a weapons cache during a search operation south of Mosul. The cache consisted of thousands of pounds of explosives. The munitions were confiscated for future destruction.
Soldiers of (good) fortune: Strykers find weapons cache
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Troops from the second Fort Lewis Stryker brigade, with their Iraqi counterparts, found an underground weapons stash in Mosul on Monday that might be the biggest since they arrived in the city 10 months ago, brigade officials said.
The find it included thousands of mortars and artillery rounds and rocket-propelled grenades, as well as 26 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles was another instance of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Divisions recent good fortune.
Things are going well for the Fort Lewis troops as they head into what will likely be the final two months of their yearlong deployment in Iraq.
Iraqi Police working with MNF uncover large weapons cache
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 18, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom seized a large weapons cache, detained eight suspected terrorists, and killed five terrorists during operations in northern Iraq today and Sunday.
Iraqi Police with support of Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment seized a large weapons cache during a raid operation in western Mosul today. The cache consisted of over 1,000 mortar rounds, over 25 mortar firing systems, 150 rockets, 450 rocket propelled grenade rounds, 26 RPG launchers, numerous missile firing systems, shape charges, improvised explosive devices, and over 30 assorted rifles. The weapons were confiscated for future destruction.
U.S. reliance on Sunni leaders calms rebel haven for now
Link to Full Article
By Richard A. Oppel and Jr.
QABR ABED, Iraq These days, this town in northern Iraq is relatively safe, at least compared to other Sunni Arab-dominated areas of Iraq. For a village that held folk status among Iraqis as one of the most sinister places in the country, that is quite a change.
As the insurgency gathered strength last year, Qabr Abed served as a weapons depot and safe haven for a large number of home-grown insurgent commanders, including Mohammed Shakara, the al-Qaida leader for northern Iraq and its biggest city, Mosul.
MNF detain nine and seize weapons cache
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 16, 2005) Multi-National Force Soldiers from Task Force Freedom detained nine suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained nine individuals suspected of terrorist activity during three separate operations in Tal Afar. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Local soldier returns to Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Crystal Beckett
Daniel Suiter, son of Mark and Sherry Suiter of Crawfordsville, returned to Iraq Thursday to conclude his year-long deployment oversees.
Suiter, a 1995 graduate of North Montgomery High School, has served three and a half years of a four-year term in the Army.
Soldier charged with murder
This is a very sad story from Ft. Lewis. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
U.S. military authorities have charged a 19-year-old Fort Lewis soldier with premeditated murder in the death of his 18-year-old wife, officials said Thursday.
Spc. Brandon Bare, an infantryman who was wounded in Iraq, was being held in the Army posts Regional Correctional Facility, a Fort Lewis news release said.
Security Forces provide medical aid for local children
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 15, 2005) Over 250 Iraqi children and their mothers received medical screenings from Multi-National Force Soldiers from Task Force Freedom during an operation in western Mosul Thursday.
Soldiers and medics from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment along with Soldiers from the 25th BSB and 113th Engineer Battalion participated in an operation highly supported by a local mukhtar who helped bring the mothers and children together for the medical screenings. The citizens were pleased with the care provided by the medics.
Security Forces combined efforts net 21 terror suspects, weapons caches
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 15, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 21 terror suspects and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq today and Thursday.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in western Mosul Thursday. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division alongside Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation south of Mosul Thursday. Suspects are in custody with no ISF or MNF injuries reported.
Medical Clinic Treats 30 Iraqis
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
ALIBAH, Iraq Task Force (TF) Automatic medics conducted a medical visit in Alibah, 20 kilometers west of the Tigris River, with 1/C/2-8 Field Artillery on June 27th.
Iraqis Flood the Streets of Qayarrah for March Against Terror
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
QAYARRAH, Iraq At 9:00 AM on July 2nd, over 1,000 citizens, including influential sheiks and mukhtars, and 500 Iraqi security forces (ISF) from numerous villages in Southern Nineveh Province participated in a March Against Terror.
Marines Honor Iraqi Freedom Veterans at Evening Parade
Cpl. Andy Choi, a soldier from 1-24 INF, 1/25 SBCT was an honored guest at a recent parade in Washington D.C.
Link to Article
By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 11, 2005 President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that the generation that survived the Depression and fought World War II had a "rendezvous with destiny."
Recent Videos
Provided below are links to, and descriptions of, recent public affairs videos from Task Force Freedom in Iraq.
SF kill 14 terrorists, detain five suspects
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 11, 2005) Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom killed 14 terrorists and detained five suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraq today and Sunday.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment killed 10 terrorists during an attack in Tal Afar today. In a separate operation Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron killed four terrorists after being attacked with small arms fire in Tal Afar Sunday. No MNF injuries were reported during the operations.
8th Monthly Regional Security Council Meeting
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
FOB ENDURANCE, Iraq Dan Terrell of IAP and Loren Stoddard of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were the distinguished speakers for this months Regional Security Council meeting. The meeting, taking place on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Endurance on June 28th, gathered together over 300 key leaders of Ninewah Province and Mosul.
Brig. Gen. Ali Atala Malowh, 1/3rd Iraqi Army (IA) Battalion Commander, and Lt. Col. Bradley Becker, Task Force (TF) Automatic Commander, opened the meeting with a welcome speech and a short video. The video demonstrated to those in attendance the great deal of progress Coalition and Iraqi forces were making in local civil affairs projects.
Dispatch from Iraq
Dave has posted a new dispatch on his site from his friend Matt, currently serving with the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul. He also has a link to his previous dispatch.
The Great Wall of Makhmur
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
MAKHMUR, Iraq Today marks the 12th day in the last two weeks C/113 Engineers (EN), of Task Force (TF) Automatic, have gone out to Makhmur with the mission to improve the force protection measures of 3rd Iraqi Army (IA) Battalion headquarters.
The 2nd Platoon of C/113 EN, led by First Lt. Matthew Flaherty and Sgt. First Class James Robinson, have loaded, transported and unloaded 309 cement barriers for this mission. The barriers now line the front perimeter of the IA headquarters building.
Terrorist Turns Himself In
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
ASH SHURA, Iraq A suspected terrorist turned himself in yesterday at the Ash Shura combat outpost (COP). Well known for setting IEDs along main roads used by Coalition and Iraq forces, the individual was encouraged by his relatives to turn himself into authorities.
Three terrorists killed by Security Forces
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 8, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom killed three terrorists, detained 11 suspected terrorists, and seized weapons during operations in northern Iraq today and Thursday.
Thanks to a tip provided by an Iraqi citizen, troops from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi Army detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation outside Mosul Thursday. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Citizens tips lead to several IEDs being defused
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 7, 2005) Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) were able to defuse five improvised explosive devices and detain three suspected terrorists thanks to leads provided by Iraqi citizens during operations in northern Iraq Wednesday.
One terrorist killed and 24 suspects detained
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 7, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom killed one terrorist and detained 24 suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraq Wednesday.
Troops from 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi Army alongside Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in northern Mosul. Troops from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division Iraqi Army alongside Multi-National Force Soldiers detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation west of Tal Afar. Suspects are in custody with no ISF or MNF injuries reported.
July 4th Special Connection
Link to Full Article
Kara Lusk, WNCT-TV 9
July Fourth is an especially emotional day for military families with loved ones fighting overseas. The very thing we are celebrating here they are trying to achieve in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Monday it was a special reunion between an Army soldier and his wife -- half-a-world apart.
Qayarrah Receives Donated Medical Clinic
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
QAYARRAH, Iraq Task Force (TF) Automatic and representatives of the two civilian construction firms met with local sheiks to discuss and plan major projects in the Tigris River Valley on June 24th. The two companies represented were IAP from the United States and PetroLand Middle East Energy Petroleum Engineering Construction Industry and Trade Ltd., a subcontractor for IAP.
Second IA NCO Academy Graduation Held at Q-West
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
Q-WEST, IRAQ As we all know, the Iraqi Army Non-Commissioned Officer Corps is the backbone of the Iraqi Army, stated Brig. Gen. Ali, 1/3rd Iraqi Army (IA) Battalion (BN) Commander. We are grateful to be trained by the United States Armys non-commissioned officers.
On the morning of June 13th, the second IA Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) class graduated at the MWR Center on Q-West.
1/3/2nd Iraqi Army Delivers Generator to Village
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
HAMADIYAH SHARQI, IRAQ A generator was delivered to Hamadiyah Sharqi by the 1/3/2nd Iraqi Army (IA) and TF Automatic on Tuesday, June 14th. Once the generator is wired into the towns electrical system it will provide electricity for the entire village.
The massive piece of equipment was delivered to the house of the Mukhtar, Abd Ibrahim Garaf. The townspeople were very excited to receive the generator, knowing it meant they would soon have power.
B/2-8 Field Artillery, led by Cpt. Jeff Cullen and First Sgt. Joseph Torres, continue to work with the IA and key leaders of Hamadiyah Sharqi to improve their safety, economy and living conditions.
G.I. Joe's Donates $10,000 To Soldiers, Families
I guess I know where I'll make my next sporting goods purchase.
LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- A soldiers-and-family fund at Fort Lewis will receive a $10,000 donation from G.I. Joe's stores.
The check will be given to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division's soldiers-and-family fund in a ceremony at the Lakewood G.I. Joe's store.
Additional information from The News Tribune
Dispatches From Iraq
Dave Doyle has posted a dispatch from his friend, who happens to be a sergeant with the 1/25 SBCT, on his website. Apparently this might be a recurring feature, so we'll keep an eye out for new entries.
When is the Iraqi army ready to take over?
Link to Full Article
By Jim Maceda, NBC News
QAYYARAH, Iraq On a recent day, some of the 2,000 soldiers of the 1st Iraqi Army Brigade patrolled a violent neighborhood in West Baghdad, while more than 200 miles to the north, soldiers of the 1,500-strong 3rd Iraqi Army Brigade were on a raid near Mosul.
They represent two different Iraqi units and both are backed by the U.S military. The 1st Iraqi Army Brigade works with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad and 3rd Iraqi Army Brigade trains and works with U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division near Mosul. [...]
Deuce Four On Fox Tonight
Fox News will broadcast its second story from Mosul featuring 1-24 INF tonight during the Special Report program. The segment discusses the training of the Iraqi Army, and will air sometime during the 6 PM EST (3 PM PST) hour. It will be replayed 8 hours later in all time zones.
UPDATE: We changed the broadcast time listed above - it is now correct. Additionally, the replay might be on at a different time in your area. As always, it is probably best to check your local listings.
1/25 SBCT Life in Mosul
There are two new entries at the 1/25 SBCT Life in Mosul, Iraq blog.
Brown: 113th has key role
Embedded reporter W.S. Wilson has published the following interview with COL Robert Brown, commander of the 1/25 SBCT in Mosul.
BY W.S. WILSON, Editor, The Sentinel
Col. Robert Brown, a strapping West Pointer, is in charge of U.S. Army operations in and around Mosul, Iraq. The Indiana National Guard 113th Engineering Battalion is one of the units he directs.
This interview was conducted in Browns office, located in one of Saddam Husseins former palaces. The U.S. Army now calls the complex Forward Operation Base Courage.
Sentinel editor W.S. Wilson spent three weeks embedded with the 113th, which is based in northern Indiana and about halfway through what is expected to be a year-long tour of duty in and around Mosul.
Deuce Four On Fox Tonight
We received notice that Fox News will broadcast a story from Mosul featuring Alpha Company, 1-24 INF during the 7pm EST (4 pm PST) hour tonight. The story is called "Operation Blackhills". If you miss the story it will be repeated again 8 hours later in all time zones.
Security Forces detain 21 terror suspects, seize weapons
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 23, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 21 suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Wednesday.
Troops from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Intervention Force detained eight individuals suspected of terrorist activity during two operations in western Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
1/25 SBCT Life in Mosul, Iraq
The 1/25 SBCT Life blog posted a number of new entries today.
Deuce Fours many hats
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq A convoy of Strykers was making a beeline for one of the busiest crossroads in the city, rushing to the aid of some cavalrymen whod hit a roadside bomb near the infamous Yarmouk Traffic Circle.
But the explosion was small, and by the time Capt. Scott Cheney and his soldiers arrived, the cavalry vehicle had already started back to base.
After a busy morning, Cheneys troops were ready to turn around and head home, too until they spotted a black column of smoke rising about 500 meters west of the traffic circle.
A fuel tanker was on fire, the second of the day and the third in two days.
The 28-year-old officer from Lacey, suddenly thrown into the role of arson investigator, led his soldiers to the plume. They walked building to building in an industrial area, looking for witnesses while Iraqi fire crews doused the flaming truck cab.[...]
Stryker soldiers catch terrorist at top of the list
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Fort Lewis troops have captured one of the most wanted terrorist leaders in Iraq, officials said.
Muhammad Khalaf Shakara, also known as Abu Talha, directed hundreds of bombings and other attacks on American and Iraqi soldiers as well as on Iraqi government officials and facilities, Stryker brigade and other U.S. military officials said.
His capture Tuesday in a quiet neighborhood in Mosul is the biggest blow to the insurgency since U.S. troops killed Saddam Husseins sons Uday and Qusay in 2003, said Lt. Col. David Spencer, intelligence officer with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.[...]
U.S. military: Al Qaeda leader in Mosul captured
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Thursday reported the capture of a man described as al Qaeda's leader in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Alston identified him as Abu Talha -- whose actual name is Muhammad Kalaf Shakar -- and said he was captured on Tuesday.
"Talha has been one of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's most trusted operations agents in Iraq," Alston said. "This is a major defeat for the al Qaeda organization in Iraq."
Nine suspects captured, weapons seized
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 13, 2005) Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and Task Force Freedom detained nine suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache in northern Iraq today.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained nine individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation north of Tal Afar. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Visit to girls orphanage school
The 1/25 SBCT public affairs blog has a new article describing a recent visit to an orphanage. Excerpt:
On 19 April 2005 one Platoon in 1/25 were tasked to perform an uncommon mission: to deliver several boxes of critically needed school supplies to an all girls orphanage school. My first impression after walking in was the look of surprise as the headmasters witnessed military vehicles, the big green fighting machines, drop ramp in front of their school. To any regular person, this would have left a very strong first impression. As the security perimeter was established, the men dismounted not to fight the enemy, but to make a connection with the children at the orphanage.
Citizens fight back; Sheiks turn over terror suspect
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 11, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained four suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq today.
Local Sheiks turned over a terror suspect to Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment. This is the second time that Sheiks have banded together in order to turn in terror suspects to Security Forces.
Infantrymen deliver terror suspects to court, not to death
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq It would have been so easy for Staff Sgt. Olene Togiailua to pull the trigger again and kill Abdullah Al Jabouri after the firefight was over.
Togiailua and his Stryker brigade buddy, Staff Sgt. Wilson Langford, spoke together that day in their native Samoan, adrenaline racing, both men struggling with the impulse to finish off the enemy fighter who lay on the ground with a bullet in his upper leg.
Father of slain soldier stunned by meeting with son's nurse
Link to Full Article
By AUDREY McAVOY, The Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) The father of slain Army 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe said a chance meeting with the nurse who treated his son when he died in Iraq was "like being struck in the chest."
Allen Hoe and the Army nurse, Maj. Paula Coughlin, told CNN in a joint interview Tuesday they were stunned and amazed by their Memorial Day encounter in Washington.
1/25 SBCT Life in Mosul
This site maintained by the brigade has a number of new entries highlighting recent operations in Mosul.
ISF seize large number of weapons
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 5, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) seized a number of weapons and defused an improvised explosive device following an Iraqi civilians tip during operations in northern Iraq today and Saturday.
Troops from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Intervention Force seized a number of weapons from a suspicious vehicle while on patrol south of Mosul today. The weapons were confiscated for future destruction.
Makmur Comes Together for Area Security Council Meeting
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
MAKMUR, Iraq The monthly Makmur Area Security Council meeting took place on May 30th at the Makmur Iraqi Army (IA) compound. Topics covered during the meeting included security, power and water, among several other concerns.
Thirty-two local leaders were in attendance, with additional military and police personnel.
EOD Team Reduces Accumulated Ordinance
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
JAGUAR SOUTH AMMUNITION STORAGE POINT, Iraq Concerned citizens continued to lead the Iraqi Army (IA) to weapons caches throughout the month of May. 2/3rd IA Battalion, in conjunction with C/2-8 Field Artillery of Task Force (TF) Automatic, stored several collected weapons caches at Jaguar South, until TF Automatics Explosive Ordinance Detachment (EOD) could reduce them at a later date.
Locals Continue to Lead TF Automatic to Caches
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
ASH SHURA, Iraq Concerned citizens continued to lead the Iraqi Army (IA) to weapons caches yesterday, May 29th. D/52 Infantry (IN) of Task Force (TF) Automatic, in conjunction with 1/3rd Iraqi Army Battalion from Misraq, uncovered two weapons caches near Ash Shura.
Umm Hajara Turns Up Six Terrorists
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
UMM HAJARA, Iraq On May 27th, the 1st and 2nd Iraqi Army (IA) Battalions of 3rd IA Brigade, conducted a combined operation in Umm Hajara, with Coalition forces from C/113 Engineers (EN), D/52 Infantry (IN), C/2-8 and HSB/2-8 Field Artillery (FA) Battalions, as well as the 2-8 FA TAC. Umm Hajara is located 45 kilometers southeast of Mosul.
'Outside the wire' with a Stryker brigade
Link to Full Article
By Carla Kelly, Times-Record Staff Writer
As his squad patrols in Iraq, Spec. Ebe Fornes, U.S. Army 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry (Light), spends his day at the office sitting inside a locked-down hatch.
He's the driver of a Stryker, an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) that epitomizes the army's transition to a fast-moving, small-unit force - the kind of mobile army equipped to deal with insurgencies.
Fort Lewis pays tribute to another fallen soldier
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The U.S. Army had a lot invested in Spc. Phillip N. Sayles.
The 26-year-old infantryman from Jacksonville, Ark., was a smart guy with computers and was in at the beginning of the long conversion of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, to a Stryker brigade.
He took all the computer training and then taught others. He knew all the digital stuff and how to keep the networks running, and how to drive a Stryker and fight the 1st Brigade way.
Iraqi Police help uncover weapons cache
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 2, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one suspected terrorist and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today.
Iraqi Police led Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment to a weapons cache during a search operation northeast of Mosul. The weapons were confiscated for future destruction.
ISF detain terror suspects
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 2, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained four suspected terrorist during operations in northern Iraq today.
Troops from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Army detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in eastern Mosul. All detainees were taken into custody with no Iraqi Security Force injuries reported.
TNT Blog
Embedded journalist Matt Misterek has a new entry on his blog. He's in Tal Afar with the 2-14 CAV right now.
U.S. Army officers in northwest Iraq say they don't have enough troops
Officers from the 3d ACR comment on the situation in Tal Afar. According to the article the 3rd ACR has taken operational control of the region from elements of the 1/25 SBCT.
Link to Full Article
BY TOM LASSETER, Knight Ridder Newspapers
TAL AFAR, Iraq - (KRT) - U.S. Army officers in the badland deserts of northwest Iraq, near the Syrian border, say they don't have enough troops to hold the ground they take from insurgents in this transit point for weapons, money and foreign fighters.
From last October to the end of April, there were about 400 soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division patrolling the northwest region, which covers about 10,000 square miles.
7th Monthly Regional Security Council Meeting
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
FOB ENDURANCE, Iraq Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, Task Force (TF) Freedom Commander, was the distinguished speaker for this months Regional Security Council meeting. The meeting, taking place on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Endurance on May 26th, gathered together over 500 key leaders of Ninewah Province and Mosul.
Planning for the meeting began immediately following last months meeting on April 24th. After attendees spent about two hours in the Moral Welfare and Recreation (MWR) center, they were to proceed to the 1/3 Iraqi Army Battalion compound. There, Commander Brig. Gen. Malooh Atala Ali provided lunch with over 50 sheep and 50 fish for the local leaders.
Imam Makes a Difference
By 1LT Dana Scott
2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
MOSUL, Iraq May 25th marked the second time in recent weeks that Imam Abdul Sufyan from the Qayarrah village was willing to travel to Mosul, and speak on Iraqi Media Networks (IMN) radio.
Sufyan flew out of Qayarrah-West by helicopter with interpreter Ghassan and escort First Lt. Dana Scott, both from Task Force Automatic. Upon arrival, they linked up with Maj. Michael Petrunyak and Cpt. Jon Pendell, from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and drove via Strykers to the radio show.
Back from Iraq for a short stay
The following is part two of a column by Rachel Howard (read part one).
Link to Full Article
By Rachel Howard, The San Francisco Chronicle
Already Mom and I feared we would hardly see Emmet during his 15-day leave from Iraq, and we sat on edge for indications of how much time Emmet would set aside for us. He was 23, six years my junior; he had partying to do. For the next three days we counted ourselves lucky to take Emmet out to breakfast at Denny's per his request. When Emmet wasn't with us, Mom trucked back and forth to Costco, exchanging camera accessories, getting his digital pictures developed. By the third breakfast we had his stack of photos, and we thumbed through them over "Meat Lovers Skillets," which Emmet, ever frugal, ordered without the meat because the "Meat Lovers" were cheaper than plain scrambled eggs.
Iraq war vet stirs crowd at Capitol
Link to Full Article
BY KATHERINE TAM, THE OLYMPIAN
DJ Skelton carries the battle scars of Iraq on his body.
He lost his left eye, upper palate and partial use of his left arm, but he's refusing to leave the Army without a fight. He's working to prove he can still perform so he can keep his active-duty status. He'll know this summer whether he's successful.
Shiek Ibrahim Cordon and Search Conducted Without a Hitch
1LT Dana Scott, 2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
SHEIK IBRAHIM, Iraq On May 16th the 1st and 2nd Iraqi Army (IA) Battalions, 3rd Brigade, led by Brig. Gen. Ali Atalah Malowh and Lt. Col. Raad Naif Haroosh, conducted a combined operation in the village Sheik Ibrahim, with Coalition forces (CF) from Task Force (TF) Automatic, C/2-8 Field Artillery (FA) and C/113 Engineer (EN) Battalions.
Recent intelligence reports suggested that during Task Force (TF) Automatics operation in Muhallabiyah last week, several key insurgent cell members escaped to the nearby village of Sheikh Ibrahim. According to a source, these individuals had set up a VBIED operation in this village, possibly to replace the VBIED factory that was found and destroyed by TF Automatic in Muhallabiyah.
100 Additional Jobs Soon to be Created in Qayarrah
By 1LT Dana Scott, 2-8 FA, 1/25 ID
QAYARRAH, Iraq The monthly Qayarrah Area Security Meeting took place on May 16th on Forward Operating Base Endurance. Topics covered during the meeting included security, power, and water, among several other concerns.
B/2-8 Field Artillery Company Commander, Cpt. Ryan Gist, opened the meeting discussing the many good things that have happened in the region during the past month. Successes included the local law enforcement making headway in the fight against terrorists, as well as an abundance of new police equipment, which has been distributed to the local police stations.
SGT Mike Buyas Homecoming
Lynda Pheasant sent us the following report on the homecoming of SGT Mike Buyas, and the community's fundraising efforts on his familiy's behalf. Also included are links to two articles in the Wenatchee World newspaper. This is an inspiring story to lead us into the Memorial Day Weekend.
3 Fallen Stryker Soldiers Remembered
Link to Full Article (Video included)
By Keith Eldridge- KOMO News
FORT LEWIS - A tough start to the Memorial Day weekend as Fort Lewis pays tribute to three Strykers killed in the fighting in Iraq. The loss is hitting the troops hard and also a local community with special ties to the Strykers.
Army Chaplain David Shoffner tells crowd, "We come to mourn, to remember and to honor our brothers who have fallen."
Security Forces continue to apprehend terrorists in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 26, 2005) Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained seven suspected terrorists and seized a cache during operations in northern Iraqi Thursday.
Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment detained six suspected terrorists in operations south of Mosul. Items confiscated from the individuals included a sniper rifle with 600 rounds of ammunition, AK-47s with ammunition, and a shotgun. The individuals were taken into custody with no MNF injuries to report.
Security Forces continue to pressure terrorists in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 26, 2005) Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one suspected terrorist and seized a cache during operations in northern Iraqi Wednesday.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in southern Mosul Wednesday. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Memorial Service
A memorial service will be held for 1LT Aaron Seesan, SGT Benjamin Morton, and SPC Tyler Creamean on Thursday, May 26th at 10:00 AM at the Evergreen Chapel, Ft. Lewis.
Brigade soldiers rescue pair of Iraqi hostages
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq Theyve uncovered caches of enemy weapons and flushed out a variety of shady characters since coming to Iraq last fall.
But the most astonishing find of the war for several Tacoma-area soldiers turned up this week in a secret room behind a bookshelf in a northeast Mosul basement.
Women face growing combat roles in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Ann Scott Tyson, The Washington Post
MOSUL, Iraq Jennifer Guay went to war to be a grunt. And the 170-pound former bartender from Leeds, Maine, with cropped red hair and a penchant for the bench press, has come pretty close.
It was mid-February and Guay, 26, an Army specialist who was the first woman to be assigned as an infantry combat medic, was spending 10 hours a day on missions with the 82nd Airborne Division, dodging rockets and grenades in the crowded streets of Mosul. [...]
SPC Tyler L. Creamean
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SPC Tyler L. Creamean died on May 22 in Mosul, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Creamean was assigned to the 73rd Engineer Company, Fort Lewis, WA.
We extend our deepest sympathies to SPC Creamean's wife, KaMisha Hickman-Creamean, and his entire family. KaMisha maintained an album on our site if you'd like to browse the photos of SPC Creamean.
Please scroll down for today's news.
SGT Benjamin C. Morton
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SGT Benjamin C. Morton, 24, of Wright, Kan., died May 22, in Mosul, Iraq, when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small arms fire. Morton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA.
We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and comrades SGT Morton leaves behind.
Michael Yon Dispatch
Embedded author Michael Yon has a new dispatch from Mosul published on his website.
Despite its flaws, troops prefer Stryker
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq In spite of its flaws, there is no other vehicle Stryker Brigade Combat Team soldiers say they would rather be in.
Some soldiers say the Strykers safety factor outweighs the litany of shortcomings outlined last year in an internal study by the Center for Army Lessons Learned at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Four-star chow hall
Link to Full Article
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq The tile floors and marble-pattern tables and chairs gleam with a shade of white seldom seen at this dust-choked U.S. Army base. Filipino workers in tuxedo vests and matching ties keep the food stations heaped with fresh fruit and salads; others distribute gourmet-looking desserts from a well-stocked glass case.
Terrorists show disregard for citizens, injure three
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 22, 2005) Three innocent Iraqi civilians were injured during a terrorist attack in northern Iraq Saturday.
Mortar rounds exploded injuring the three civilians in Tal Afar. The injured were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Terrorist attacks like this are becoming more frequent and reckless, with terrorists continually disregarding the safety of innocent Iraqi civilians.
Survivor recovers, comes back to Iraq post
MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
MOSUL, Iraq Spc. Don Larson couldnt see. His skin felt like it was on fire and his legs hurt like somebody had whacked them with a bat.
It was Dec. 21 and a suicide bomber had just blown himself to bits in the dining facility DFAC, in Army shorthand at Forward Operating Base Marez. Larson lay on the floor with second-degree burns on his face and hands and four shrapnel wounds in his legs. He didnt yet know the blindness would pass.
But the Fort Lewis soldier and Steilacoom resident had a wife and a son back home, with another boy on the way. He was determined to stay as upbeat as possible.
From the moment they picked me up from the DFAC that day, I said to myself, It will do me no good to be negative, Larson recounted last week. I will not scream out in pain because there are enough people around me already in pain.[...]
ISF continue to grow in their ability to provide security
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 21, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained four suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today.
Iraqi Police alongside Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during raids in central Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF or MNF injuries reported.
Michael Yon Dispatch
Embedded author Michael Yon has a long dispatch from Mosul on his website.
TNT Photos
News Tribune photographer Peter Hayley has posted a handful of photos, some featuring the 3-21 INF. Fair warning - one is quite graphic.
Security Force operations net top terror suspects
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 20, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 12 suspected terrorists in northern Iraq today and Thursday.
Surprise sweep reveals terrorist-free Iraqi town
Another article from Stars & Stripes featuring the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery.
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
SHEIK IBRAHIM, Iraq Mohammed Said Abudullah let out an incredulous laugh when asked if terrorists had provided his impoverish villagers with money to harbor weapons and provide a hideout.
Look at what our children are wearing, he said, pointing to their broken sandals and tattered clothing. Look at the dirt on their faces. We are poor. There are no terrorists here. They have not given us money.
Operations continue in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 19, 2005) Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained nine suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraqi Wednesday and today.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained eight individuals suspected of terrorist activity during cordon and search operations in western and southern Mosul today. Soldiers from the 1-24th also detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in southwestern Mosul Wednesday. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.
Iraqi citizens take part in securing Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 19, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) responded to a tip from Iraqi children concerning a roadside bomb in northern Mosul today.
TNT Blog Entries
Reporter Matt Misterek of The News Tribune has a couple new entries on the blog he's maintaining while in Iraq.
Iraqi citizens helping make northern Iraq more secure
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 17, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained five suspected terrorists, seized a number of weapons thanks to an Iraqi civilians tip, and defused a number of explosives during operations in northern Iraq today and Monday.
TFF Press Releases
Task Force Freedom distributed a number of press releases today - full text provided below.
SGT Mike Buyas Update
Back in March we posted an article about SGT Mike Buyas, who was seriously injured in Mosul before Christmas. While he's still recovering at Walter Reed, his local community is holding a fundraiser to assist his family. Lynda, a former "Stryker Mom", sent us the following press release the group put together, which includes donation information if you would like to help.
Iraq war casualty making progress
An update on SGT Brandon Huff, including details regarding a fund established on his behalf.
Link to Full Article
By SHAWBONG FOK/Democrat Staff Writer
Sgt. Brandon Huff remains in stable condition, his health improving since being admitted on April 26 to the intensive care unit of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Since May 3, Huff has been in the orthopedic ward, where he continues undergoing multiple therapies that have tende