Army Times Solider of the Year
Via FOB Tacoma we learn that First Sgt. William C. Harlan of the 4-9 INF, 4/2 SBCT has been named the Army Times 2008 Solider of the Year. He also deployed with the 172nd SBCT when it was stationed in Alaska.
Related: SSG Randy D. Eoute of the 1-21 INF, 2/25 SBCT was an honorable mention (see sidebar of story).
Related:
Army Times honors Stryker brigade soldier - The News Tribune
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.”
Additional Promotions
Mike Gilbert at FOB Tacoma notes that two more former Stryker Brigade colonels were recently promoted to brigadier general.
172nd SBCT Memorial Dedicated
The Daily News-Miner has an article describing the recent dedication of a new memorial honoring fallen soldiers from the 172nd SBCT. Excerpt:
FAIRBANKS — Hundreds of veterans, active-duty soldiers and family members of those killed in action gathered on Fort Wainwright on Wednesday afternoon for the dedication of a new memorial.The Monterey Lake Memorial Park features 30 black granite plaques and trees along a winding path along the lake. Each plaque and tree is dedicated to the 26 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the four members of the Alaska National Guard killed during the unit’s deployment to Iraq from August 2005 through December 2006.
Book: Behind the Blue-Star Banner
The Olympian has an interview with author Michelle Cuthrell, who wrote a book about her experience while her husband was deployed with the 172nd SBCT. Excerpt:
Michelle Cuthrell has a message for military families with loved ones who are overseas: "If you're having a hard time with deployment, that's OK," she said. "That's normal."The 25-year-old Ohio native has spent three deployments away from her husband, Army Captain Matthew Cuthrell, a battalion medical plans officer who is based at Fort Lewis.
"You get used to the routine that you fall into, but you never get used to having your husband away," she said. "You always miss him like crazy."
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.
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.”
While husband deploys, Army wife pens book
An Army wife has written a book chronicling her experiences during her husband’s 16-month deployment to Iraq.
Michelle Cuthrell was 23 years old and 11 weeks pregnant when her husband, then-1st. Lt. Matthew Cuthrell, of 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, deployed to Iraq. In August 2006, as the soldiers prepared to return to Fairbanks, Alaska, their tour was extended by four months.
Her book, “Behind the Blue-Star Banner,” documents her journey until her husband’s long-awaited homecoming in December 2006. [...]
For more information or to buy the book, visit www.behindthebluestarbanner.com/home.html.
Disabled Iraqi children get wheelchairs, big smiles
Stryker soldiers helped establish this project originally.
By Carol Jordan and Arwa Damon, CNN
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Mothers cradle children in their arms. Fathers smile softly at the helpless bodies they hold. Other parents are bent over from the weight of their teenage kids whose legs fall limp, almost touching the ground. In the absence of basic medical equipment, these parents do this every day.
Khaled is a father of three. On this day, his young daughter, Mariam, is getting fitted for her new wheelchair. Her arms and legs are painfully thin, little more than skin and bone. She's 7 years old, but looks barely half that. She and both her siblings, a sister and brother, suffer from varying degrees of polio. None of them can walk.
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.
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.
[...]
Group Builds Custom Home for Wounded Warrior
WASHINGTON - A former Army sergeant and his family this month are settling into a brand new house in New Burn, N.C., custom-built to insure his war injuries will not keep him from independent living.
"Well, we need the house because Eric is in a wheelchair all the time, so we need it so he can get around the house by himself," said Stephanie Edmundson, wife of Eric Edmundson. The former soldier was wounded by a roadside bomb while riding in a Stryker armored vehicle, Oct. 2, 2005, in Iraq, according to Homes for Our Troops officials, which took on the project for the family. The explosion left Edmundson unable to talk, walk, eat or drink, though he does have the ability to move his legs.
Monument to fallen soldiers dedicated on Fort Wainwright
By Chris Freiberg, Daily News-Miner
It will be two years on Monday, Veterans Day, since Maria Sutherland’s husband died in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Sutherland, assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright was killed when his Stryker vehicle rolled over. He was one of eight soldiers from the squadron to have died in the line of duty since the Iraq conflict began in March 2003.
Now, their names, each inscribed in a bronze plaque, adorn a black granite monument in front of squadron headquarters on base.
Camp helps wounded Iraq war veterans
A 172nd SBCT soldier is profiled in this article.
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
JACKSONS GAP, Ala. — Robert Cuthbertson slices across Lake Martin, strapped onto a sit-down skier towed by a powerboat. He grasps the tow rope handle with his left hand, and holds his right hand — heavily bandaged and wrapped in waterproof plastic — high up out of the water.
Moments later, he grins triumphantly as he wades ashore. "That was fun," says Cuthbertson, an Iraq war veteran who suffered third-degree burns over 38% of his body from an improvised explosive device (IED) on March 2, 2006. "You're just gliding across the water. It's awesome."
SPC William J. Willis
At the request of his fellow soldiers we wanted to recognize the passing of SPC William J. Willis, 23, of Kansas City, Kansas. He died September 5, 2007 at Ft. Wainwright in Alaska. He served with the 172nd SBCT during its 16 month deployment, where he worked as a counterintelligence agent, according to an Army statement.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Out of death comes a new life for soldier’s family
Pretty incredible story.
by Jill Burke, KYUU News (Includes video)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Maria Sutherland's Army Stryker husband died at war, but that didn't stop the couple from having the baby they always dreamed of. He's a preemie, but doing well at four pounds, seven ounces, he's the full measure of his father's legacy and a family's love.
"I think that Stephen had a sixth sense that he needed to do this because he didn't think he was coming back," said Maria Sutherland.
Injured soldier returns home
By Mark J. Armstrong, The Daily Times
It’s been eight months since U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Boothby was injured by a roadside improvised explosive device near Baghdad.
Two pieces of shrapnel remain lodged in Boothby’s head, and his left arm and hand still are weak. Boothby also has no left peripheral vision.
Despite that, family members said Boothby has come a long way.
Battlefield Advances
A Stryker soldier is featured in the following article regarding medical advances used to treat soldiers.
By Michael J. Weiss, Reader's Digest
"Oh My God, I'm Hit!"
Hot dust choked the air over the desert outside Rawah, Iraq. It wasn't even noon last June 27, but already the temperature had climbed to 100 degrees. Perched in the gun turret of his Stryker light-armored vehicle, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jacque Keeslar surveyed the dirt road ahead while on a mission to raid a safe house for suspected insurgents. As his patrol sped through the dusty landscape, 36-year-old Keeslar never saw the improvised bomb buried beneath the road. Suddenly an explosion ripped through the vehicle with a roar. "Oh, my God!" cried Keeslar as he frantically tried to pull himself out of the turret. "I'm hit!"
Three out of five soldiers in the Stryker sustained serious injuries, but his were the worst: The blast had shredded both his legs. Within 48 hours, surgeons in Germany amputated his right leg below the knee and his left one at the kneecap. "I don't remember when I realized my legs were gone," says Keeslar today. "All I could think about was starting the recovery process so I could walk again."
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. [...]
Former Best Ranger Takes Benning's Top NCO Spot
BY Rachel Houston, The Bayonet
Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Ulibarri assumed responsibility as Fort Benning's senior NCO Friday in a ceremony in front of Infantry Hall. Ulibarri, who won the Best Ranger competition in the 80s, recently returned from a deployment to Iraq with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
This is not his first assignment to Fort Benning - he was a Ranger instructor with the 4th Ranger Training Battalion from 1987 to 89.
Video: SFC Peter Lara
The following is an in depth interview with SFC Peter Lara of the 172nd SBCT. Lara was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during a firefight in Mosul in November 2005. SFC Lara has been featured previously on this site.
Video link courtesy of SSG Ray Flores, Soldiers Radio and Television.
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.
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.
And all endured a four month extension to Baghdad just days away from coming home.
"It was a surprise. We thought we'd be going home within a week," said Capt. Robert Dapice.
Capt. Robert Dapice says while still in Mosul and after talking to his wife in Anchorage, he worked hard to find out what was happening in Baghdad.
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.
War Story: Sgt. Ross Shores
If you follow the link to the article there are a number of video clips available as well.
Ross Shores enjoyed his football days at Chandler's Hamilton High School. In fact he planned to continue his athletic career at Montana State.
But, he says too much football and parties and not enough school, led him to transfer to the University of Arizona. When he still couldn't seem to focus on education, he decided to join the Army.
Chairman Presents Awards for Heroism in Iraq
The following article from the Armed Forces Press Service describes the ceremony also covered by the Daily News-Miner. Follow the link to see additional photos from the event as well. Congratulations to the three soldiers honored.
By Linda D. Kozaryn, American Forces Press Service
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Feb. 23, 2007 – Marine Gen. Peter Pace presented a Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars here yesterday to three soldiers for heroism displayed in Iraq on Nov. 19, 2005.
Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was an emotional moment for him to properly recognize the soldiers’ heroism, and “to say thank you for their incredible valor in the face of a very, very dangerous enemy.”
Pace awarded the Distinguished Service Cross to Army Pvt. Stephen C. Sanford of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, for displaying extraordinary courage during the evacuation of casualties from a home in Mosul while under intense enemy fire, according to Army officials.
Army pins high honors on soldiers
By Robinson Duffy, Daily News-Miner
The Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest honor the army gives to soldiers, is small. The prestigious award is a 2-inch by 2-inch bronze cross suspended by a red, white and blue ribbon. It doesn’t weigh much, physically, but emotionally it’s a heavy burden to bear, Pfc. Steven Sanford said.
Sanford, who is now retired from the military and who served with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry in the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Wainwright, received the Distinguished Service Cross on Thursday for heroic deeds performed during a combat operation in Mosul, Iraq, in November 2005. The award was presented to Sanford by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace.
Fort Wainwright soldier to receive Distinguished Service Cross
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (AP) - A Fort Wainwright soldier will be presented the Distinguished Service Cross on Thursday for his actions in Iraq.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, will present the award to Private First Class Steven C. Sanford, Army officials said Tuesday.
Sanford distinguished himself in November 2005 during an assault on a house occupied by suspected terrorists in Mosul, officials said.
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.”
Blessed to be alive
By Mary Beth Smetzer, Daily News-Miner
Army Staff Sgt. James Jeane calls himself “blessed.”
Jeane’s wife, Sunshine, frequently refers to her spouse as “My miracle husband.”
Almost a year ago — Feb. 26, 2006, to be exact — Jeane, a member of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry of the 172nd Stryker Brigade was severely wounded while on patrol near Mosul, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device hit the Stryker vehicle he was in.
Naperville soldier glad to be back
By Nick Fawell, Naperville Sun
By the time his high school classmates had settled into college life, Matthew Mason was moving into a tent so he could keep weapons from crossing the Syrian- Iraqi border.
Tuesday morning, he came home to his family in Naperville for the first time in 14 months.
Mason, a 2003 graduate of Neuqua Valley High School, wanted to be in the Army since he was a little boy, his mother, Patti, says. He was so sure that he enlisted more than a year before his high school graduation.
Army equipment returning from Iraq to Alaska
Battle equipment from two U.S. Army Alaska units that recently returned from Iraq will begin arriving in Anchorage this week, including the Stryker vehicles used by the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The equipment is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Anchorage on Wednesday morning on the USS Shugart, according to a press release from U.S. Army Alaska.
Valley family's sleeping well again
Dennis McCarthy, LA Daily News
'Captain Darrell Stepter is home after 16 months in Iraq," the e-mail from a proud father began.
"Darrell was born and raised in the Valley. He is a graduate from Van Nuys High Magnet program. He graduated from West Point in 2003 at the age of 21.
"He is an officer with the 172nd Stryker Brigade that got extended to go into Baghdad in August 2006. During his tour he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Wounded warrior’s wife thanks the community
Stephanie Edmundson stood before a room full of Craven County people Monday to thank the community for giving her and her wounded husband, Sgt. Eric Edmundson, a chance for a better life.
“We feel the appreciation the community has for the sacrifice Eric has made,” she told the group attending the Craven-Pamlico Christian Coalition meeting.
Local residents and Homes For Our Troops are working toward a handicapped-equipped home for the couple and their 2-year-old daughter which general contractor Bill Russell hopes will be ready in six months.
Soldiers visit their adopted hometown
JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS, Associated Press
GUYMON, Okla. - They hailed from Arkansas, Iowa, New York and Chicago, but for one week at least, these Army buddies considered Guymon home.
They were nine battalion members who made a pact to return here months after they buried their best friend, Guymon native Joshua Pearce, who was killed by a roadside bomb explosion while they served a tour in Iraq. Pearce died two months before he was to return home.
Back from Iraq
By LISA BEISEL, Annapolis Capital
Army Sgt. Brendan Tompkins stepped off a plane at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Dec. 19 to a midnight homecoming with a dozen relatives. He rode home in his mother's Ford minivan through quiet streets, amid twinkling Christmas lights and glowing nativity scenes.
"It was kind of like a relief - like, wow, I'm home," the 21-year-old Severn resident said. "It's been a long time."
And a long way from the dangerous streets of Baghdad.
Surprises aplenty for area grandparents
By JOE GRACE, Northwest Herald
Richard G. Sheppard admits that he has a bad heart, but that didn’t keep him from enjoying a long-awaited surprise.
In fact, the 79-year-old Johnsburg resident had two surprises this week.
The first was when his grandson, 34-year-old Army Spc. Edward Grove, surprised Sheppard and his wife, Kathryn J. Sheppard, on their 60th anniversary Thursday.
Soldier fights a different battle
By Amy Bartner, The Indianapolis Star
Derek Sutton is quiet and polite.
When the 21-year-old former U.S. Army corporal speaks about his tour in Iraq, it's as if he watched someone else go through it.
That's also how he refers to his diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia, which doctors discovered during his outgoing medical examination as he left the Army in early December.
Stryker increases troops’ survivability
By Spc. Debrah A. Robertson, 40th Public Affairs Detachment
Blackanthem Military News, Southwest Asia — I need pressure to stop this bleeding! Someone start an IV!
Brightly lit and teeming with medics, this is not an operating room or even an ambulance. This is a Medical Evacuation Stryker vehicle.
There are 10 different variants of the Stryker. Its smooth ride and heavy armor allow it to support multiple functions, from infantry power to engineering teams to ambulatory services.
Nikiski man mends, re-enlists after injury in Iraq
By JOSEPH ROBERTIA, Peninsula Clarion
KENAI, Alaska (AP) - They say it takes more than just strength, courage and determination to be a soldier. It also takes an indelible resolve in the face of adversity, which a soldier from Nikiski proved he had this past year.
Chris Bauer, 23, of Nikiski, was seriously injured in April when a suicide bomber detonated himself near Bauer while he was on foot out of his Stryker vehicle as part of a dismounted patrol in Rawah, Iraq.
Reluctant KH military hero comes home for Christmas
By: Arnie Harris, Bradford County Telegraph
While driving down S.R. 21 in Keystone, you may have noticed welcome home signs for Army Sergeant Christopher Glasgow at such locations as Mallard's, Johnny's Bar-B-Q, Ace Hardware, AMVETS and others.
A reluctant hero if there ever were one, Glasgow, who arrived home from Iraq on Christmas morning, had this as just another factor to add to his embarrassment over being made such a fuss over.
Warrior comes home and meets his pen pals
By STEVE MARRONI, Daily Record
Dec 27, 2006 — Mary Bankert could not have asked for a better gift.
Her son is home for the holidays, and he's safe. On a stage in front of a gym full of singing and cheering elementary school students, her son, Sgt. Will Worthington, smiled ear-to-ear, pumped an American flag proudly in the air and wrapped an arm around her as she willed away the tears of joy.
And Worthington, 22, could not have asked for a better homecoming. He was just happy to see green grass.
Area woman home after 16 months in Iraq
Today will be a special Christmas for Army Spc. Julia Thompson of Whittier.
She started feeling it even as the jet bringing her home safely from 16 months in Iraq descended through the fog at LAX. As other passengers on the commercial flight stared at her, Thompson began weeping.
"Nobody knew what I was feeling," she said. The 21-year-old Whittier resident returned Dec. 15 after serving as the only woman in a military intelligence combat unit, first in Mozul and then in Baghdad. She served with the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Richardson in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Family reunion, part I
Tim Doulin , THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Army 1 st Sgt. Juan Cornett was happy to be home after almost a year and a half in Iraq. It was a nice early Christmas gift, too, for his mother, Kathryn.
But both felt a bit of emptiness as they hugged at Port Columbus last night. Two of his brothers — her sons — are still in harm’s way.
Soldiers home for the holidays
By Eric Schwartzberg and Denise Wilson, Middletown Journal
LIBERTY TWP. — When Army Spc. Patrick Heitfeld arrived at his Squaw Valley Drive home on Wednesday evening after an 18-month tour — 16 of which were spent in Iraq — he was looking forward to a good night's sleep on his own waterbed.
"It's a lot better than the old, rusty spring bed," Heitfeld said of his sleeping arrangements in the Army.
Hours after the 2001 Lakota West High School graduate flew in from Alaska, he was relaxing on the living room couch surrounded by family and his grandmother's 12-year-old, long-haired Dachshund, Rudy.
Final Strykers return home
By ERIC LIDJI, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (AP) - Of the many handwritten signs lining the lattice fences of Fort Wainwright, one, written from a wife to her husband abroad, read, "If you can read this, I can finally breathe again."
With the last flight of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team - now known as the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team - arriving Tuesday morning, the friends and family members who had waited the longest could finally release their breath.
The Volunteer: 172nd Soldier Deploys Through Extended Tour
By Sgt. Thomas L. Day, 40th Public Affairs Detachment
SOUTHWEST ASIA— The finish line was just days away for the 172nd Stryker Brigade. Then, after twelve months in Iraq, they were told their tour would be extended.
Pfc. Kyle Exzabe was stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, with the 172nd rear-detachment, and he thought the deployed troops needed some help. Many of the Soldiers assigned to the brigade had already been redeployed and needed to return to Iraq. Exzabe wanted to go with them.
Soldier returns from Iraq in time for Christmas
Indianapolis - The greatest of Christmas wishes came true for one Hoosier family Sunday. Corporal Derek Sutton of Greenwood reunited with his family after serving 16 months in war-torn Iraq.
There's no place like home for the Holidays, especially when it's been so long.
"He left Christmas Eve last year and that's the last time I saw him. So I am ready to give him a big hug and welcome him home," said Laura Sutton.
Leaders Praise Fortitude of Stryker Brigade Families
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 15, 2006 – Army leaders praised military families here during ceremonies this week for standing solidly behind the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during its 16-month deployment to Iraq.
Army Secretary Francis Harvey told families of brigade members during the “Arctic Wolves’” redeployment ceremony here Dec. 12 that the Army recognizes their sacrifices and will continue its efforts to support them.
Reunited Stryker Families Planning for Extra-Special Holida
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service (Photos included)
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Dec. 15, 2006 – Christmas came early this year for the Skeen family as they celebrated what Joanna Skeen called the best gift she could ever ask for: the safe return of her husband.
Army Staff Sgt. Michael Skeen and his fellow 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team soldiers returned to Alaska this month after 16 months in Iraq.
“It’s already Christmas,” said Joanna, whose husband was among the first “Arctic Wolves” delivered to their families and loved ones during the past weeks -- not in sleighs, but in chartered commercial planes. “It’s felt like Christmas morning every day since he’s been home,” she said. “It’s just overwhelming.”
172nd SBCT Legacy to Live on as Unit ‘Reflags’
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 15, 2006 – The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team was officially redesignated the 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team during a ‘reflagging’ ceremony here yesterday.
During the ceremony, the brigade commander who led the unit for 16 months in Iraq and six battalion commanders handed their commands to their successors.
How families trained for 172nd Stryker BCT homecoming
Did any of you participate in this program? If so, was it helpful?
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (Army News Service, Dec. 11, 2006) - Family members and friends of the recently returned 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team spent a few weeks in a new type of reintegration training before their Soldiers returned home.
"Back in July and August we completed a round of reintegration classes prior to the brigade's extension. The feedback we received from those classes let us know that something more was needed," said Lt. Col. Greg Parrish, deputy commander, 172nd SBCT.
‘Arctic Wolves’ Dedicate Wall Honoring Fallen Comrades
Here's another article from AFPS regarding yesterday's ceremony. Additional photos are included.
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Dec. 13, 2006 – The Arctic Wolves bid an emotional farewell to 36 of their own yesterday as they gathered here to dedicate the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Memorial Wall.
Leaders from the unit joined about 25 family members of the fallen in the atrium of the high-tech Battle Command Training Center here to remember 26 Stryker Brigade troops and 10 soldiers from units attached the brigade during its deployment. Another 150 brigade soldiers just back from a 16-month deployment to Iraq watched the ceremony in an overflow room on a large-screen TV.
Stryker Brigade Ceremony Focuses on Accomplishments, Sacrifices
The AFPS published the following article, along with a photo essay, of yesterday's redeployment ceremony. The photos are excellent.
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 13, 2006 – Some 4,000 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team gathered here yesterday to celebrate their accomplishments during 16 months in Iraq and mourn their losses as they uncased the unit’s colors during a stirring redeployment ceremony.
The soldiers assembled at the Carlson Community Center, just down the road from Fort Wainwright here, to reflect on their deployment and receive a rousing welcome home and thank you from Army and brigade leaders.
News-Miner Archive
Fairbanks newspaper Daily News-Miner, which has provided the most in-depth coverage of the 172nd, has created a new archive of information regarding the brigade's recent deployment. This is a great resource if you'd like to browse articles from the entire deployment in one spot.
Stryker Brigade unfurls its colors
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
With pomp and ceremony, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team unfurled its colors Tuesday at the Carlson Center, the Army tradition that signifies troops are home from battle.
The battle was a 16-month tour in Iraq that encompassed nearly 50,000 square miles of battle space for the brigade in northern and western Iraq and throughout Baghdad.
Alaska soldiers who died in Iraq honored
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
Nearly 3,800 soldiers with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team returned home to Alaska from Iraq during the last two weeks.
Twenty-six did not.
Those 26 died while serving with the brigade — 19 of them during the brigade’s first 12 months in northern and western Iraq, and seven in Baghdad after the brigade’s tour was extended 120 days and moved to the capital to help combat sectarian violence. An additional 10 service members died while attached to the 172nd or assisting the brigade with combat operations.
Trailing Strykers to arrive today
About 70 soldiers with the trail team of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are expected to arrive in Fairbanks today as the brigade nears its complete return to Fort Wainwright.
All but nearly 200 of the 3,800 soldiers with the brigade returned to Alaska between Nov. 25 and Dec. 5 after their 16-month deployment to northern and western Iraq and Baghdad. All soldiers are out of Iraq, but the trail team remains in Kuwait to facilitate the return of the soldiers, Stryker vehicles and other equipment. The final group of soldiers are scheduled to return to Alaska by Friday.
Arctic Wolves’ Extended Tour Nearly Complete
Written by SPC Debrah Robertson
Kuwait – After an extended time in theater, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team rolls out of Iraq and into Kuwait for the final leg of their tour – the resetting of their Stryker vehicles.
A job this big requires the hard work and dedication of several different groups.
Stryker Soldiers Rise to Challenge
Written by SPC Debrah Robertson
Kuwait – When the Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team were told they could not go home after 12 months, despite all their hard work and dedication in Mosul, Iraq, they were disappointed.
“It’s disheartening at first. Everyone was looking forward to going home, especially [our] families,” said 2nd Lt. Jason Blair, ordnance officer with Forward Maintenance Co., 172nd SBCT.
Stryker brigade getting ready to head back to Alaska
The title of the article is a bit misleading since the main body of the 172nd has already returned to AK.
By Megan McCloskey, Stars and Stripes
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — After 16 months in the scorching heat of the desert, a couple of hundred Stryker vehicles are now winterized for the deep freeze of Alaska.
The 172nd Stryker Brigade is finally going home.
The unit out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, was in Iraq for four months longer than expected after a controversial extension of its one-year deployment. A victim of its own success in the northern part of the country, the brigade was tapped in late July to help quell the virulent sectarian fighting in Baghdad.
Daily News-Miner Photos
The Daily News-Miner has created a new section on their website featuring homecoming photos for the 172nd SBCT.
The Return
Newsweek concludes its coverage of the 172nd's extension with the following article.
Nov. 30, 2006 - For Staff Sgt. Duane Leventry, the culture shock hit him full force in an Anchorage, Alaska, supermarket. Shortly after returning home from 16 months in Iraq, he found himself staring at an aisle full of steak sauce and marinade, paralyzed by the sheer volume of choices. “I must have stood there for 10 minutes trying to figure out what to get,” says Leventry, who arrived home in Anchorage last Saturday, Nov. 25, to his wife Kelly and 3-year-old daughter Alexia. “Do I want this? Do I want that? It took us about two hours to get out of the store.”
Quarters are tight for returning Strykers, incoming soldiers
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
A combination of immediate and long-term growth on Fort Wainwright Army Post has Army officials pushing for more housing in the community and borough officials promising the needs will be met.
The short-term housing dilemma has been caused in large part by the four-month extension of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Iraq. The brigade was scheduled to return to Alaska in August but instead had its tour extended so the unit could be moved to Baghdad to help quell violence there.
First Arctic Wolves Return to Alaska After 16 Months in Iraq
A handful of images are also included with this article if you follow the link.
By Brian Lepley and Spc. L.B. Edgar, AFPS
FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska, Nov. 27, 2006 – Two days after Thanksgiving, the families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team had a lot to be thankful for as three planeloads of the “Arctic Wolves” returned from a 16-month deployment to Iraq.
Fort Wainwright welcomed more than 620 soldiers and Fort Richardson welcomed another 215 troops Nov. 25. More flights through this week and next were expected to get more than 3,720 Stryker soldiers back home by Dec. 5.
Paintball in Baghdad
Think of it as a super-charged paintball gun. That’s what some soldiers in Iraq are toting these days to deal with troublemakers on the streets of Baghdad. But there’s nothing fun about being on the receiving end of the FN 303 Less Lethal System. The semi-automatic launcher shoots a .68 caliber projectile at 300 feet per second using compressed air. The fin-stabilized projectiles have an effective range out to 100 meters.
It’s not designed to kill, but it packs a potent sting.
'Arctic Wolves' head home from Iraq
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (Army News Service, Nov. 27, 2006) - The Arctic Wolves are returning to Alaska after 16 consecutive months of operations here.
The Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team cased their colors in a Nov. 24 ceremony outside the Division Morale Welfare and Recreation complex. The ceremony marked the official end of combat operations for the unit deployed primarily from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and partially from Fort Richardson.
Stryker Brigade Returns Home to Alaska from Iraq
The following is an audio report from NPR station KUAC. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon. Description:
Morning Edition, November 27, 2006 - Members of the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade have finished an extended tour of duty in Iraq. After 16 months away from Alaska's Fort Wainwright, the soldiers arrived home to waiting families. Libby Casey of member station KUAC reports.
Homecoming Photos
The Anchorage Daily-News has a nice photo gallery that includes many photos from this past weekend at Ft. Wainwright.
Stryker soldiers home
By Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News
Ten-year-old William Crowley and his 6-year-old brother, Xavier, thought they had come to Buckner Physical Fitness Center on Saturday morning to hang decorations.
Each carried a poster bearing colorful welcome-home messages for their dad. They knew he was coming home from the war. They just didn't know he was coming home Saturday.
Their mom knew. But Kerrie Crowley hadn't told the boys because she wanted to protect their little hearts, broken this summer when their dad's yearlong tour in Iraq was extended by four months just as homecoming plans were being made.
Strykers return to open arms
Welcome home to the first group of 172nd soldiers!
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER and AMANDA BOHMAN, Daily News-Miner
It was 32 below zero on Fort Wainwright, a 102-degree difference from Baghdad, where hundreds of soldiers with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team arrived from Saturday. But even with foggy and icy windows on the buses they rode from Eielson Air Force Base, all the soldiers knew was the warm welcome of friends and family.
Before the soldiers arrived at Fort Wainwright, Col. Robert Ball, deputy commander of U.S. Army Alaska, briefed the anxious and excited crowd of family and friends.
“Go easy on them. They’re tired and a little chilly,” Ball said.
Families ready for brigade’s return
Jennifer Thomas scrawled her sentiments about the upcoming week in white paint across the windows of her car Friday morning.
“It’s about time,” the letters read. “Welcome home. Finally.”
“I wanted to write ‘It’s about damn time,’” Thomas said. “But I thought for when the kids ride in the car and all, I shouldn’t.”
Still, the extra punch of that word reflects Thomas’ jumbled emotions, ranging from excitement to anxiety about the coming days when her husband returns from 16 months in Iraq.
Strykers heading home
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team ended its combat operations in Baghdad on Monday, essentially bringing to a close its major work in Iraq, an Army official said Tuesday.
Col. Robert Ball, deputy commander of U.S. Army Alaska, made the announcement at a Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
This time, families hope it's for real
By TATABOLINE BRANT, Anchorage Daily News
After a year-long tour in northern Iraq and a dangerous and controversial four-month extension in Baghdad, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team is finally coming home, military officials said Tuesday.
The 3,800-person unit, which has lost 26 soldiers in the 16 months it has been gone, is scheduled to return to Alaska in waves starting Saturday, U.S. Army Alaska spokesman Maj. Kirk Gohlke said.
Most of the troops will be flying into Fairbanks, where the brigade is stationed at Fort Wainwright. About 200 will return to Fort Richardson. Officials hope to have all the soldiers back by Dec. 5, Gohlke said.
A Long-Delayed Homecoming
Here is another article from Newsweek focusing on families from the 172nd.
By Karen Breslau and Catharine Skipp, Newsweek
Nov. 21, 2006 - They are daring to hope. As the hours count down, Jodi Velotta and other U.S. Army wives are beginning to think that this time it might really be true—their men are headed home from Iraq.
“It's a lot to know that the day is coming and I didn't wake up to that e-mail saying, ‘We've been extended,’” says Jodi, whose husband, Capt. Brad Velotta, commands a company in the 4-23 infantry battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. “I'm like a kid everyday, thinking ‘One day closer, one day closer.’”
172nd Redeploymnt Ceremony
This press release from the US Army Alaska Public Affairs Office provides details regarding the brigade's redeployment ceremony scheduled for December 12, 2006.
US Army Alaska, November 21, 2006 (PDF file)
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will hold a redeployment ceremony Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. to honor the soldiers returning from Iraq after 16 months and recognize them for an exceptional tour of duty.
Officials will hold a ceremony unveiling a Wall of Honor dedicated to those who gave their lives in Iraq at 9:15 a.m. Dec. 12. There is no seating available for this ceremony, and space is extremely limited.
Plenty to be thankful for, despite Iraq
The following editorial was written by the wife a soldier with the 172nd SBCT.
By JULIANA DAPICE, Anchorage Daily News
During this time between Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving, I am feeling both pensive and thankful. My beloved husband, Rob, currently serving with the 172nd Stryker Brigade, is among our nation's newest veterans. He deployed to Iraq from Alaska in August of 2005.
It is with mixed emotions that I look forward to this Thanksgiving. Because of the infamous extension of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, 15 months have passed since the day they left in August. Another Thanksgiving will soon be here and our husbands are still away. The yellow ribbons I tied around the trees this summer in anticipation of their homecoming have barely weathered the harsh change of Alaska seasons. In fact they are so ragged I must just tie new ones before they return.
Stryker brigade returning to Alaska
By TATABOLINE BRANT, Anchorage Daily News
After a yearlong tour in northern Iraq and a dangerous and controversial four-month extension in Baghdad, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team is coming home.
The 3,800-person unit is scheduled to return to Alaska in waves starting Saturday, military officials said today.
U.S. Army Alaska spokesman Maj. Kirk Gohlke said all the troops are scheduled to be home by Dec. 5. Most will be flying into Fairbanks, where the brigade is based at Fort Wainwright, he said. About 200 will return to Fort Richardson in Anchorage.
The 172nd left Alaska for Iraq in September 2005. Their departure was and remains the largest war zone deployment of Army soldiers Alaska has seen since Vietnam.
Sleuths in Body Armor
Update 11/21/06: Parts 3 & 4 have been published.
The LA Times is running a four-part series of articles featuring the 4-23 INF (Tomahawks), 172nd SBCT. Provided below are links to each article, which also contain photos and audio. Full access to the content requires registration. Description:
Times staff writer Doug Smith spent seven days in October on patrols in Baghdad with two platoons of the 4th (Tomahawk) Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The platoons were investigating the kidnapping of at least 22 Iraqi men from a meatpacking plant in southwest Baghdad.
- Part One: Few clues and reluctant witnesses
- Part Two: U.S. troops become sleuths in Iraq slaying case
- Part Three: U.S. troops look for an inside man in Iraqi slayings
- Part Four: Witnesses take a ride downtown
Everyone who works the street wears sunglasses—the job requires it. If the sun’s glare impairs your vision, you won’t see to drive, look for crimes in progress or defend yourself from attack. The criminals we face know we need vision to avoid, evade or counter danger. During my 30- year career, my eyes were attacked on numerous occasions. You never know when the distressed little old lady will turn into a raving lunatic and try to poke you or the teenager smoking a joint will decide to throw dirt in your face. I defended myself against such attacks by keeping people at a distance, always a good idea, but closing in on other people remains unavoidable. Our soldiers, sailors and Marines fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan also face this necessity and the inherent risks, and they do something about it by wearing safety glasses at all times. Yes, I know that for American law enforcement officers to adopt this practice, the glasses must look good. Fortunately, the makers of Revision Military Eyewear understand the style requirement. After all, military personnel like to look good, too.
Bullet pierces soldier's future
The following article provides an update on a 172nd SBCT soldier recovering at Walter Reed after being seriously injured in Baghdad.
By Christy Strawser, Daily Tribune
HAZEL PARK -- Julia Chandler cannot describe what it was like to see her son on a stretcher with holes in his body.
"It was too much," she said. "There are no words. My son was in pieces with all these stitches; he was out of it; there were tubes coming out of him."
Infantry soldier William Isaac Chandler, 23, a 2001 Hazel Park High School graduate, was on a tank in Baghdad City, Iraq, on Oct. 5 when a sniper's bullet tore through his chest just outside his protective body armor.
Stryker Brigade Getting Job Done in Baghdad
By Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD – One day in a war zone is a lifetime for some people. Now, increase that to approximately 16 months of dedicated service and you begin to understand the sacrifice of the Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade.
“We’re doing our jobs to the best of our abilities and we’re doing it until we come home,” said Spc. Virgilio Rivera, an infantryman with Troop C, 4th Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade.
For 172nd, finally, end draws near
By LARRY KAPLOW- Cox News Service
CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- After 16 months at war, Alaska's 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team heads home from Bahgdad later this month with its 3,500 troops expected back at Fort Wainwright by mid-December.
It has been one of the longest tours of duty the Pentagon has imposed on any major unit since the war began.
And it has put a strain on the soldiers.
U.S. takes on community building in Iraq
By LAUREN FRAYER, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. soldiers, automatic rifles buckled to their body armor, filed into a community center in a dangerous Shiite neighborhood of north Baghdad Saturday and for a few hours became social workers, cops on the beat and referees between feuding tribesmen.
Tea was passed around, notes were taken, local sheiks spoke in wise tones, heads nodded vigorously in agreement and mundane problems such as garbage collection and distributing electricity generators were tackled.
Wounded soldier expecting a full recovery and a trip home soon
Three weeks after being wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Neal Schanbeck II says he’s on his way to a full recovery and a visit to the Harbor.
“I’m feeling better. I should be in outpatient care in about a week,” the 2002 Aberdeen High School graduate said, speaking from his room in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Schanbeck has been at Walter Reed since Oct. 23, recovering from multiple injuries and surgeries.
Stryker Soldiers seize large munitions cache in Baghdad
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized a large weapons and munitions cache Nov. 7 while on a dismounted patrol in Rusafa, a central Baghdad neighborhood.
The Soldiers from Company C, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, discovered 35 60mm mortar rounds, two 82mm mortar rounds, 20 120mm mortar rounds, five 57mm mortar rounds, six 94mm recoilless-rifle rounds, two 120mm rocket warheads, 50 7.62mm rounds, seven rocket-propelled grenade launchers, six pounds of homemade explosives, two pounds of dynamite, two RPG rounds, two body armor vests and various bomb-making materials.
An explosive ordnance disposal team performed a controlled detonation of the weapons and munitions.
Medical Personnel Provide Care to Residents
By U.S. Army Spc. Jason Dangel
BAGHDAD, Nov. 8, 2006 — Someone once said, "little things can go a long way," and this is exactly what Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers aimed to achieve as they teamed up with Iraqi soldiers from the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, to provide a free, one-day medical screening for the citizens of Baghdad’s Al Mansour neighborhood Nov. 4.
Iraqi army doctors and medics, along with medical personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, as well as medics and doctors from the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, rendered medical care to approximately 200 Iraqi citizens during the event.
IA, MND-B Soldiers detain 24 suspected terrorists
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained 24 suspected terrorists in Baghdad Saturday and Sunday.
Soldiers from the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and MND-B’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, detained 23 suspected terrorists Sunday for their suspected involvement with death squads and setting up illegal checkpoints. All suspects were detained for further questioning.
SPC James Lee Bridges
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. James L. Bridges, 22, of Buhl, Idaho, died Nov. 4 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Bridges was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Ala.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers. Additional information will be added to this entry as it becomes available.
Iraqis Take Lead Against Bombers, Militia Leader
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2006 – Iraqi units took the lead in capturing suspected bomb-makers and a senior militia leader, officials at Multinational Force Iraq reported today.
Iraqi special forces personnel conducted a raid yesterday in the Jihad district of Baghdad and captured two bomb-makers, officials said. The unit detained seven other suspected cell members and confiscated two Iraqi uniforms.
Families wait for soldiers to come home
The following is another audio report via KUAC. There is a text transcript for this segment if you don't have audio on your computer.
FAIRBANKS, AK (2006-11-04) It's been a difficult few months for families of soldiers in the 172nd Stryker Brigade, who were in the midst of planning reunions and welcome home parties when the Brigade's tour in Iraq was extended. Now the families are coping with frustration at the long deployment and fear for their soldiers' safety. KUAC's Libby Casey reports.
Soldiers' families find support
The following is an audio report from NPR station, KUAC. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon.
FAIRBANKS, AK (2006-11-04) Since the 172nd Stryker Brigade had its deployment extended, there's been a lot of talk about the soldiers and when they'll come home from Iraq. Regardless of when the troops will ultimately finish their tour, the spouses left behind here in Alaska have to keep their lives going without them. As KUAC's Libby Casey reports, Army families learn to be strong and find support.
Election Spotlight on Iraq? Not For Some Soldiers.
The following article also contains links to two video segments featuring the 172nd SBCT.
BAGHDAD, Nov. 2, 2006 — Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade's 2nd Platoon live in a confined world. There are no windows in their armored vehicles, and barricades ring the Baghdad neighborhood they patrol.
The Iraq War may dominate the election in the United States, but on the front lines, these soldiers from Alaska don't have time to follow the big debate back home over the war.
Sgt. Kraig D. Foyteck
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Kraig D. Foyteck, 26, of Skokie, Ill., died Oct. 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Foyteck was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. Any articles we find regarding Sgt. Foyteck will be added to this entry.
Iraqi Demands Pullback; U.S. Lifts Baghdad Cordon
According to the following article the 172nd SBCT was responsible for some of the checkpoints that were removed.
By KIRK SEMPLE, The New York Times
BAGHDAD, Oct. 31 — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki demanded the removal of American checkpoints from the streets of Baghdad on Tuesday, in what appeared to be his latest and boldest gambit in an increasingly tense struggle for more independence from his American protectors.
Mr. Maliki’s public declaration seemed at first to catch American commanders off guard. But by nightfall, American troops had abandoned all the positions in eastern and central Baghdad that they had set up last week with Iraqi forces as part of a search for a missing American soldier. The checkpoints had snarled traffic and disrupted daily life and commerce throughout the eastern part of the city. [...]
Stryker Soldier Killed in Iraq
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – A Fort Wainwright Soldier was killed in Iraq Monday.
The Soldier, assigned to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Wainwright, was killed by enemy small-arms fire while conducting clearing operations in Baghdad, Iraq at 5:50 p.m. Monday Iraq time, 5:50 a.m. Monday Alaska time.
No other Soldiers were injured in the incident.
Next of kin have been notified.
Stryker Brigade homecoming set for Dec. 12
A welcome home ceremony is being planned for the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Wainwright. The Army is planning the homecoming ceremony December 12th to welcome the troops back from Iraq. The Army is expecting most soldiers from the brigade home by then.
However, Army spokesman Chuck Canterbury says the date is, "subject to conditions on the ground in Iraq." The ceremony will be followed the next day by a reflagging ceremony. The 172nd will be officially renamed the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division. [...]
Commander: Soldiers have embraced mission
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
BAGHDAD — Col. Michael Shields, commander of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, said he was no less surprised by the extension of his brigade’s tour in Iraq than many of his soldiers were.
Once he was told at the end of July of the decision by ground commanders in Iraq, Shields said he worked to notify the soldiers as quickly as he could, flying to each location he had troops located across northern and western Iraq. He spoke to family members in Fairbanks via video conference the night before the announcement became public.
Army Wife Distrusts Timetables
The following is a short excerpt from another very long article from Newsweek profiling 172nd SBCT families during the brigade's extension.
Oct. 30, 2006 - For the first year of her husband's deployment with the 172nd Stryker Brigade, Tamara Bell says she was a "good Army wife." She supported her husband's mission and trusted the military to bring him home safely—and on time. After all, Tamara, 32, grew up as a Navy brat, and she and Staff Sgt. Edward Bell have been married for 12 years, weathering several overseas deployments in South Korea, Bosnia and the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, when Edward was with one of the first units to enter Baghdad. Even during his second Iraq deployment, Tamara, waiting at home in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the couple's infant son, did everything she could to keep her spirits up. She and Edward counted the days remaining in full moons ("It seems a lot shorter that way") and communicated nonstop about their baby Nicholas, now 11 months old, whom Edward last saw at birth.
But last July, only days before Edward was to return home to Fairbanks following a year of combat duty in Mosul, Tamara learned that his infantry battalion, the 4-23, was being sent to Baghdad to quell violence in the Iraqi capital. The extension was to last four months. That was the moment she snapped, she says. "Everyone has a breaking point, and that was mine," says Bell. "He was exactly seven days away from coming home. With the extension, I said, 'Wow, I need to be a lot less trusting of what the military tells us.'" Her husband, she adds, feels his own country is using him. “They are no longer showing us any loyalty." [...]
Missing Soldier Married Iraqi
Here is some additional information regarding the missing soldier the 172nd was looking for last week. His identity is finally confirmed.
NEW YORK - A U.S. Army translator missing after being kidnapped in Iraq had broken military rules to marry an Iraqi woman and was visiting her when he was abducted, according to people who claim to be relatives of the wife.
According to a report in Monday editions of The New York Times, the relatives said that the Soldier, previously unidentified by the U.S. government, is Ahmed Qusai al-Taei, a 41-year-old Iraqi-American. The family did not know he was a Soldier until after the kidnapping, the relatives said.
172nd sees successes in Baghdad mission
By TATABOLINE BRANT, Anchorage Daily News
The U.S. military command in Iraq acknowledged earlier this month that its two-month campaign to stem violence in Baghdad -- called Operation Together Forward II -- had fallen short and that the effort needed to be refocused. The Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team -- 3,800 Army soldiers from forts Richardson and Wainwright -- are at the heart of that operation. After serving for a year in northern Iraq, the brigade late this summer had its tour extended and was moved to Baghdad to help quell violence there. Col. Michael Shields, commander of the 172nd, spoke to the Daily News by telephone Wednesday. His comments have been edited for length.
Sgt. Killed in Iraq Was Driven to Protect Others
The following audio report was filed by NPR affiliate KUAC in Alaska. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon.
Morning Edition, October 26, 2006 · The Army has announced that Alaska's 172nd Stryker Brigade will finally be headed home by Christmas. But five men in that unit won't be returning home. They were killed during their extended tour of battle. The first to die was Sgt. Eugene Alex.
Search for Missing U.S. Soldier Continues in Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Oct. 24, 2006 – Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers are searching for U.S. soldier missing since yesterday evening. Officials have not released the soldier’s name.
Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, along with the Iraqi National Police, mounted an intensive effort to locate the soldier by using all means available, including attack aviation elements and unmanned aerial vehicles.
172nd Searches for Missing US Soldier
CNN's John Roberts is embedded with the 1-17 INF, 172nd SBCT in Bagdhad and reports that the unit was dispatched today to search for a US soldier who is missing. Other news outlets claim the soldier is from the 4th ID, but we haven't seen any confirmation from the military yet. You can read the CNN article online, and also watch a video report from Roberts in Baghdad (in left column under "Videos"). If you can't find the video try this direct link.
Related Article:
Troops Look for American Soldier Missing in Baghdad - The New York Times
Strykers keep fighting for Iraq
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
BAGHDAD — If nothing else, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s move to Baghdad has put the first 12 months of deployment into perspective for some battalions.
“You don’t realize how successful we were up there until you come down here,” said Capt. Dave Bedard of Anchorage, with the 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment of the Stryker Brigade.
To Stand or Fall in Baghdad: Capital Is Key to Mission
The following article also features a slideshow with many photos of the 172nd SBCT operating in Baghdad.
By MICHAEL R. GORDON, The New York Times
BAGHDAD, Oct. 22 — After three years of trying to thwart a potent insurgency and tamp down the deadly violence in Iraq, the American military is playing its last hand: the Baghdad security plan.
The plan will be tweaked, adjusted and modified in the weeks ahead, as American commanders try to reverse the dismaying increase in murders, drive-by shootings and bombings.
On Baghdad Streets, a Police Partnership Falters
BAGHDAD, Oct. 21 � When Lt. Col. John Norris led his Stryker battalion to the Baya district of Baghdad last month he planned to work hand in glove with the Iraqi police. But no sooner did he venture onto the streets than he discovered that the police who were to be his partners were part of the problem.
As his Stryker command vehicle drove along a crowded avenue Colonel Norris spied several Shiite women in black abayas wailing over a body sprawled near a mosque as distraught relatives smeared the dead man�s blood on their faces. The American officer tried to wave down an Iraqi National Police truck for help, but the driver gave him an icy stare and kept going.[...]
172nd SBCT Soldiers Deliver 75 Generators
by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers conducted a humanitarian aid mission Oct. 13 in Baghdads Karkh district.
The Soldiers from Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, delivered 75 generators to the districts educational headquarters for use in 60 neighborhood schools.
Were dropping off generators, backpacks and soccer balls, said Capt. Benjamin Tiernan, fire support officer, Troop A.
Baghdad Briefing
Multi-National Force Iraq spokesman MG William Caldwell briefed reporters in Baghdad today regarding recent operations in the capital and elsewhere. One of the topics he covers is the increase in violence in Baghdad despite the higher level of coalition forces there, including the 172nd SBCT and elements of the 3/2 SBCT. A streaming video of the briefing is available at the Pentagon Channel website (Internet Explorer browser required).
Related Article:
General Urges New Strategy for Baghdad - The New York Times
Knowing the enemy is difficult in Baghdad
The following article also contains a video segment.
BAGHDAD - The 172nd Cavalry preps for a journey into the unknown a patrol on Baghdad's dangerous Haifa Street.
"The enemy threat is high from the high-rises, dropping grenades on us," says one soldier.
Today is the Alpha platoon's 476th patrol after 14 months in Mosul, Anbar, and now Baghdad, the most complex of all.
Soldiers have broad reactions, feelings about extension
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
BAGHDADThe questions on the minds of families and soldiers in July were direct and centered on one word: Why?
Why was the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team being kept in Iraq for up to 120 days beyond the year it was about to wrap up in northern and western Iraq?
Why were the soldiers of the 172nd being sent to Baghdad?
Sgt. Nicholas R. Sowinski
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Nicholas R. Sowinski, 25, of Tempe, Ariz., died on Oct. 11 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Sowinski was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers during this difficult time. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Iraqis say they're living in fear
By Margaret Friedenauer, Daily News-Miner
BAGHDAD - The young artist, sitting in a comfortable upscale home earlier this week, told Lt. Andrew Pfeiffer he didn't feel safe in his own western Baghdad neighborhood. The home offers a nice coolness on a clear, hot day as they speak.
The man, who specializes in ceramics, bronze and glass, said the increased violence keeps him and his family living in fear.
As if on cue, a single gunshot rang out a few blocks away.
Fort Wainwright soldier killed in Iraq
Army officials Sunday said a soldier assigned to the 172nd Stryker Brigade at Fort Wainwright has been killed in Iraq. The Army says the soldier died after his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb during a mounted patrol in Baghdad on Wednesday.
Four other soldiers were injured in the accident, one seriously. That soldier was taken to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad. The others have returned to duty.
NO names were immediately released.[...]
Strykers create new camp from scratch
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER , Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
BAGHDAD - Talk about a change of plans.
While preparing to return to Alaska from Iraq in August, most of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team's personnel had packed up equipment and supplies to be shipped home or had turned them over to an incoming unit.
Most of the items were en route to Kuwait or already waiting there for the brigade. Then came word that the brigade's tour had not only been extended for up to 120 days but also that it was being moved to Baghdad.
172nd SBCT Soldiers First to Re-up in Fiscal 07
by Spc. C. Terrell Turner, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq Two Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, led the way Tuesday as two of the first Soldiers in the Army to re-enlist on Camp Taji as fiscal 2007 began.
Spc. Timothy Jones, a recon scout, and Spc. Anthony Hernandez, human resource specialist, both with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 1st Inf. Regt., recited the oath of enlistment in front of their peers and leaders outside of their barracks.
A Great Army Wife
Capt. Brad Velotta shares his thoughts about stress and how his extended Baghdad deployment is affecting his family.
Oct. 10, 2006 - The following is the text of an e-mail sent by Brad Velotta, a captain in the 4-23 infantry battalion of the U.S. Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade, to NEWSWEEK after his wife Jodi discussed the impact of his absence on their marriage and their children:
My son speaks and runs whereas he didn't walk/talk when I left. I try to keep him engaged with sounds and various questions about trucks, his favorite topic. He lasts 20 seconds and then he's off to play with his trucks. My daughter speaks to me in organized, coherent, and logical conversations about her daily tasks and plans for the upcoming days only to hand the phone off to her mom. All I wanted to do is hear her little voice. She is so assertive. This is
where and when I feel stress.
U.S. Gains in Parts of Iraq in Jeopardy
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA, The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- For months, soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade fought in riverside towns of western Iraq, trying to clamp off the flow of foreign fighters and suicide bombers that commanders said were terrorizing Baghdad. Now hundreds of these same U.S. soldiers have been sent to deal with what U.S. officials say is an even greater threat _ rising attacks between Sunnis and Shiites in the capital itself.
Left behind in the dusty towns along the Euphrates River in Anbar province are fewer U.S. troops _ and fears that hard-won gains could be in jeopardy from a Sunni Arab insurgency that is far from defeated.
172nd SBCT Soldiers Meet With IP, Key Community Leaders
Written by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD Soldiers from Multi-National Division Baghdads Troop A, 4th Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, conducted a reconnaissance mission in the Karkh district of Baghdad Sunday to foster a working relationship with local residents.
The Soldiers met with key community leaders, Iraqi policemen and residents throughout Karkh to build positive relationships and to get their input on improving security in the district.
MND-B Soldiers seize weapons, detain 5 suspected terrorists
Multi-National Division Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team found a large weapons cache in Baghdads Rusafa district at approximately 7:45 a.m. Friday.
The cache contained 24 82mm mortars, five 60mm mortars, 11 60mm mortar cheese charges, four 80mm mortar rounds, 266 RPK rounds, two rocket-propelled grenades, 12 grenades, an RPK machinegun, an AK-47 assault rifle, 847 AK-47 rounds, 450 PKC rounds, a block of TNT and a stick of TNT.
In a separate incident, Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained five suspected terrorists and confiscated weapons while conducting combat operations near Saab Al-Bour, northwest of Baghdad, at approximately 8 a.m. Friday.
Showing the flag
BAGHDADPfc. Michael Hoyt of Texas had a simple answer when asked what was so important about the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team that it be sent to the Iraqi capital, the site of heavy sectarian violence.
He rapped his knuckles on the roof of the Stryker vehicle he and his fellow scouts from the 4-14 Cavalry were riding in. The Strykers are a show of force by their mere presence.
Veterans light up the lives of current soldiers spouses
When the Stryker Brigade first deployed to Iraq, I experienced an outpouring of support.
There was my family, who called about every five minutes from places like Ann Arbor, Mich.; Dayton, Ohio; and Bozeman, Mont., just to make sure I hadnt overloaded on brownies and showers and buried myself in my featherbed for the next 365 (or so they thought at the time) days.
There were my hometown friends, who sent about 5.2 million cards and letters the first two weeks my husband was gone.
Injured soldier improving
By Mark J. Armstrong, The Daily Times
A former Hill Country resident injured while serving in Iraq showed signs of improvement this week as family members keep vigil at his bedside at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Doctors there removed an oral incubator this week from Sgt. Michael Boothby, 26, with 172nd Striker Brigade out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and have reduced the amount of sedative that had kept Boothby unconscious.
SSG Jonathan Rojas
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who
was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Jonathan Rojas, 27, of Hammond, Ind., died on Oct. 3 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered from enemy small arms fire while performing security operations. Rojas was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Reporting From Iraq
Margaret Friedenauer is back in Iraq with the 4-14 Cavalry and 4-23 Infantry Regiment, the first two units she will be embedded with over the next two weeks. Check out her blog here
Official: Strykers to return home by Dec. 13
WASHINGTON An Army official has told Sen. Lisa Murkowskis office that all soldiers with the 172nd Stryker Combat Brigade Team are to be back in the United States by Dec. 13.
Murkowskis office received the word in an e-mail from a legislative liaison over the weekend. The e-mail said Col. Mike Shields, the brigade commander, had announced the return date Saturday morning in Iraq.
The brigade is based at Fort Wainwright. As of July, the core brigade had about 3,900 soldiers, but Shields had a total of 4,400 troops under his command when Navy, Air Force and military policy specialty units attached to the brigade were counted.
The soldiers will return in stages, but all should be back by Dec. 13, according to the Armys e-mail to Murkowski.[...]
172nd Stryker Brigade soldier killed in Iraq
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (AP) - A Fort Wainwright soldier assigned to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team was killed in Iraq, a U.S. Army spokesman in Alaska said Wednesday.
The soldier was killed Tuesday by small arms fire in Baghdad, said Army spokesman Maj. Kirk Gohlke. No other soldiers were injured.
The Army did not immediately identify the soldier.
The soldier was the fourth to die since the Strykers had their deployments extended up to 120 days last July. Members of the Fort Wainwright-based brigade were told just days before they were preparing to return to Alaska that their one-year tour in Iraq would be extended. Some soldiers had already returned to Alaska and were sent back to Iraq.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced this week that she received word from Army officials that the 4,000-member combat team will not be extended again, meaning the Stryker soldiers should return to Alaska by mid-December.[...]
ISF, MND-B Leaders Discuss Operation Together Forward
by Sgt. 1st Class Michael Brock, 506th RCT PAO, 101st Abn. Div.
BAGHDAD Maj. Gen. Bashar Mahmood Ayob, commander, 9th Iraqi Army Division; Brig. Gen. Emad Ismail Ali, commander, Adhamiyah Iraqi Police Station; and Col. Michael Shields, commander of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division Baghdad, discussed operations in Shaab and Ur during a press conference Tuesday at the old Ministry of Defense complex near Adhamiyah.
The Shaab and Ur clearance portion of Operation Together Forward began Sept. 14 and continues to improve the lives of Iraqis in the Baghdad area.
Deployment paves way for Strykers return
By Sam Bishop, Daily News-Miner
WASHINGTONA brigade team from Texas will leave for Iraq a month early to set the stage for the return of Fort Wainwrights 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the U.S. Army told members of Congress on Monday.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division will deploy 30 days earlier than originally scheduled and begin their deployment in late October, the Army said in a news release. The combat team is based in Fort Bliss, Texas.
Iraqi Troops Hinder U.S. Efforts
The following article mentions the 4-14 CAV, 172nd SBCT.
Associated Press - September 25, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The plan was simple: Iraqi troops would block escape routes while U.S. Soldiers searched for weapons house-by-house. But the Iraqi troops didn't show up on time.
When they finally did appear, the Iraqis ignored U.S. orders and let dozens of cars pass through checkpoints in eastern Baghdad - including an ambulance full of armed militiamen, American Soldiers said in recent interviews.
Why We Don't Have Enough Troops in Iraq
By BRIAN BENNETT AND SALLY B. DONNELLY
The scenes almost seem lifted from a different war: On a scorching afternoon in Ur, a neighborhood in northeast Baghdad, members of the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade are on a charm offensive. The soldiers spent 12 months in the restive city of Mosul, before having their tour in Iraq extended to help in the U.S.'s campaign to pacify Baghdad. The unit's experience shows. They are alert but relaxed, carrying themselves with a gentle posture, weapons down, waving to the locals, talking with them. Kids hold hands with the Americans; an Iraqi mother hands a soldier her baby to hold. Locals invite U.S. officers in to sit and have glasses upon glasses of tea, orange Fanta, Pepsi and Arabic coffee. They don't go into a house without a few Iraqi soldiers who can better gauge if someone looks suspicious. Walking out of one Iraqi home, Lieut. Colonel John Norris, commander of the Stryker 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment Tomahawks, enjoys a moment of guarded optimism. "Days like this you think, wow, they can really do it. If they can just stop the killing."
NPR Audio Report
The following is an audio report from NPR station KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon.
Morning Edition, September 22, 2006 - The recent deaths of three soldiers from the Army Stryker Unit based in Baghdad has inflamed tensions among the families at the unit's home base in Alaska. Those tensions first became apparent a few weeks ago when its mission was unexpectedly extended by four months.
Safety in Baghdad depends on perspective
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD Purging sectarian violence from Baghdad is a slow and arduous task, as soldiers from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team learned over the last week while beginning clearing operations in the areas around Sadr City.
For the last week, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment have painstakingly combed through homes, fields, markets and even landfills, hunting for ever-elusive evidence of sectarian violence. The effort is part of an ongoing operation, called Operation Together Forward, aimed at reducing sectarian violence in the capital.
Soldiers deliver school supplies in Baghdad
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD American-led clearing operations near Sadr City took a softer approach Monday and Tuesday as soldiers from the Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team handed out much-needed supplies to Iraqi schools.
However, as is often the case in Iraq, the grateful recipients brought with them a laundry list of other, more basic needs that have yet to be addressed by the Iraqi government.
SGT David J. Davis
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. David J. Davis, 32, of Mount Airy, Md., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept.17, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker Armored Vehicle during combat operations in Sadr City, Iraq. Davis was assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers during this time. Additional information will be added to this entry as it becomes available.
INP, MND-B Soldiers seize munitions cache
By Multi-National Division Baghdad PAO
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq Iraqi National Police and Soldiers from a Multi-National Division Baghdad Explosive Ordnance Disposal team worked together to eliminate an improvised-explosive device threat at approximately 11:55 a.m. Friday south of Baghdad in the town of Arab Jabur.
Iraqi national policemen responded to a report of an IED placed on a road in the vicinity of Arab Jabur and cordoned off the area around the IED.
MND-B Soldiers find weapons cache
By Multi-National Division Baghdad PAO
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq Soldiers from Multi-National Division Baghdads 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a weapons cache at approximately 2:35 p.m. Thursday in northeast Baghdad.
The cache contained 30 artillery rounds ranging in size from 122mm to 155mm.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was dispatched to the site of the cache and performed a controlled detonation to eliminate the threat.
As of Wednesday, Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B have cleared more than 53,000 buildings, 53 mosques and 46 muhallas, detained more than 90 terrorist suspects, seized more than 1,100 weapons, registered approximately 780 weapons and found 31 weapons caches. The combined forces have also replaced more than 1,100 doors, 35 windows and 1,350 locks damaged during clearing operations and have removed approximately 104,397 cubic meters of trash from the streets of Baghdad.
Iraqi forces stand by while youths harass U.S. patrol
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD U.S. operations around Sadr City met with increased resistance this weekend, as soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team continued clearing operations in the poor, restive neighborhoods around the Shiite mega-slum.
But rather than resist with bullets and bombs, residents took a decidedly grass-roots approach, hurling rocks and shouting obscenities.
Terrorists attack combined patrol from mosque
Assailment marks 3rd attack from a mosque in 4 days
Multi-National Division Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD Terrorists continue a disturbing trend of defiling the sanctity of religious buildings by firing from the mosques on Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces.
For the third time in four days, mosques were openly used for criminal attacks when terrorists fired at Iraqi police and Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers Wednesday while they were conducting a combined operation near Jisr Diyala, southeast of Baghdad.
Policeman from 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, and MND-B Soldiers, were establishing an outer cordon in order to detain a terrorist facilitator and planner when the patrol was attacked by small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from several directions, to include the Al Huada Mosque.
We want to remind the Iraqi people that while U.S. Soldiers respect the sanctity of mosques, those religious sites lose their protected status when terrorists use them in order to attack Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces, said Brig. Gen. David Halverson, deputy commanding general for support, MND-B. Terrorists have been using these holy sites as bases for anti-Iraq related activity storing weapons, bomb-making materials and death squad meetings.
The First Loss
This graphic article from Newsweek chronicles the loss of SPC Alexander Jordan.
Sept. 14, 2006 - This week, NEWSWEEK begins War Stories, the first in its series of Web reports about the daily lives of the soldiers and families of the 4-23 infantry battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade. Informed in late July that their yearlong deployment in Iraq would be extended for another four months, the soldiers are now fighting on the front lines of the Battle of Baghdad. The impact of this move on the troops and their loved ones was the subject of the report, "Straight to the Heart, in NEWSWEEK's Sept. 18 issue. During the unit's extended tour, which is expected to last until December, our reporters will continue to tell the story of the 4-23 through the individual tales of a small group of soldiers and the families who anxiously await their return back at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and in hometowns across America. But as the close-knit 4-23 community learned this week, not everyone will be coming home now.
Effort to halt sectarian violence in Baghdad enters new phase
Link to Full Article
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD The effort to clean up sectarian violence in Baghdad entered another phase Thursday as soldiers from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team began to clear the poor, ethnically mixed areas of northwest Baghdad.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment conducted a daylong search mission in Shab, a poor, mostly Shiite neighborhood that abuts Sadr City, the infamous slum that is home to more than 3 million of the countrys most restive Shiite population.
SPC Alexander Jordan
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Alexander Jordan, 31, of Miami, Fla., died on Sept. 10 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Jordan was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. We will add any articles we find to this entry.
Front-Line Baghdad: Stryker Brigade
The following is an audio report from NPR. Follow the link and click the "Listen" icon. Description:
All Things Considered, September 12, 2006 U.S. troops in Baghdad are expanding operations, with Iraqi soldiers and police trying to bring security to some of the capital's most dangerous districts. Among the U.S. units involved is the Tomahawks Battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based in Alaska. The Strykers are part of the front line, getting tips, clearing houses, and working neighborhood by neighborhood to bring the city under control.
After extension, three soldiers re-enlist
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
CAMP TAJI, Iraq During his recent yearlong deployment in northern Iraq, Staff Sgt. Gilbert Romero regularly told his friends that he couldnt wait to get out of the Army.
But when his units stay in Iraq was extended by four months, Romero did something unexpected. He re-enlisted for another four years.
Battalion gets a hostile reception at Sadr City
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD Residents of the citys most virulent Shiite stronghold gave soldiers a heated and hostile reception Sunday as the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team rolled into the eastern Baghdad slum of Sadr City for the first time.
Overall, Sundays mission, which was part of a larger operation to clear Baghdad of sectarian violence, was free of major incidents. One company was shot at during an afternoon patrol, though the bullet widely missed its mark.
Baghdad Ops Expand to Adhamiya, Mansour
Kirk Sowell at Threats Watch has a good summary of recent operations in Baghdad, which includes mention of the 172nd SBCT.
Next up for 172nd: dealing with Sadr City
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD The American militarys quest to clean up sectarian violence in Baghdad took its first, very tentative steps into Baghdads most infamous neighborhood Sunday morning.
Troops from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team visited Sadr City, the teeming Shiite slum famous for its densely packed population and as the headquarters for radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. Sadr is the leader of a Shiite militia, known as Jeish al-Mahdi, that is said to be responsible for many of Baghdads sectarian killings.
Straight To The Heart
The following is an in depth article regarding the 172nd extension from the upcoming issue of Newsweek magazine. There are links to video clips as well.
Sept. 18, 2006 issue - Toward the end of July, Capt. Brad Velotta began daydreaming a lot. He thought about making the summer's last run of salmon in Alaska's Russian River, where bears lumber down from the woods and chase fishermen out of the water. He thought about getting a kitten for his 3-year-old daughter, Sophia. Most of all, Velotta hoped to see his 83-year-old grandmother Mary one last time before she died of cancer. "She thought she could hold on," says Velotta's father, Albert, at the family home in Alexandria, La. Her grandson was supposed to leave Iraq on Aug. 2. "She thought it would only be a few weeks more."
Safe streets and eager voices in Adhamiyah
Link to Full Article
By Sgt. Brandon LeFlore, 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD Only days after Iraqi Army and MND-B Soldiers cleared the neighborhood of Adhamiyah, U.S. and Iraqi forces returned to hand out generators and food.
Were showing the Iraqi people that were here to help them, said Capt. Andrew Corbin, native of Austin, Texas, and civil affairs team leader with 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, Multi-National Division Baghdad.
The District Advisory Council of Adhamiyah and Soldiers from the 414th CAB provided humanitarian assistance to Iraqi families in support of Operation Together Forward in Adhamiyah[...]
172nd could be reimbursed for extended tours
Link to Full Article
By Rick Maze, Army Times
Members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team who suffered financial hardships when the Army extended their Iraq tours at the last minute could be reimbursed for financial losses under a Senate-passed amendment.
The proposal, approved Thursday by voice vote as an amendment to the 2007 defense appropriations bill, allows the Army to reimburse expenses for a service member if the cost is the result of a good faith and reasonable preparation for the units return to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, the units home. There is no limit on how much a family could receive.
Stryker Brigade Soldiers Continue Security Operations
Written by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin. 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD In the early morning hours of Aug. 29, Soldiers of Multi-National Division Baghdads 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team piled into heavily-armored vehicles and rolled into a cordoned section of Baghdad to continue clearing operations as part of Multi-National Division Baghdads Operation Together Forward.
This was the third day in a row that Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd SBCT and members of the Iraqi National Police had patrolled this neighborhood, located on the outskirts of an Iraqi National Police station, looking for weapons caches and other signs of possible terrorist activity.
4th Bn., 11th FA Regt. Soldiers Move South
Written by Sgt. Stephen Wylie, 363rd MPAD
CAMP TAJI, Iraq After spending 12 long months patrolling the streets of Mosul in northern Iraq, the Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division Baghdad, based out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, are now taking on terrorists in neighborhoods near Baghdad.
We had a great impact on the Mosul area, said Col. Scott Wuestner, commander, 4th Bn., 11th FA Regt.
Bigger budget helps ease extension issues
By John Pennell
Fort Richardson Public Affairs
FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska (Army News Service, Sept. 5, 2006) The Army has provided increased funding, more than $5 million, to immediately mitigate hardships on the families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during the units extended deployment.
Mission and garrison leaders stressed again this week that Army leadership is totally committed to supporting the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and their families.
Violence on decline in some Baghdad neighborhoods
Link to Full Article
By Terry Boyd, Stars and Stripes
BAGHDAD Almost one month into an operation meant to reclaim control of Baghdad after escalating ethnic killings and reprisals, U.S. officials presented data Thursday showing a dramatic drop in violence in several of the citys besieged neighborhoods.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are guardedly optimistic after Operation Together Forward troops have completed operations in sections of Dora, Ghazaliya, Ameriya, Adhamiyah and Mansor, said Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the top coalition spokesman in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Eugene H.E. Alex
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Eugene H.E. Alex, 32, of Bay City, Mich., died on Sept. 2 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered on Aug 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. Alex was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones. Articles will be added to this entry as we find them.
US Military Struggles to Quell Violence in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Alisha Ryu
Earlier this month, the U.S. military deployed several thousand extra combat troops to flashpoint districts in the troubled Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The security operations are part of a joint U.S.-Iraqi effort to halt escalating sectarian violence and shore up support for Iraq's struggling government.
Huddled inside the belly of a Stryker combat vehicle, 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Zack Sherman quickly checks his weapon one last time as the 17-metric ton vehicle rumbles into eastern Adamiyah District. [...]
Baghdad security progress continues
(MNF-Iraq Press Release)
BAGHDAD While Iraqi and Coalition forces continued operations throughout Baghdad and discussed progress in the citys northern neighborhood of Adhamiyah, Iraqi National Security Advisor Dr. Mowaffak al-Rubaie announced Sunday the capture of a top al-Qaida in Iraq leader.
"Our troops have dealt fatal and painful blows to this organization," Dr. Rubaie said of the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist network.
Freedom Journal - Episode 468
The Freedom Journal is a multimedia newsletter distributed by Task Force Band of Brothers. Episode 468 features video of the 3/2 & 172nd SBCTs as they transfer responsibility in Mosul.
Back to Iraq
Daily News-Miner reporter Margaret Friedenauer will return to Iraq to cover the 172nd SBCT during its extended deployment.
The deployment of our Fort Wainwright-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to Iraq last year struck a chord through our community, bringing us all closer to the conflict and reminding us of ties to the base we sometimes may take for granted.
Two people, in particular, made a difference for this newspaper and its readers.
Not All the Lonely Hearts Are in Fairbanks
The following article by Susy Raybon is an update on her Heart List project, which involved members of the 172nd SBCT. Previous articles include the Heart List and The Heart List Grows.
By Susy Raybon
Almost one month ago, when the 1st Battalion, 17th Regiment/172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team received notice that they were not leaving Mosul for home, but instead changing focus and leaving FOB Marez for Baghdad, hearts were breakingnot only all over Fairbanksbut literally all over the globe.
As the news slowly crept out to friends, family and extended supporters the day just seemed to get darker. The veil that fell over Ft. Wainwright and Ft. Richardson draped as heavily over parts of Korea and South Carolina, California and Washington State and on pieces of real estate too far-flung to know.
Defend America Photo Essay
Defend America has posted a photo essay of the 1-17 working in the Adhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad.
FUTURE RESTS ON `BATTLE FOR BAGHDAD'
Link to Full Article
By Patrick J. McDonnell and Louise Roug
Los Angeles Times
BAGHDAD, Iraq - As they patrol the streets of the troubled Ash-Shulah neighborhood, the troops of Charlie Company seek out tormentors and guardians: Sunni Arab insurgents who come to kill in this largely Shiite enclave, and Shiite militiamen who protect residents while doing their killing in adjoining Sunni districts.
This is the sinister grid of today's Baghdad, a capital divided along sectarian lines and bearing little relation to the relatively tolerant metropolis it used to be.
The Shadow Warriors
The following article primarily describes the role of U.S. Special Forces in Iraq, but the 172nd's work with them in Mosul is mentioned as well.
Link to Full Article
By Linda Robinson, U.S. News & World Report
BALAD, IRAQ-One little-known aspect of the U.S. military operation in Iraq is that it involves the largest ongoing deployment of special operations forces since Vietnam. A total of 3,768 Special Forces,Navy SEALs, and Air Force combat controllers are scattered across the critical Euphrates and Tigris river valleys, from the Syrian border to Hilla and Kut in the south. They are partnered with one third of the Iraqi Army battalions and 13 SWAT-type police units. Speaking to U.S. News at his headquarters in Balad, Kenneth Tovo, the colonel in charge of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, said his troops are using their specialized skills to complement the U.S. conventional forces' training in two ways. "One, they are working with battalion staffs to integrate intelligence and operations and teach them how to target," he said. "Two, they are training scout platoons to find and fix the enemy." Once the platoons are trained, the Americans advise them in combat. Navy SEAL teams who are partnered with Iraqi forces in Anbar province have seen intensive combat, as have the Americans advising the Baghdad-based Iraqi special ops forces.
Anbar pullback: Those left behind do the best they can
This is another article by the same author that discusses the anticipated transition from the 4-14 CAV (172nd) to the 1-14 CAV (3/2). The transition did not go as planned due to events in Baghdad. Thanks to yellowtruck for the link.
Link to Full Article
By Sean D. Naylor, Army Times
AWAH and BAGHDAD, Iraq The call to reinforce Baghdad with U.S. forces originally destined for Anbar province may be essential to restore order in the Iraqi capital, but it risks sacrificing gains paid for with American blood in the western province.
With sectarian violence spiraling out of control in Baghdad, Multi-National Forces-Iraq announced July 29 it was moving 3,700 troops from other locations in Iraq to reinforce units already in the capital.
Liberating Anah
The following is a portion of a very in-depth article regarding the efforts of 4-14 CAV, 172nd SBCT in Anah, Iraq. Click through for the entire piece. Thanks to Belinda for the link.
Link to Full Article
By Sean D. Naylor, Army Times
ANAH, Iraq insurgents had freely waged a two-year reign of terror on this sleepy, affluent Sunni city of 30,000. They blew up the police station and chased out the nascent police force. They murdered the chairman of the city council and cowed the local populace.
Members of Jamaat Al Tawid Al Jihad, known as the JTJ or Group of Monotheism and Jihad a branch of al-Qaida in Iraq settled in. This city in central Anbar province came to serve as a convenient sanctuary and way station for fighters going southeast to the real action in Ramadi, Fallujah and Baghdad.
Rumsfeld fields questions from wives of U.S. soldiers
Link to Full Article
By ROBERT BURNS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - In a lively but polite give-and-take, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fielded questions Saturday from wives and other family members of Alaska-based soldiers whose combat tours in Iraq were abruptly extended just as they prepared to return home this month.
"It is something we don't want to do," Rumsfeld told several hundred family members who gathered in a gymnasium at nearby Fort Wainwright, home of the 172nd Stryker Brigade. The unit's deployment to Iraq was extended by up to four months to bolster U.S. firepower in the Baghdad area.
IA, 172nd SBCT Soldiers Help Make Ghazaliyah Safe
Written by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD As part of Operation Together Forward, Iraqi army soldiers and Soldiers from Multi-National Division Baghdads Company C, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, mounted a combined operation and conducted a cordon and search mission Sunday in the Baghdad neighborhood of Ghazaliyah in an effort to decrease terrorist activity and protect law-abiding residents.
Starting before dawn and continuing through the early afternoon, the Soldiers systematically searched houses along neighborhood blocks, taking care to respect Iraqi customs and property along the way.
Second goodbye tougher for 172nd Stryker BCT troops
Link to Full Article
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq For some of the American troops whose Iraq tour has been extended in a new attempt to secure Baghdad, saying goodbye a second time was the hardest part.
Earlier this week, about 200 soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team many of them pulled back three weeks to two months after redeploying to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and others who stayed in Iraq throughout gathered under the boiling Iraqi sun to hear brigade commander Col. Michael Shields talk about their extended tour.
For Baghdad residents, quality of life improves one operation at a time
BAGHDAD During a press conference Aug. 23, Iraqi and Coalition leaders discussed a recent combined operation in Baghdads Shulla, Nur and Ghazaliyah neighborhoods that resulted in a sharp decrease in levels of violence in the area and paved the way for improved essential services.
Brig. Gen. Jaleel, commander, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and Col. Michael Shields, commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, highlighted the joint nature of the 10-day operation - in support of Operation Together Forward - as well as the relationship between Iraqi and Coalition forces and the people of Ghazaliyah.
172nd families meet with Army Secretary
By Staff Sgt. Carmen L. Burgess
FAIRBANKS, Ala. (Army News Service, Aug. 24, 2006) Though the hardships of being deployed to a combat zone are difficult for Soldiers, the families left behind may experience even greater challenges. Add uncertainty and unpredictability to the equation and things can get that much tougher just ask families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The units tour in Iraq was unexpectedly extended last month, just two weeks before their scheduled redeployment date.
We arent thrilled about our husbands remaining over there, but were going to deal with it, said Bridget Babbitt, whose husband is in Fort Richardsons 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. We are proud of all the things theyre doing and we understand why they are over there.
US commander says militias hard to spot in Baghdad
Link to Full Article
By Ross Colvin
BAGHDAD, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Militias blamed for much of the sectarian violence that has pitched Iraq towards civil war may have melted back into the population to escape a major security crackdown, a U.S. military commander acknowledged on Wednesday.
"The militias are within the people. They blend in with the people. It is very difficult to identify them when they lay down their arms," Colonel Michael Shields told reporters in Baghdad.
Pilots, Crew Chiefs Provide Integrations Training
By Sgt. 1st Class Reginald Rogers
CAB PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq A team of pilots from 1st and 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, conducted multiple air integration training sessions with the Soldiers of two Stryker Battalions now stationed at Camp Taji.
An HH-60 Medical Evacuation helicopter crew chief assigned to Company C, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., and one of the units pilots, demonstrated the proper way to load a patient onto the aircraft for Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division Baghdad.
US Forces Assist IA Conduct Medical Screening
by Spc. L.C. Campbell
138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq Iraqi Army Soldiers, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, lead the way during a medical screening that took place in the Asad neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq Aug. 15.
U.S. Forces have been preparing for a solid transition an area of responsibility to the IA. Part of the transition is getting the IA to interact with the local populace, and one good way of doing this is to conduct a medical screening.
172nd Detains Suspects, Seizes Weapons
(MNF-I Press Release)
BAGHDAD Iraqi and Coalition forces this week began witnessing the positive results of their efforts to secure Baghdad and improve quality of life here.
Since Amaliya Maan ila Al-Amam or Operation Together Forward began July 9, combined forces have killed 97 and detained 501 terrorists associated with death squads, and seized more than 59 weapons and munitions caches in the process.
Tiger Team attacks 172nd SBCT extension problems
By Spc. Dale Sweetnam
Fort Wainwright PAO
FT WAINWRIGHT (Army News Service, Aug. 18, 2006) -- When the extension of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to Iraq was announced, the Department of the Army responded by deploying a Tiger Team to Fort Wainwright to begin working Soldier and family issues.
The Tiger team got down to business Aug. 4 and worked long hours before leaving last weekend. While at Fort Wainwright, the Tiger Team confronted a variety of issues affecting deployed Soldiers and their families.
Soldiers seize weapons, munitions
(MNF-Iraq Press Release)
BAGHDAD Soldiers from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division Baghdad, detained two suspected terrorists and seized a large weapons cache in a warehouse during a search of Nur and Ghazalyia today in support of Operation Together Forward.
The weapons and munitions seized included 272 120mm mortar rounds, 212 82mm mortar rounds, 99 60mm mortar rounds, 33,800 14.5mm rounds, 5,000 7.62 rounds, 90 5.56 rounds, 165 19mm rounds, 104 rocket-propelled grenades, 240 23mm rockets, 200 60mm primers, 22 107mm rockets, nine 069B rockets, 11 RPG rounds, two landmines, a .30caliber shape charge, a crater charge, 11 fragmentation grenades, a machine gun, two AK-47s, a PKC machine gun, an RPK machine gun, two 14mm machine guns, 20 full AK-47 magazines, ammunition drums, various loose ammunition, 5,000 feet of detonation cord, three bayonets, five 82mm tubes, four 60mm tubes, three 60mm mortar bipods, four 81mm mortar bipods, two 60mm mortar bases, an 81mm base, two land mines, an 81mm mortar base, an aiming circle, two aiming poles, 54 rocket motors and various bomb-making materials.
Four Months More in Iraq
Link to Full Article
Tom Philpott, Military.com
By July 26, Jennifer Flower had resigned from her civilian job at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. With her husband, Army SSgt. Brian Flower, expected home within days after a tough year in Mosul, Iraq, Jennifer planned to welcome him home and then to pack for reassignment to Fort Knox, Ky.
That morning, however, Jennifer heard a news report that shocked her. The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Brians unit, might see its year-long combat tour extended for up to 120 days.
Gainey: Styker Brigade Extension Offers Lessons to All Commanders
Link to Full Article
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2006 The most important thing military leaders can offer their people is an up-front assessment of what they're facing, as exemplified by the way the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team's leaders informed the troops about their extension in Iraq, DoD's top enlisted adviser told American Forces Press Service.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared his thoughts after returning from Alaska, home of the "Arctic Wolves."
The Defense Department announced July 27 that the brigade, which was in the midst of wrapping up its 12-month deployment in Iraq, would remain up to four additional months. The announcement came two days after President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreed to send more U.S. and Iraqi troops to Baghdad to curb sectarian violence.
Sen. Murkowski: Strykers will be coming home in December
Link to Full Article
Daily News-Miner
Members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Iraq will return to Fort Wainwright by mid-December, according to a letter from Army Secretary Francis Harvey.
The extension is for up to 120 days with the main body elements of the BCT now scheduled to return by mid-December 2006, Harvey said in an Aug. 11 letter to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
Murkowski released the letter Wednesday.
Troops Push Security Door to Door in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Louise Roug, LA Times
BAGHDAD Sweating through their uniforms, Capt. Ed Matthaidess and his men hunted through the heart of this Shiite neighborhood. In 120-degree heat, they spent six hours searching drawers and sewers alike. By the end of the day, their afternoon search had yielded slim pickings: four AK-47s and a tiny green water pistol.
While Matthaidess and his Charlie Company were searching Shula in northwest Baghdad this week, other troops built concrete walls around a Sunni neighborhood to the south. Both actions were part of a stepped-up effort by 12,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops to stem sectarian bloodshed in the capital.
Stryker families grapple with emotions
Link to Full Article
By LISA DEMER, Anchorage Daily News
More than 300 soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade who returned to Alaska earlier this summer after a year of war duty are being shipped back to Iraq, this time to the dangerous capital of Baghdad.
They'll rejoin thousands of troops from their Alaska-based brigade who learned last month that their tour was being extended just as they were preparing to come home.
Operation Together Forward moves into western Baghdad
Link to Full Article
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
A beefed-up American and Iraqi force continued to press into western Baghdad neighborhoods on Monday, pushing ahead in the effort dubbed Operation Together Forward.
Coordinated operations targeting the Shula and Ameriyah neighborhoods of the capital included searches of thousands of homes and sweeps through business districts. Security in Baghdad is the top priority for everyone working in Operation Together Forward. We continue to work very closely with Iraqi security forces in a major effort to clear this area of terrorists and death squads, Col. Robert Scurlock, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, was quoted in an Army news release.
Iraqi and U.S. forces are working side by side every day to increase security in Baghdad and help the Iraqi people return to a more normal domestic life.
The operations include troops from the 1st AD; the U.S. Armys 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team; the Iraqi armys 1st and 5th Brigades, 6th Army Division; and the 5th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division.
Army recalling 300 troops to Iraq
Link to Full Article
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- About 300 Alaska-based soldiers sent home from Iraq just before their unit's deployment was extended last month must now go back, the Army said Monday, setting up a wrenching departure for troops and families who thought their service there was finished.
The soldiers - all from the 172nd Stryker Brigade - are among the 380 troops who had gotten home to Fort Wainwright when Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered the unit to serve four more months. The remaining 80 will not have to return to Iraq.
Heroes: 172nd Stryker BCT spouses
Link to Full Article
Kamryn Jaroszewski, Fort Richardson Public Affairs Office.
I wrote a commentary recently about my husbands upcoming third deployment. In that article, I referred to him as a hero.
When he read it, he zeroed in on that word and said I was wrong, that he wasnt a hero just another Soldier doing what he was told to do.
I explained to him my reasons for describing him a hero: because he was able to leave his family and step foot on a plane when he knew he may not come back. Because he was one of the people who volunteered to do that. Because he saw a cause bigger than him, and wanted to do his part of it. But above all, because he wanted to continue the line of military service started in his family four generations ago.[...]
General: Trust key to Baghdad security
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD The Coalition commander responsible for operations in the Iraqi capital is optimistic about what he has seen since operations to quell sectarian violence here started.
Army Maj. Gen. James Thurman, commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad, said forces have been concentrating on four major hot spots.
Assistance provided to familis of Stryker soldiers
Link to Full Article
By ROBINSON DUFFY, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Welcome home signs still line the main road on Fort Wainwright, though certainly not as many as crowded the fences the last few weeks, before it was announced the Stryker Brigade would not be coming home as early as planned.
The families on base have been coming to terms with the news and gradually taking the signs down.
Forces to target 4 'hotspots' in Baghdad
Link to Full Article
By ROBERT BURNS AP Military Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq The new push by U.S. and Iraqi forces to reverse a rising tide of violence in Baghdad will target four violent "hotspots" in the city, the American general in charge of the plan said Saturday.
Those parts of the city have experienced frequent kidnappings, suicide bombings and revenge killings by Shiites and Sunnis.
Family Assistance Center Info
The US Army Alaska has published new resources for families regarding the extension. Included in the documents is a copy of a letter from COL Ball than can be used in your efforts to get refunds for travel expenses.
Bagdad: 'Defining Battle' in Iraq
Link to Full Article
ABC News
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 8, 2006 Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the commanding general of the multinational forces in Iraq, had the difficult duty today of telling 3,700 soldiers who had expected to be heading home that they were going to have to stay in Iraq a while longer.
ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz, continuing her reports from Baghdad, was with the general when he broke the news to the troops.
Troops hit Baghdad streets to contain violence
Link to Full Article
By Rawya Rageh, Associated Press
BAGHDAD U.S. soldiers sent to reinforce security in Baghdad were seen for the first time on the streets of the capital as Iraqi police used loudspeakers to reassure people that the Americans were there to protect them. [...]
With Sunni-Shiite killings on the rise, about 3,700 soldiers of the Armys 172nd Stryker Brigade were sent from northern Iraq to bolster U.S. and Iraqi security forces that were struggling to contain the violence in Baghdad.
U.S. enforcements arrive in Baghdad
Link to Full Article
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq U.S. reinforcements sent to Baghdad to help quell sectarian violence and clamp down on other attacks took up positions in a restive neighborhood Saturday, while two bombs at a market northeast of the city wounded eight people.
The 3,700 soldiers of the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade moved in from the northern city of Mosul to bolster U.S. and Iraqi security forces already in the city.
Several Stryker armored fighting vehicles were seen Saturday in Baghdad's mostly Sunni neighborhood of Ghazaliyah in the western part. Iraqi police used loudspeakers to encourage residents to go about their business and reopen shops because the troops were there to protect them.[...]
Officials working to help Stryker Brigade Soldiers, families
Link to Article
by Sgt. Sara Wood, American Forces Press Service
The Army is taking significant steps to ensure Soldiers and families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are taken care of now that the unit's deployment to Iraq has been extended four months.
U.S. Army, Alaska leaders are working with higher headquarters to ensure support programs, including financial compensation and personnel support, are available to the Soldiers, Army and Defense Department officials said.
Tour extension wreaks havoc upon Stryker soldiers lives
Link to Full Article
By Sean D. Naylor
BAGHDAD The extension to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Teams Iraq deployment has sown chaos in the personal lives of many soldiers in the brigades cavalry squadron and imposed tremendous logistical burdens on the unit, problems that could have been avoided, soldiers say, if only the Defense Department had given them a little more warning.
The 172nd deployed to Iraq in August 2005 and the bulk of the unit was due to return to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, early this month. But the Pentagon announced July 27 that it was extending the 172nds deployment for up to 120 days and moving the unit to Baghdad to counter the worsening violence in the Iraqi capital.
New Maternity Ward
by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
138th MPAD
SYKES, Iraq Company B, 403rd Civil Affairs out of Mattydale, NY, in conjunction with Takhil Qaffem Hassum, Mayor of Sinjar, have remodeled a maternity ward in the Tal-Banat community.
The CA Team requested bids from multiple Iraqi contractors for the construction that needs to be completed, said Captain Steven Zimmerle, Civil Affairs Team Chief, Co B, 403rd CA, and native of Eau Claire, MI. We found this contractor by word of mouth.
Coalition Forces Visits Orphanage to Lift Spirits
This article is likely a couple weeks old, but was released by public affairs just yesterday.
by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team visited an orphanage in Mosul, Iraq July 10, bringing gifts for the children.
During a regular patrol through the city, 3rd Plt. stopped at a local orphanage to drop off soccer balls and other gifts that were donated. Some of the donations came from Forward Operating Base Marez and other donations were made by individuals back in the states.
Coalition Forces Have a New Weapon to Fight Insurgents
by Brian Speach
Mosul, Iraq - Coalition Forces have a new weapon in their arsenal to fight insurgents, the Motorola.
Motorola and Lucent Technologies have designed an emergency response system called Advanced First Responder Network, to aid coalition forces in the fight against insurgents, as well as giving the citizens a way to call for police, fire and ambulance emergencies.
Extended Stryker tour means airline refunds
Congratulations to those of you who persisted and hopefully contributed to this decision. Perhaps other airlines will follow suit.
Link to Full Article
Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Airlines will refund tickets to travelers whose plans are postponed because of the 172nd Stryker Brigade's extended deployment, officials with the airline said Monday.
Officials said the company would refund tickets for family members and friends who had planned to travel to Alaska to greet returning troops. Troops and families who planned vacations that now must be delayed also can get refunds, said Linda Douglass, spokeswoman for Fort Wainwright. [...]
To arrange airfare refunds, customers are encouraged to call the Stryker Family Assistance Center at 1-800-352-9013 or 1-907-353-4458.
Father, son share warrior bond
Link to Full Article
by Lou Sessinger, The Intelligencer
Larry Glemser has an auto repair business in Horsham. A former member of the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard based at the Willow Grove Air Force Reserve Base in Horsham, he's a veteran who has spent a lifetime of service to the nation, including a deployment to Afghanistan.
His son, Army Capt. Jason Glemser, has been in Iraq for a year. He served as a company commander with 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Mosul.
Army Focuses on Families Needs
Link to Article
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 28, 2006
As members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team begin to accept news that their deployment in Iraq will be extended for up to four months, the Army is working to ensure their families at home in Alaska are taken care of.
Two family assistance centers -- one at Fort Wainwright and one at Fort Richardson -- will open their doors tomorrow to help families who were awaiting their loved ones returns deal with the issues they now face, Maj. Kirk Gohlke, public affairs officer for U.S. Army, Alaska, told American Forces Press Service.
U.S. to move 3,700 troops to Baghdad
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. command confirmed Saturday that it will move about 3,700 troops to Baghdad to try to quell violence in the capital.
The 172nd Stryker Brigade, which had been due to leave Iraq after a years assignment, will be sent from northern Iraq to the capital, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said.
This will place our most experienced unit with our most mobile and agile systems in support of our main effort, Casey said. With the rest of the elements of the plan, this gives us a potentially decisive capability to affect security in Baghdad.
Families of Stryker soldiers cope with news
Radio station KUAC offers another audio report, this time focusing on many of the issues family members of soldiers are facing due to the extended deployment.
We've received many notes from extended family members who were planning on traveling to Alaska for the homecoming asking what assistance is available to them. I don't have a good answer, but if you do, please leave the information in the comments section. Additionally, Ft. Wainwright and Ft. Richardson have created an information page on their website, which includes a toll-free number to call.
Update: There is an active topic on our bulletin board where people are sharing tactics for getting airfare refunds. The link only works if you are already a registered member of the bulletin board. If you're not, register and find the topic "Airfare Refunds" in the 172nd SBCT section.
NPR Audio Report
KUAC, an NPR station in Alaska, has a lengthy audio report regarding the extension announcement. There are direct comments from COL Shields, commander of the 172nd SBCT, and other brigade officers. The clip is in MP3 format - just follow the link above and click the icon that says "Listen | MP3".
From A Soldier
With permission we are sharing the following note written by a soldier with 1-17 IN, 172nd SBCT. Given that this is such a stressful time, and many of you may still be waiting to hear from your soldier, I thought his words would provide some comfort.
Greetings everyone,
We are definately heading out, but our final destination is still unknown. We have a very specific, specialized mission while we are down there, and when it is complete, we will pack up and go home. We are looking at 90-180 days, but more specific time will only be determined by the progress of our mission.
This is the most important thing we will be doing since coming to Iraq, for our soldiers, for the people in Iraq in general, as well as the overall success of the entire "Operation Iraqi Freedom" campaign.
There were reasons why the 172nd was chosen for this, and as angry or upset as you might be about your soldier not coming home, just know they were chosen for their ability to get the job done.
"Doc"
U.S. extending tour of 3,500 troops in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By PAULINE JELINEK and RYAN LENZ, Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. Military commanders in Iraq are developing a plan to move as many as 5,000 U.S. troops with armored vehicles and tanks into Baghdad in an effort to quell escalating violence, defense officials said Thursday.
As part of the plan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Thursday extended the tours of some 3,500 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The unit, which has been serving in northern Iraq, was scheduled to be leaving now, but instead, most of its 3,900 troops will serve for up to four more months. It was unclear whether the unit would go to Baghdad. [...]
Stryker extension
Link to Full Article
By Andrea Gusty, KTVA News Reporter
There is traumatic news for some Alaskan military families as their loved ones get an extension on their already dangerous mission. The Defense Department decided this could be a possibility and Alaskan Army officials began notifying families. They made it official Thursday. Members Alaska's 172nd Stryker Brigade, that have already been in Iraq for a year, will extend their stay indefinitely.
"This is a historic event. Our unit has been chosen because of our performance in Mosul, the Tigris River Valley and the strength and cohesion of the unit and the strength and cohesion of the family readiness groups," said Col. Michael Shields, Commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade.
172nd Stryker Brigade tour extended
Link to Full Article
By Sean D. Naylor
In a reaction to worsening violence in Baghdad, the Defense Department is extending the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Teams tour in Iraq for up to 120 days.
The move is a blow to morale of the units soldiers and their families back home at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, but it is an acknowledgment that the brigades experience and combat savvy are badly needed in the Iraqi capital.
DoD Announces Units for Next OIF Rotation
The following press release, which is published in full below, announced the official authorization by SecDef Rumsfeld to extend the tour of the 172nd SBCT by up to 120 days. There is no confirmation of where the brigade will be located during the anticipated extension.
The Department of Defense announced today additional major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation. This announcement involves four Army brigades and two Marine Regimental Combat Teams consisting of approximately 25,000 service members. This is a follow-on announcement to the Nov. 7, 2005, and June 20, 2006, press releases identifying other units for deployment. The scheduled rotation for the forces identified in this announcement will begin in late-2006.
Force levels in Iraq continue to be conditions-based and will be determined in consultation with the Iraqi government. Deployment decisions are made at the recommendation of military commanders in Iraq. Based on ongoing assessments of the conditions on the ground, changes may be made that could affect units now being identified and advised to prepare to deploy as has occurred in the past.
Brigade may be Extended in Iraq
As the article makes clear, no official decision has been made yet. Due to OPSEC concerns, we ask that you not share any information you may have heard until an announcement has been made by the Army.
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Military commanders in Iraq are considering extending the deployment of an Alaska-based Army brigade as part of the plan to increase forces in Baghdad to quell the violence.
According to a senior Defense Department official, portions of the 172nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Wainwright, could see their return home delayed. But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are not final, said Wednesday that the proposal has not been presented to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
300 Stryker Brigade members to return next week
Link to Article
Associated Press
Nearly 300 soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will return from their deployment to Iraq next week. Officials expect the first flight of the main body to arrive at Eielson Air Force Base early next Tuesday morning. They will then be bused to Fort Wainwright to be reunited with their families.
The soldiers of the brigade conducted security operations in Iraq, and provided training for the Iraqi Army and Iraqi security forces. They left here last August.
Stryker Brigade sees progress
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
FAIRBANKS -- Soldiers from Alaska have spent 10 months in Iraq fighting insurgents, maneuvering through a fledgling government, training and empowering regional forces, drinking chai with locals and riding the political waves of the vexing and complicated conflict.
The soldiers have succeeded in their efforts, said their commander, Col. Michael Shields. But that doesn't mean the work in Iraq is complete.
"The answer is 'Yes,' we've achieved our goals and objective," Shields said Thursday by phone from Iraq. "That does not mean our work is done."[...]
DoD News Briefing with Colonel Shields
DOD News Briefing
Today, a Department of Defense News Briefing took place with Army Colonel Michael Shields, Commander 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. In this interview, Col. Shields describes the accomplishments of the brigade during the past 10 months. Click here to view the transcript of the briefing.
U.S. Soldiers Perform Cordon Search
The Defend America website has posted a photo essay of 2-1 soldiers in Mosul.
Coalition, Iraqi troops train together in Mosul
Spc. L.C. Campbell
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 2nd Division, 2nd Brigade, integrated with Coalition Forces to conduct a combined live fire exercise to show the IA leadership how to use enablers and how it will benefit their mission.
Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarter Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and Military Transition Teams intergrated air support such as helicopters, planes, mortar systems, and Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided missile systems into the training for the IA to use as enablers.
Iraqi Army captures entire insurgent cell
MNF Press Release
TIKRIT Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division captured an entire insurgent cell during a series of raids Monday morning in Mosul.
Local civilians provided tips and other investigative resources were used to identify the houses of three possible terrorists. Once the IA troops entered and cleared the houses, four males were detained and questioned about their involvement in insurgent activities. The four men then pointed the Soldiers to whom they believed to be their cell leader at another location.
Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr., 28, of New York, N.Y., died in Mosul, Iraq, on July 12 when he encountered enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Hernandez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers during this difficult time. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
High-ranking general takes trip to Interior
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
Gen. Richard Cody visited Fort Wainwright Army Post on Monday to be briefed on the surge of military construction taking place in Alaska and commend local communities for supporting the efforts of soldiers and their families.
As the vice chief of staff of the Army, Cody serves as the principal advisor and assistant to the Army's top officer, the chief of staff of the Army. He is a key participant in deciding how money is divided among the Army's units and in repositioning them from one location to another.
Wheelchairs for Kids 1-17 Delivers
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speach
MADUSH, Iraq (June 27, 2006) --Having a handicap child that is not able to walk is hard on any family even with the right equipment. Many families in Iraq do not even have wheelchairs for their children.
A man who was referred to by just Hamid brought his three children into the Primary Health Center Homadt in Badush, Iraq to receive wheelchairs from U.S. Forces.
Center Prepares for Reconstruction and Expansion
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speech
Mosul, Iraq (June 29, 2006) -- The women of the United States appreciate and understand what freedom is and the struggles involved to gain equality. The women of Iraq have embarked on that same journey for freedom and equal rights.
In a combined effort the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion have started the reconstruction of the Womens Center in Mosul, Iraq.
Mosul Olympic Committee Reopens Pool
Written by 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (June 30, 2006) --On June 26, Iraqi officials held a grand opening ceremony for the public sports complex in Mosul, Iraq.
The complex located just outside Forward Operating Base Diamondback, was recently refurbished using funds from the commanders emergency response program. A major part of the rehabilitation of the complex was to reopen two in-ground pools that had been negated and in need of many repairs.
Combat Medic Is Awarded for Heroic Efforts
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell
MOSUL, Iraq (June 25, 2006) A medic from the 172nd Brigade Support Medical Company, received an Army Commendation Medal with valor June 25, for actions taken on April 6.
Private 1st Class Ariel Kimble, medic, BMSC,172nd BSB, native to Bixby, Ok., was awarded the ARCOM with valor by Col. Michael Shields, brigade commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Watching Mosul From Above
Written by Sgt. Ryan Matson
Flying over the skies of Mosul, Iraq, just a few hundred feet above the ground, are the pilots of 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment. They fly day and night, looking for suspicious activity, and working in direct support of their infantry counterparts patrolling the city on the ground, the 172nd Stryker Brigade.
The "Dragon" Battalion is an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopter battalion from the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., which has been attached to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in support of Task Force Band of Brothers, the task force patrolling Northern Iraq. While the remainder of the 10th Mountain Division went to Afghanistan, 1-10 Attack has been assigned where its Kiowa Warrior assets can be utilized best, patrolling the city streets of Mosul.
Tech Loves History, and Makes It, Too
Written by Spc. Rich Vogt
TAL AFAR, Iraq (June 20, 2006) -- Specialist Jeremiah Zumsteg was not sure what he was getting into when he joined the Army. Most of his family had gone into the Air Force. He had no way of knowing that he would carve out a spot in history for himself and make a lifetimes worth of memories in one year in the middle east.
A native of Modesto, Ca., Zumsteg had all of the paper work filled out in order for him to join the Air Force but joined the Army instead. He is a dental technician with the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, a unit that is part of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
SGT Bryan C. Luckey
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Bryan C. Luckey, 25, of Tampa, Fla., died on June 29, in Mosul, Iraq, when he was shot by enemy forces while on mounted patrol. Luckey was assigned to the 562nd Engineer Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers during this difficult time. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Mosul Womens Center gets facelift
TFBOB Press Release
Staff Sgt. Brian Speech
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Mosul, Iraq -- The women of the United States appreciate and understand the struggles of their mothers and sisters before them to gain equality. The women of Iraq have embarked on that same journey for freedom and equal rights.
Their first step on that journey is to rebuild a womens center in Mosul, Iraq, which will be a combined effort of the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion.
Anan Lbraham-Al Qado, the head of the Iraqi Womens Center, and Kawthar Mustafa, the elected chief of Ninevah Provincial Council Committee of Human Rights, have laid out the needs for the facility.
JAG Officer Visits Iraqi Court
Written by Spc. Rich Vogt
SINJAR, Iraq (June 14, 2006) -- A JAG officers job is never done. Capt. Annemarie Drazenovich, a brigade judge advocate with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is getting ready to end her deployment but is still working on projects that will continue after she has left the Middle East.
We provide full-spectrum legal support to the brigade, she said while on a trip to remote Sinjar Province in order to assess a courthouse there. From assessing courthouses to helping individual Soldiers with legal matters, we are here to help.
US Soldiers Vs Turks A Soccer Stress Relief
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (June 18, 2006) --Captain Gabriel Scheinbaum, executive officer, 577th Military Intelligence Company, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, challenged Capt. Moises Soto, 1Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, Force Protection on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq to a soccer game to boost Soldier and civilian morale.
The soccer game featured the power house Soldiers of the United States going head to head against the formidable Turkish civilian team.
Iraqi police taking charge in north
TFBOB Press Release
TIKRIT, Iraq -- Iraqi police in northern Iraq are stepping up and taking control of the city streets with increased training, new equipment and new facilities.
Iraqi police from the Al Tahadi IP station were trained in riot and crowd control by Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment in Tal Afar June 19-22.
Mosul sports complex renovated
TFBOB Press Release
MOSUL, Iraq Local Iraqi workers completed construction on two in-ground swimming pools and a sports facility Monday in Mosul, just in time for the hottest months of the year.
The Mosul Olympic Committee, in conjunction with the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, arranged for local contractors to make the repairs last month to promote sports among Iraqi children.
The sports complex includes a gymnasium and outdoor stadium, which were repainted and repaired. The pools are open to the public for a fee of 15 cents per swimmer, much cheaper than any other public pool in Mosul.
Task Force Band of Brothers Soldier dies
Link to Press Release
MULTI-NATIONAL CORPS IRAQ
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, CAMP VICTORY
JUNE 30, 2006
TIKRIT, Iraq -A Soldier from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team died Thursday from small arms fire in Mosul.
The deceased Soldiers name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
Basic Medical Care for Iraqi Citizens
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speach
MOSULl, Iraq (June 26, 2006) --As Coalition Forces help rebuild Iraq, basic medical care, and medical supplies for Iraqi people is still an on-going concern. 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Striker Brigade Combat Team addresses this issue on a regular basis.
Helping the Iraqi people take care of basic medical issues is a concern for coalition forces to help stop the spread of disease and to get residents to understand that being healthy is important.
Task Force No Mercy
Written by Sgt. Ryan Matson and Sgt. Joseph Scott
TALLAFAR, IRAQ -- This is an incredible team we have up here, Maj. David Kramer, 1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade Executive Officer said.
Kramer was referring to Task Force No Mercy, a task force comprised of elements from 10 companies and six different Army units throughout the world who have pooled together at Tall Afar to support the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Iraqi Improves Through One Solders Eyes
Written by Spc. Lindsay Holguin
MOSUL, Iraq (June 23, 2006) -- Not many Soldiers can say that they perceive themselves as being a mentor or tutor for the people of Iraq, but for one infantryman in the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, that is exactly how he describes his job.
Staff Sgt. Melvin A. Clark, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment and native of Minneapolis, Minn. has served in all phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Iraqi Army Takes More Area From U.S. Army
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Petiobone
MOSUL, Iraq (20 June, 2006) --Transfer of authority ceremonies are becoming common place in Mosul. This indicates a progression toward a more independent Iraq. 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division took command and control of more area of responsibilities from their U.S. counterparts, the 1st Bn., 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
The transition of authority took place at a soccer field near Forward Operating Base Marez.
Father Travels Great Lengths to Promote Son
By Capt. Patrick Shepherd, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
QAYYARAH WEST AIR BASE, Iraq (May 1, 2006) -- When a family is separated from their military children during a time of war, it usually takes months, or possibly years, for a father to see his son again. This holds true even throughout Iraq, where fathers and sons serve in the U.S. Armed Forces fighting the War on Terrorism during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Gov. Murkowski visits troops in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By ANNE SUTTON, The Associated Press
JUNEAU -- Gov. Frank Murkowski spent two days this week in Iraq, where he had lunch with Alaska troops in Mosul, spent the night at a palace of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in Baghdad and spoke with Iraqi vice president Tariq al-Hashimi about the Alaska Permanent Fund.
Speaking by telephone from Kuwait on Wednesday, Murkowski said he'd met with the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Mosul as well as members of the 423rd Infantry from Fort Richardson while in Kuwait.
Playing for Bragging Rights
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (19 June 2006) --Before the game started, player on both sides were talking trash about who would win the final volleyball match featuring Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment against 1st Bn., 17th Inf. Rgt., of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
This isnt the first time these to teams have met in a final match. This is the fourth time in a row that each team has met with 2n battalion coming out victorious each time.
First wave of Strykers returns
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
When Melissa Harmon asked her husband by phone last week if there was anything special he wanted when he returned from a year in Iraq, he had one request.
"The only thing he said is there better be a 12-pack of Killian's in the fridge," she said.
By Tuesday morning, the beer was chilling, the house was clean and Melissa and her 5-year-old son, Gavynn, had nothing to do but wait. Melissa hadn't told Gavynn his dad was coming home later that night.
And at 11 p.m., Staff Sgt. Craig Harmon, along with 178 members of the advance party of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team arrived in Fairbanks after nearly 12 months in the Middle East and the largest deployment of Alaska-based forces since Vietnam.
Soldiers hold own Midnight Sun Run
Link to Full Article
Daily News-Miner
About 50 U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Wainwright weren't about to let the Iraqi heat or their deployment prevent them from participating in the Midnight Sun Run.
So members of the 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery with the 172 Stryker Brigade Combat Team held their own 10 kilometer event early Friday morning in northern Iraq where it is deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Soldiers scheduled to return tonight
The first 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team soldiers deployed to Iraq are expected to return tonight from Iraq.
The advance party of 150 to 200 soldiers is scheduled to arrive at Eielson Air Force Base late tonight and then be bused to Fort Wainwright Army Post around midnight to meet family members, although U.S. Army Alaska officials warn that travel plans for returning groups of soldiers can be unpredictable. The soldiers were slated to return last week but were delayed and it's possible travel plans could change again before this evening.
The advance team is the first of the soldiers from the brigade to return, assigned to take care of administration tasks and other duties in anticipation of the return of the rest of the soldiers. ...
U.S. Army and Mosul Regional Security Council Continue to Meet
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone
MOSUL, Iraq (June 15, 2006) -- U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Kelly, commander, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Wainwright, Alaska and representatives from the Iraqi police, the Iraqi army, the Mosul director of municipalities and the Mosul Islamic Party held another on-going Regional Security Council meeting at the Mosul Social Club to discuss security and municipal concerns.
Iraqi Col. Tahha, new commander of 2nd Brigade, IA, addressed concerns of security and how there needs to be more cooperation from the Muktars, Sheiks and civilians in the city.
Run takes on a global flavor
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
The Midnight Sun Run has many fans, participants who have run the race each of its 24 years, people who come in costume or with family and friends. Groups like the students with Rural Alaska Honors Institute take part each year, as does a field artillery unit from Fort Wainwright, even if they're halfway around the world.
More than 3,000 participants were signed up by race time Saturday night, from more than 30 states. But this year the race also drew some international visitors along with the regulars.
172nd Photo Galleries
DVIDS has two new photo albums featuring the 172nd SBCT.
Presence Patrol in Mosul (Part One)
Presence Patrol in Mosul (Part Two)
Thanks to Murdoc for the links.
Legionaries Honor a Warrior
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
MOSUL, Iraq (June 12, 2006) --A fallen comrade is honored during a memorial ceremony held at the community activity center on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq June 12.
Soldiers and friends of 3rd Platoon, Charlie company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team gathered to praise 2nd Lt. John Vaughan who lost his life while on a combat patrol with his platoon.
25 Months, Can You Believe It?"
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (June 9, 2006) --Being in a combat zone for a year is a long time for anyone, Soldier or civilian. Imagine being there for 25 months.
One such civilian has done just that. She is in her 25th month and has not regretted one moment
Michelle McKinney works as a coordinator for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center on Logistical Staging Area Diamondback located in Mosul, Iraq. McKinney is a native of Jacksonville, Fl., and has spent the last two plus years serving Soldiers at the recreation center.
Soldiers' return delayed
Families of returning members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will have to keep the "Welcome Home" banners rolled up for a few more days. The homecoming of the first wave of returning soldiers has been put off until June 20.
About 170 soldiers in the 172nd's advance team, which left Fort Wainwright a year ago ahead of the main brigade, originally were expected to arrive late Tuesday night at Eielson Air Force Base and be bused to Fort Wainwright to meet family members.
The main force will return in 11 flights beginning in late July and running through early August....
First Stryker soldiers returning
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
The first 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team soldiers deployed to Iraq are expected to return tonight from Iraq.
The advanced party of 150 to 200 soldiers is scheduled to arrive at Eielson Air Force Base late tonight and then be bused to Fort Wainwright Army Post around midnight to meet family members, although U.S. Army Alaska officials warn that travel plans for returning groups of soldiers can be unpredictable....
2LT John Shaw Vaughan
Family members have confirmed the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2LT John S. Vaughan, 23, of Edwards, Colo., died in Mosul, Iraq, on June 7, when he encountered enemy small arms fire during dismounted combat operations. Vaughan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers during this difficult time. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
U.S. soldiers in Tal Afar
Stars & Stripes has a Photo Series featuring soldiers from 4-23 INF, 172nd SBCT in Tal Afar, Iraq.
Army Non-Commissioned Officer Leads by Example
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno-Leon
MOSUL, Iraq (5 June, 2006) -- Being an infantry battalion squad leader can be challenging. It takes dedication and responsibility to lead Soldiers. It is a responsiblity that Staff Sgt. Jose Luis Cruz from Comerio, Puerto Rico takes seriously.
Cruz, a weapons squad leader with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, has been a squad leader for more than a year and a weapons squad leader for about three months.
14th Cavalry Remembers Thunder Horse Soldier
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone
MOSUL, Iraq (5 June, 2006) -- In the Community Affairs Center on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, Soldiers of Troop D, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and civilians gathered to pay their last respects to fellow-Soldier, Benjamin E. Mejia.
Mejia served as an Unmanned Ariel Vehicle operator for the 172nd. He was a critical member of the Dark Horse surveillance team, said Lt. Col. Mark A. Freitag, commander, 14th Cav. This UAV team has new Soldiers, new equipment, new tactics and most importantly, new opportunities. As a UAV pilot, Sgt. Mejia was part of a great team. Day in and day out he flew missions in support of this brigade.
IP Re-open Station in Mosul
Written by 101st Airborne Division (AA) PAO
MOSUL, Iraq A ribbon cutting ceremony was held by Iraqi police to re-open their northeast police station in Mosul June 4.
The station had been closed since 2003 because of numerous anti-Iraqi forces attacks that originally caused the IPs to abandon it.
The original station had been so badly attacked that the local IPs had to move down the street to an outpost, while the original station was rebuilt.
The opening ceremony marked a re-opening of a police station that was once destroyed and now fully manned with police officers whove come back to work, said 1st Lt. Michael McCasland, battalion assistant effects coordinator, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who attended to ceremony.
Iraqi Police Receive Medical Training
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
QAIRAWAN, Iraq (June 3, 2006) -- During the month of May, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team conducted medical training for Iraqi police officers in Qirawan, Iraq.
The purpose of the training was to increase or refresh the basic medical knowledge of local Iraqi policemen. This knowledge and training will enable the IPs to treat their own casualties and increases their survivability in the fight against the insurgency.
4-23 INF Photos
Kathy had added a number of new photo albums to her site, which is dedicated to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 172nd. Be sure to stop by if you have loved ones with "The Arctic Wolves".
Brigadier General Muthafer Receives the Order of Saint Maurice
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speach, 138th Mobile Public Affairs
Dahuk, Iraq, (May 30, 2006) Brigadier General Muthafer Tahir Al-Morori received the Order of Saint Maurice during a ceremony in Dahuk, Iraq, May 30.
Muthafer has been instrumental in the war on terrorism in Northern Iraq as the commander Iraqi Armys Fourth Brigade.
Muthafer is retiring from the IA with several years of service, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team wanted to honor him for his dedication to democracy.
3-1/2 IA Take the Lead in Western Ninewah
Written by 101st Airborne Division (AA) PAO
MOSUL, Iraq In a ceremony held June 1 at the 3rd Iraqi Army Division Headquarters in Al Kisik, 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army assumed command from 4th Bn., 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Bde. Combat Team over areas in western Ninewah.
This event marked a pivotal moment in the security of Iraq as this IA battalion joins two others in western Ninewah in taking complete control of their own area of operation.
After demonstrating their ability to plan and execute complex missions independently, they were more than ready to assume the mission.
This battalion is now fully responsible for counterinsurgency operations within their area of operation and for the safety and security of the Iraqi people.
Task Force 2-1 Remembers Fallen Combat Medic
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steve Petibone
MOSUL, Iraq (June 3, 2006) -- In the Community Affairs Center at Forward Operating Base Marezs, Mosul, Iraq, Soldiers of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat team, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company Medical Platoon, and civilians gathered to pay their last respects to Cpl. Jeremy M. Loveless, combat medic, HHC Med. Plt.
We all claimed Jeremy as our Doc, said Lt. Col. Charles Webster, commander, Task Force 2-1. The loss of a medic is not supposed to happen. Medics save lives
We Need the Basic Necessities
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
QARA QOSH, IRAQ (May 31, 2006) -- Having the basic necessities in life like water and electricity are important to all people, no matter where you live in the world.
If you live in Qara Qosh, Iraq, having the basic necessities is limited, and there are many needs to satisfy.
That is where the U.S. Army comes in, Soldiers of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, along with the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, recently completed a village assessment to find out exactly what the village needs.
Eye Protection Is a Must for Missions
Written by Sgt. 1st Class Steve Petibone, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, IRAQ (May, 31 2006) -- Soldiers count on a lot if items for their protection, but none as valuable as a good set of eyes. For 1st Lt. Anthony Aguilar, platoon leader, Company C, Task Force 2-1, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, this became a matter of life or death while on a routine combat patrol last February.
As his company was moving through Mosul, an unusually large Improvised Explosive Device detonated, sending a bomb-fragment that struck his glasses and knocked them off his face.
U.S. Army soldier reflects on stepson's death
Link to Full Article
By Spc. Rick Phelps, U.S. Army
CAMP SLAYER, Iraq
Fewer than seven months after a sniper ended his stepson's life, Spc. Timothy VanDruff of Rossville and formerly of Tonganoxie, who is currently deployed to Iraq with 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, attached to Multi-National Division -- Baghdad, opened up about his son's life and death and maintaining focus while in the country where his son paid the ultimate price.
October 19, 2005, is a day VanDruff says he will never forget.
SGT Benjamin E. Mejia
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Benjamin E. Mejia, 25, of Salem, Mass., died in Marez, Iraq, on May 31, of non-combat related causes. Mejia was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones he leaves behind. We will add any articles we find to this entry.
Spc. Jeremy M. Loveless
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Jeremy M. Loveless, 25, of Estacada, Ore., died in Mosul, Iraq on May 29, when his Stryker came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Loveless was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Forward Operating Base Courage Prepares for Closure
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speach, 138th Mobile Public Affairs
Mosul, Iraq, (May 27, 2006) - Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq is in the final steps of returning the FOB to the Iraqi people. Soon it will be a command center for the Iraqi army and Iraqi police in northern Iraq.
Coalition forces are being repositioned through out Iraq. Their services and skills are now needed in other regions as the mission at FOB Courage is almost complete.
Cooking Up Mission Success
Written by Spc. Rich Vogt, 138 MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (May 26, 2006) -- Deployments bring uncertainty. Being in the Army means being adaptable. The Soldiers in Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion know this.
They were trained as cooks but have found themselves navigating Mosuls streets in armored Humvees and scanning from behind a .50 caliber machine gun. None of them are complaining.
Soldiers Looking Out for Soldiers
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 25, 2006) -- Keeping Soldiers and civilians safe on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq is a 24 hour job that requires Soldiers to be alert at all times.
At any moment, day or night, insurgents may try to get on the FOB looking to harm Coalition members.
Getting Supplies to the Home Base
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (27 May 2006) --Soldiers working together to ensure one unit receives the supplies it needs is one way to accomplish a mission.
Supply Sergeants from different units on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, go out their way to provide the 4th Squadron, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment based in Rawah the equipment they need to function on a daily basis.
Iraqi Army Conducts Independent Cordon and Search
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (May 20, 2006) -- Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division conducted a cordon and search in two target areas in Northwestern Mosul, Iraq May 20.
]The search was a sequel to a successful mission earlier this month. A Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team was there at the search site to act as a quick reaction force and to secure the outer cordon of the search.
For families, veterans, every day is Memorial Day
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
Fairbanksans will observe Memorial Day in different ways Monday. Some will attend services and ceremonies honoring fallen service members. Others will stand silently at the Alaska Moving Wall Project at Veterans Park, listening as the names of those who died in Vietnam are read. Others have nothing in particular planned, because for some, every day is Memorial Day.
Kelly Frantz is taking part in a ceremony in Topeka, Kan., to honor Kansas soldiers who have died in Iraq, including her husband, Spc. Lucas Frantz, 22, from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Then she will visit her husband's grave. But Monday won't really differ from any other day since Lucas died Oct. 18.
On the Stand to Put Terrorists Behind Bars
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 21, 2006) -- Finding and capturing terrorists is hard. Putting them in jail for the crimes they commit is even harder.
The testimony of two Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, put two terrorists behind bars for several years.
138th MPAD Receives Combat Patch
Written by Staff Sgt. Brian Speach, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (May 22, 2006) The 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq received the 172nd Striker Brigade Combat Team unit patch to wear as its shoulder sleeve insignia for wartime service.
The 138th MPAD was deployed to Mosul, Iraq in November 2005. Their mission is to provide the 101st Airborne Division and its subordinate units press coverage of their missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
DCU to ACU
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, IRAQ (May 21, 2006) -- As you walk the streets of Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq, you see fewer Soldiers wearing desert camouflage uniforms. Most Soldiers are wearing the Army Combat Uniform.
On June 14, 2004, the 229th birthday of the United States Army, the Army Combat Uniform was first introduced.
FOB Courage MWR, Mission Complete
Written by Staff Sgt. Steve Duga, 138th Mobile Public Affairs
MOSUL, Iraq (May 15, 2006) -- As Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq closes, so does the Morale Welfare and Recreation facility that provided Soldiers a place to relax and a place to exercise.
Later this summer FOB Courage will transfer from Coalition authority back into the hands of the Iraqi people.
Restoring FOB Courage for Closure
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (May 11, 2006) -- Infantry Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are restoring the main palace on Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq in preparation to hand it back over to the Iraqi people later this summer.
From Squad Automatic Weapon gunners, to rifleman, to grenadiers, these Soldiers have been pulled from their jobs in the Infantry to complete the task of restoring the grounds on the FOB. Their main focus for now is tearing down all the offices and cubicles to restore the inside of the main palace.
Soldiers Find Different Ways to Relieve Stress in a Combat Zone
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon, 138th MPAD
MOSUL Iraq (May 12, 2006)--Being away from family and dealing with daily threats they may encounter while patrolling the streets, Soldiers need to find alternative ways to relieve stress on Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq.
The daily routine of Soldiers dealing with insurgents and improvised explosive devices can cause undue stress.
Soldier Dreams of Quest
Link to Article (Photos included)
Spc. Tiffany Evans, 20th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT WAINWRIGHT Sgt. Matt Thompson dreams of being the first active duty Soldier to participate in the Yukon Quest.
Thompson is a medic with the 172nd Brigade Support Medical Company, part of the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion and is currently deployed to Iraq.
Memorial Day a chance to remember troops' sacrifices
Link to Full Article
By MICHELLE CUTHRELL, Daily News-Miner
Over the years, Memorial Day weekend has meant many things to me.
As a kid, it marked the absolute coolest event in the world of children's outdoor activities--the unveiling of the community pool. And then when I got a little bit older, it signaled the opening of the sweetest place in 16-year-old dating land--the drive-in movie theater. In college, it denoted the day I busted out my favorite white platform shoes, and in my young professional life, it designated the day I tore the cover off the grill.
But in all those years, Memorial Day never really meant any kind of memorializing for me. That is, until now.
Soldier honored for courage, generosity
Link to Full Article
By STEFAN MILKOWSKI , Staff Writer
A soldier who rescued wounded soldiers during a deadly raid last year in Mosul, Iraq, was honored Tuesday during a memorial service on Fort Wainwright Army Post.
Guests at the service described Staff Sgt. Mark Wall as a warrior and leader who cared deeply for his troops and gave generously to the Iraqis where he was stationed.
Alaskans' Iraq tour passes midpoint
Link to Full Article
By TATABOLINE BRANT, Anchorage Daily News
The largest Alaska-based Army unit since Vietnam to spend time in a war zone is more than halfway through its yearlong hitch in Iraq and the commander said in a telephone interview that his troops have helped train thousands of Iraqi security forces to fight their own battles.
The 3,800-person 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team arrived in Iraq from posts in Anchorage and Fairbanks in early September. The troops are stationed in and around Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities; in the Tigris River Valley near Quyarra; in the Euphrates River Valley near Rawah, and in the Dahuk and Irbil provinces in Iraq Kurdistan.
SPC Aaron P. Latimer
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Aaron P. Latimer, 26, of Ennis, Texas, died in Mosul, Iraq, on May 9. Latimer was assigned to the 562nd Engineer Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Congressional Delegation Visits Mosul
Written by 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq Congressional representatives from Washington made a brief visit to Logistical Staging Area Diamondback to check on morale of Soldiers May 7.
The representatives are on a five day tour visiting five countries and wanted to take the opportunity to meet face to face with Soldiers.
First In The Door
[...] 22-year-old Private First Class Ryan Krumblis, whose family lives in Tyler, has been there serving in Iraq since last year. He is often the first in the door when homes are raided, and insurgents rooted out. He is back in Iraq now, but on a two-week leave late last month, he spoke with KLTV 7's Morgan Palmer, and gives us a look through pictures and video of his life at war.
Iraqi Army Ready to Roll With Loaner Humvees
By U.S. Army Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq, May 9, 2006 Iraqi Security Forces received armored humvees from coalition forces in April 2006 on Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq.
The vehicles are on loan to the security forces to help them succeed at their mission and to build the confidence of their soldiers to effectively patrol the streets of Mosul.
Honoring a Hero, a Friend
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (May 3, 2006) -- Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team gathered at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq on May 3rd to honor a hero and friend at his memorial service.
Staff Sgt. Mark Wall, 2nd Platoon, Co. C, 2nd Bn., 1st Inf. Rgt., 172nd SBCT recently passed away on FOB Marez due to natural causes.
Photo Special - Support Soldiers Keep Stryker Brigade Going
The 172nd BSB is featured in this photo special, courtesy of USARAK.
Photos by Tech. Sgt. John M. Foster, U.S. Air Force
Iraq Update
Here is the latest Iraq Update from USARAK, posted on the Alaska e-post web site.
Diablos Soldier Remembered
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team gathered to remember a fellow Soldier at a memorial service held at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul Iraq.
Specialist Raymond Henry, Co. C, 1st Bn., 17th Inf. Rg, 172nd SBCT died from injuries he received while on patrol with his unit April 25.
3-2/2 IA Scorpions Take the Lead
Written by 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq In a ceremony held Apr. 27 at the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade Iraqi Army Headquarters in Hammam Al-Alil, 3rd Bn., 2nd Bde., 2nd Iraqi Army Scorpions assumed command from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team over the battle space in the western Tigris River valley and Hammam Al-Alil areas.
Col. Hajji, commander, 3rd Bn., 2nd Bde. and Lt Col. John G. Norris, commander, 4th Bn., 23rd Inf. Rgt., 172nd SBCT conducted the ceremonial transfer of authority for the battle space; signifying a new beginning under the autonomous Iraqi leadership.
This transfer of authority ceremony marks the official assumption of battle space from Coalition Forces; representing yet another benchmark for the independence of the Iraqi government and its military forces.
(via DVIDS)
Soldier-run PX Provides Fond Memories
Written by Staff Sgt. Steve Duga, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - As the transfer of authority for Forward Operating Base Courage is in the final stages, so is the closing of an era. The Soldier-run Post Exchange (PX) there has provided items for Soldiers during the evolution of the base.
Going to the PX is like traveling back in time to the old west. That is how it feels when you roll up on the western-style strip building that houses the PX. You will not find any horses tied up to the wooden railings out front. Instead, you will see Strykers, Suburbans, and Humvees.
Iraqi Army Combat Engineers and Bomb Disposal
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - The Iraqi Army bomb disposal and combat engineers validated their explosive skills with help from U.S. forces, at the Al Kindi training facility in Mosul, Iraq.
U.S. forces worked with IABD and combat engineer leadership to validate all the skills necessary to fight the insurgency. Iraqi Army bomb disposal and combat engineers showed there skills in electrical detonation systems.
Iraqi Army NCOs Train Their Privates
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Iraq Army non-commissioned officers from 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division are training for the future of the Iraq Army at Al Kindi.
Iraq Army privates are attending a seven days training course designed to sharpen the fighting skills in long distance shooting, close quarters shooting, and shooting under pressure.
Purple Heart Recipient Gives Credit to Individual Body Armor
Written by Staff Sgt. Steve Duga, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Being shot is one thing. Having your Individual Body Armor work effectively while on your first patrol outside Forward Operating Base Courage in Mosul, Iraq is another experience within itself.
While on a day mission in the city, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172 Stryker Brigade Combat Team was engaged by sniper fire while traveling in their Strykers.
SSG Mark A. Wall
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wall, 27, of Alden, Iowa, died in Mosul, Iraq, on April 27, from a non-combat related cause. Wall was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
The incident is under investigation. 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.
Anti-Iraqi Forces camera crew busted
MNF Press Release
TIKRIT, Iraq Heads up patrolling and attention to detail aided 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team troops in capturing a pair of anti-Iraqi Forces cameramen in Mosul April 28.
The troops noticed the two men video taping their convoy as they conducted a security patrol in the city. As soon as the Soldiers began to move towards the camera crew, the two individuals scrambled in an attempt to flee. Effective maneuvering allowed the troops to box in the men without incident.
172nd Keeps the Flow Safe and Reliable
Written by Spc. Richard Vogt. 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Capt. Ainico Martinez of the Brigade Support Medical Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team wants to make sure that Iraqis have clean drinking water.
He and his team visited the water pump station in Bartalah April 21 to see if any upgrades can be made to the facility and if it has any force protection vulnerabilities.
Iraqi Army Gets Ready to Roll
Written by Spc. Yolanda Moreno Leon, 138th MPAD
MOSUL Iraq - Iraqi Security Forces received armored Humvees from Coalition Forces in April 2006 on Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq.
The vehicles are on loan to the ISF to help them succeed at their mission and to build the confidence of their Soldiers to effectively patrol the streets of Mosul.
Iraqi Police Learn House Clearing Techniques
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
MOSUL, Iraq - Iraqi police officers learned the basics of searching and clearing houses on Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq from Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The IP who will be patrolling the streets of Mosul are first-line security and most likely the first to search for anti-Iraqi forces and squash crime.
Keeping in Touch With Loved Ones
Written by Staff Sgt. Steve Duga, 138th MPAD
For Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Courage in Mosul, Iraq, it is not always easy to find ways to keep in touch with loved ones.
Being thousands of miles away from home is hard enough, which is why many Soldiers make keeping in touch with loved ones back home their second most important mission while serving here in Iraq.
Stryker Maintenance in Mosul
Written by Staff Sgt. Steve Duga, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (April 21, 2006) Stryker maintenance at Forward Operating Base Courage in Mosul, Iraq is more than just a common, everyday occurrence because of the rugged terrain and high optempo.
In an open-air Stryker motor pool with only a tin roof canopy to shield the mechanics from the Iraq sun, Pfc. Michael Wilson, a Stryker mechanic, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and native of Covington, Ga., works to keep Strykers running.
Leishmaniasis and Soldiers in Mosul
Written by Staff Sgt. Steve Duga, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Leishmaniasis, a sand fly parasite that could have drastic effects on Soldiers at the Forward Operating Bases in the Mosul, Iraq region, but can be prevented with proper procedures prescribed by local Medcoms.
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the protozoa of the leishmania species, which is transmitted by the bite of a female sand fly.
Pfc. Raymond L. Henry
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Raymond L. Henry, 21, of Anaheim, Calif, died on April 25 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Henry was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry.
Iraqi Security Forces Learn Basic Marksmanship
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team started teaching the Iraqi Basic and Advanced Marksmanship Course at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq.
The seven day class educates Iraqi Security Forces on marksmanship fundamentals so they have more confidence and continue their mission with little support from U.S. forces.
Stryker soldier killed
Link to Full Article
By CHRIS TALBOTT, Staff Writer
A roadside bomb killed a U.S. Army soldier based at the Fort Wainwright Army Post during a patrol in Iraq, according to the military.
The soldier was a member of the 172nd Stryker Combat Team, but his name and unit were withheld and won't be released until this afternoon.
Documenting Deployment
Written by Spc. L.C. Campbell, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Soldiers deployed to Mosul, Iraq are documenting their deployment through the use of digital cameras on Forward Operating Base Courage.
Capt. Joe Vanty, Platoon leader, Company C, 2nd Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, has discovered the importance of documenting his deployment.
Schneider: Mom, Sparrow help troops in Iraq keep cool
Link to Full Article
By John Schneider, Lansing State Journal
The temperature in Rawah, Iraq, routinely climbs past 120 degrees these days.
Add another 30 or 40 degrees to the interior of Sgt. Larry VanderMolen's Stryker, a tank-like battle vehicle.
It's no wonder VanderMolen sent his mother, Julie Innes of Owosso, this urgent plea last week:
Army says policy changes help military, families
Link to Full Article
JOHN MILBURN, Associated Press
FORT RILEY, Kan. - Joseph Powers was a typical Army brat. Born at Fort Knox in Kentucky, he moved as his father transferred from post to post in Georgia and the Carolinas until, he says, he covered most of the South.
Such constant address changes are well-known for taking a toll on soldiers and their families.
Now 37, Powers is a first sergeant, a medic with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry and a potential symbol of a new Army policy aimed at allowing Powers and soldiers with families to focus on moving troops and equipment for air assaults instead of loading furniture into the back of a rental truck.
172nd SBCT: the Professional Soldiers
Written by Maj. David Albano, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (Apr. 18, 2006) - Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are currently distinguishing themselves as part of Americas premier fighting force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Colonel Michael Shields, Commander of this elite unit is a no-nonsense soldier who lives the warrior ethos and demands the same of his soldiers. He has proven that the brigade motto Strike first, strike hard doesnt always mean by force. His soldiers know how to use force, when to use it, and the appropriate proportion of force that the situation calls for.
Public Affairs Warrior
Written by Maj. David Albano, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (Mar 29, 2006) - After a twenty minute-wait at Forward Operating Base Courage, Strykers pull up and Staff Sgt. Eric Shadowens, broadcast journalist, 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment climbs inside and wedges himself between eight other Soldiers.
The door closes and someone turns on the music box. The angry music of Rage Against the Machine blares and the Soldiers heads bob up and down in rhythm to the music.
Iraq Update
USARAK provides us several stories, with photos, of the 172nd SBCT in Iraq, in this Alaska e-post Iraq Update.
Gators Say Farewell to Soldier
By Army Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq, (April 11, 2006) - Soldiers of 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, remembered Spc. Dustin Harris at a service on Apr. 11, at Forward Operating Base Marez.
Spc. Harris lost his life when an improvised explosive device hit his convoy.
You have greatly made the ultimate sacrifice, and in my heart and mind there is no greater honor, said Capt. Matthew Arbogast, company commander, 172d BSB. You gave your life protecting your friends and serving your country, everyone here is proud of you and eternally grateful.
The two soldiers of Banbury Lane
Link to Full Article
By Christine Morente, STAFF WRITER
MILLBRAE On a quiet block of Banbury Lane, Donna Grogan sits filled with anxiety as her husband, Mike, awaits deployment to Iraq.
Across the street, Kari Macaulay is full of joy and relief as she welcomes home her oldest son, Kurt, a young soldier on a fortnight leave from Mosul, Iraq.
Weapons cache discovered in Mosul
(TF BOB Press Release)
MOSUL, Iraq Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers discovered a large cache of weapons and IED making materials Thursday morning in Mosul based off a tip from a local citizen.
Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade seized more than 70 rocket-propelled grenade warheads, 26 mortar shells, more than 20 grenades, seven sniper rifles with scopes, and several thousand rounds of AK-47 ammunition.
The Soldiers also found 10 pounds of plastic explosive, detonation cord and various other components for constructing IEDs.
The confiscated items were transported to a secure location for disposal.
SPC Kenneth D. Hess
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Kenneth D. Hess, 26, of Asheville, N.C., died in Rawah, Iraq on April 11, as the result of a suicide bomber attack while Hess was conducting a dismounted patrol. Hess was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends he leaves behind. This entry will remain at the top of the page today - scroll down for recent news.
Spc. Shawn R. Creighton
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Shawn R. Creighton, 21, of Windsor, N.C., died in Rawah, Iraq on April 8, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker vehicle during patrol operations. Creighton was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We'd like to offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and fellow soldiers. We will include any future articles in this entry.
Army major reaches out from Iraq
Link to Full Article
By J.E. Espino, Post-Crescent
TOWN OF MENASHA At the McNamee home, tuning to television news for the latest developments unfolding in Iraq is secondary.
Because for real-time news and personal briefings, Lori McNamee and her two girls, Nikki, 11, and Liz, 7, can either exchange e-mails or do Instant Messaging and Webcam viewings with husband and dad, Maj. Dale McNamee.
Spc. Dustin J. Harris
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Dustin J. Harris, 21, of Bangor, Maine, died in Bayji, Iraq on April 6, when an improvised device detonated while he was conducting dismounted patrol operations. Harris was assigned to the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
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.
Maj. Sokoli Receives 172d SBCT Coin
By Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (April 2, 2006) - Col. Michael Shields, Commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team awards a Battalion coin to Maj. Sokoli and the Sixth Albanian Contingent for an outstanding job while deployed to Logistical Staging Area Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq.
The Sixth Contingent just finished a six month rotation that started in October and are handing over responsibility to the Seventh Contingent.
Army Sgt Spreads His Message From East to West
Written by Spc. Richard Vogt, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (March 22, 2006) -- Sgt. Eric Jackson, chaplains assistant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, has a passion for music.
He has a recording studio set up at Forward Operating Base Marez where he sings and writes his own music. He recently visited the town of Qara Qosh, Iraq, to advise the town on what style mixing board to buy.
Combined force rescues three hostages
TFBOB Press Release
TIKRIT, Iraq Iraqi Soldiers and police teamed up to rescue three Iraqi kidnap victims earlier today in Mosul.
A local citizens tip led Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, Iraqi police, and Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade to a house in Mosul. The combined force entered the house and found three local Iraqis chained to the wall of the basement. The joint force freed the hostages. No one was injured during the rescue.
Recent tips from Iraqi civilians have led to the discovery of kidnap victims, suspected terrorists, and weapons caches and have shown the increased trust and confidence in the security forces around northern Iraq.
In Iraq, US troops widen role as soldier-teacher
Link to Full Article
By Charles Levinson, The Christian Science Monitor
MOSUL, IRAQ Huddled around a map at an Iraqi Army base here, Iraqi and US officers hash out plans for an evening raid on the home of a suspected IED maker - the son of insurgent leader Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi's right-hand man, according to an informant.
The Iraqis are eager to lock, load, and get their target. They seem uninterested in planning. "We want to go now," says one Iraqi Army captain. "Or it will be too late."
Area soldier in surgery after shrapnel strike
Link to Full Article
By Paul Wood, The News-Gazette
A central Illinois soldier is in a hospital in Germany after a bomb went off near his head in Iraq on Tuesday.
Spc. Brock Siltman is undergoing surgery to remove shrapnel near his spine, an operation complicated by the wound's proximity to his jugular vein, said Joann Logsdon of Champaign, his great-aunt.
Line for Claims Starts Here
by Spc. Richard Vogt
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (March 27, 2006) -- Sometimes bad things happen in a combat zone. But when accidents happen, it is up to the Judge Advocate General team to make financial restitution.
What we do is pay out claims for property damage, destruction, injury, or death, said Spc. Felicia Mullins, paralegal, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Claims can be paid out of one of two funds. The Commanders Emergency Response Program fund is used for condolences.
Battle tested
Link to Full Article
By Jesse Harlan Alderman, Durango Herald
It was five minutes after midnight on April 6, 2003. In a matter of hours, allied forces would swarm Baghdad, Iraq, toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein. But Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Mestas had already arrived.
The Durango native's helmet was a virtual periscope atop the gun of an M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. He and the rest of Charley Company-115 Infantry were among the first American soldiers to reach the Iraqi capital, cutting through the city's northern ring faster than any other military unit.
Holding down the home fort
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
Any other year, Dave and Jan Reed would be spending the winter touring the Lower 48 in their RV, working for the National Parks Service as lighthouse tour guides or campground hosts. But this year, the Reeds are spending time in Fairbanks, tackling snow, cold and holding down the fort for their son and daughter-in-law while they are deployed to Iraq.
"It's the least we could do for these guys," Dave Reed said last week at their temporary home in the hills off Skyline Drive.
Medical Periodicals Delivered by 401st Civil Affairs
By Sgt. 1st Class Steve Petibone, 138th MPAD
In a sense of the word, the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion recycled magazines for the betterment of the planet, but more specifically, for the betterment of a small maternity and pediatric hospital in downtown Mosul.
Staff Sgt. Travis Stuart, team A leader and Staff Sgt. Brendan Willits, team B leader, 401st CA Bn, boarded Stryker combat vehicles belonging to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Alaska e-post
If you missed these stories previously posted on SBN, you can read them in this week's edition of USARAK's Alaska e-post:
Practice Makes Perfect for Artillery Soldiers
Hand-Made Dolls Say 'Aloha' to Iraqi Children
Artillery Troops Provide Safe Route for Mission
Link to Full Article with 2 Photos
Story, photos by Sgt. Rachel Brune
101st Sustainment Bde.
MAKHMUR DISTRICT, Iraq From the rooftop of the Sultan Abdullah water pumping station, fields of green stretch to the base of the Makhmur foothills.
Inside the station, noise from the pumps roared over the conversation as Tahseen Omar, Makhmur district water manager, and Maj. Andy Ingalsbe, A Company, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, discussed the scope of work needed on the districts water stations.
Team Chief Makes It Happen
Link to Article
By Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (6 Mar.2006) - Sgt. Faafetai Tufi, (left) ammo team chief, Battery C., 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery hands a bag of powder to another team member during a calibration fire exercise at Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq
The 11th FA tested ammunition for accuracy should they be called on for combat while stationed in Iraq.
U.S. Soldiers Unearth Thousands of Munitions
Link to Article
By Staff Sgt. Jim Goodwin
Public Affairs Chief, Regimental Combat Team-7
1st Marine Division
COMBAT OUTPOST RAWAH, Iraq - In this once insurgent-heavy region in northwestern Iraq, U.S. soldiers here have unearthed one of the largest weapons caches discovered to date by Coalition forces in Iraq.
More than 3,000 pieces of various types of munitions, ranging from mortar, artillery and tank rounds to anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, was discovered Feb. 19 by U.S. soldiers conducting a reconnaissance patrol near Al Quratiyah located along the Euphrates River about 220 miles northwest of Baghdad.
U.S. Pacific Commander Visits Mosul
Link to Article
by Spc. Lindsay Holguin
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (March 13, 2006) The Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral William J. Fallon made a visit to Forward Operating Base Marez on Mar. 13 to see the progress Iraqi Army Soldiers are making during their training here, and visit with Soldiers of the 172nd SBCT.
During his time in Mosul, he went to the compound where the IA Soldiers conducted their classes and training. At the firing range, he spoke to a group of IA Soldiers and provided them with some words of encouragement. They all gathered around him as he spoke.
Artillery Soldiers Survey New AO
Link to Article
By Sgt. Patricia Tso, 101st Sustainment Brigade
MAKHMUR DISTRICT, Iraq - The armored vehicles rolled across the open fields and left behind a trail of dust as Battery B, 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Soldiers viewed their new area of responsibility during a civil affairs mission conducted on March 3.
The artilleryman provided security with Iraqi Army troops as the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion conducted the mission.
Voices from Iraq: Stryker Brigade Spc. Thomas Evenson
Mosul is a large city with a population of over 3 million people. ... The Tigris River passes through its center, creating a natural separation for the diverse ethnic groups. ... The climate is surprisingly mild considering all the horror stories we heard about the heat. During the summer the temperature does get into the hundreds. ... Another surprise has been the amount of vegetation. Pine groves, fruit trees and other deciduous foliage provide some much needed shade from time to time. As you move away from the river the plant life diminishes into desert sand and rocks. ...
For the American soldier it really isn't that terrible, but at the same time it sucks. ... If you understand the last statement you have probably been deployed or sent somewhere away from your family and home to do a very challenging and stressful job.
Soldiers capture 16 insurgents near Mosul, IA finds cache
TFBOB Press Release
TIKRIT, Iraq Sixteen insurgents were detained in a raid conducted by 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers in Humera Friday after receiving a tip that directed them to a house full of insurgents and a cache of weapons.
The cache included 11 AK-47 assault rifles, 28 weapon magazines, ammunition, and IED making materiel.
All of the detainees tested positive for traces of explosive substances and were taken to the Mosul Detention Facility for further questioning.
Fallen Troop Leaves Inspiring Message
Link to Full Article
Sgt. Stephen C. Young
Fort Wainwright
Last Wednesday, March 8 at 2 p.m., I attended a memorial service for Spc. Joshua Pearce.
He was killed in late February when his Stryker Combat Vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device outside Mosul, Iraq. The memorial service was short about 30 minutes.
During those 30 minutes I was on a roller coaster of emotions.
Convoy Benefits Cavalry, Iraqis at Combat Outpost
Link to Full Article with Photo
This is another report of the 172nd BSB's re-supply mission to Combat Outpost Rawah, first posted on Mar. 13th.
138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq The 172nd Brigade Support Battalion conducted a re-supply convoy for the 4th Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment, at Combat Outpost Rawah, Mar. 7.
The 172nd drove 17 hours through the desert starting at Forward Operating Base Marez and ending at COP Rawah.
Iraqi Army Assumes Battle Space
Link to Article
by 138TH MOBILE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENT
MOSUL, Iraq - In a ceremony held March 16 at the Qara Qosh compound in Mosul, 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army assumed command from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team over the battle space in Southeastern Mosul.
During the ceremony, outgoing commander, Lt Col. John G. Norris, 4th Bn., 23rd Inf. Rgt., 172nd SBCT exchanged plaques with incoming commander, Col. Nooradin, 3rd Bn., 4th Bde., 2nd IA to signify the event.
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.
11th Field Artillery Calibrates Howitzers
Link to Article
Written by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (Mar. 6 2006) Battery C, 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery performed a series of artillery calibration fires from Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq Mar. 6.
The 11th FA conducted this mission to ensure accurate l fires for brigade operations.
172nd Re-supplies Rawah After Grueling Drive
Link to Article
Written by 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (Mar 7, 2006) The 172nd Brigade Support Battalion conducted a re-supply convoy for the 4th Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment at Combat Outpost Rawah, on Mar. 7.
The 172nd drove 17 hours through the Iraqi desert starting at Forward Operating Base Marez and ending at COP Rawah. The convoy consisted of security vehicles and approximately 20 Iraqi and Turkish dump trucks, which were delivering gravel to COP Rawah.
Voices from Iraq: Stryker brigade 1st Lt. Ben Tiernan
My sister began teaching in Iowa last year. When my unit, A Troop TF 2-1, first arrived and began visiting towns north of Mosul, it was clear that the children had very little of anything, both at home and at school. During these first couple of weeks and after the first couple of calls home, my sister's class began ... collecting toys they wished to give to Iraqi children.
Soon, the entire third grade of this small-town school joined in the effort. Time went by; eventually I was able to go on leave and visit the school. Sure enough, there were boxes filled with toys and school supplies sitting in the classroom. At the time it looked like a good contribution of a couple large boxes. Little did I know that when it was all said and done I would be receiving around 13 large boxes through the mail.
Walnut Creek soldier wounded in Iraq
Link to Full Article
By Scott Marshall, CONTRA COSTA TIMES
A Walnut Creek native has been seriously wounded in Iraq, his father said today.
Army 1st Sgt. Will Harlan, 36, assigned to the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Mosul in northern Iraq, was wounded in an explosion that ejected him from a Stryker armored vehicle and seriously injured his legs, said his father William Harlan.
Wainwright Soldiers Honored, Remembered
Link to two stories with photos
USARAK provides us with separate stories on the memorial services for Spc. Herried at Combat Outpost North, Iraq and for Spc. Pearce at FOB Marez.
Family Sees Soldier Through Recovery
Link to Full Article with Photo
Story, photo by Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
On the morning of Nov. 19, Shilo Lara received a phone call from Lt. Col. Charles Webster, commander, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment.
He told me that my husband was injured and in serious condition after being shot three times, in the head, jaw and arm, she said.
Shilo said Webster told her he felt like her husband was going to pull through, even though he was in serious condition.
Sgt. 1st Class Peter Lara was the platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, C Company, 2-1. During the incident, Lara and three others were injured. This was also the same shooting that killed Pfc. Christopher Alcozer.
Stryker Medics Help Local Doc Screen, Treat Iraqis
Link to Full Article with 3 Photos
Story, photos by Spc. L.C. Campbell
138th MPAD
MAWALI, Iraq Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, conducted a medical screening for Iraqis and delivered much-needed medical supplies to a clinic.
Citizens went to the Mawali Secondary Boys School to receive medical attention from the local doctor with the support of coalition forces in February.
Soldier aren't statistics--they're real people
Link to Full Article
By Michelle Cuthrell
It seems nearly every time I turn on the network news or check out the newest national news Web site, I hear about another U.S. soldier who has died in Iraq, and what that soldier's death now brings the U.S. death toll to. But, unless he's a high-ranking officer or a Pat Tillman-type figure, rarely do I hear on these national reports anything specific about the recently killed soldier, his passions, or even so much as his name.
As a reporter myself, it's always disgusted me how easily some of my fellow journalists can turn the sacrifices of soldiers into simple statistics. But this week, after complaining about this phenomenon to my colleagues for months, I found myself guilty, in my own way, of the very same thing.
FOB Marez Makes Room for FOB Courage Closure
Link to Article
by Sgt 1st Class David P. Benamati, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (Feb. 25) - As the U.S. Army is preparing to close Forward Operating Base Courage and turn it over to the Iraqi government, members of the U.S. Air Forces 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron, located at FOB Marez, are preparing for the influx of forces from FOB Courage.
As part of the U.S. Armys 555th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, the 557th ERHS is preparing sites on FOB Marez to emplace Containerized Housing Units. They are also refurbishing existing structures for incoming units to occupy as workspaces.
Soldiers Awarded Golden Spurs
Link to Article
by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th Mobile Public Affairs
MOSUL, Iraq (Mar. 5, 2006) -- Soldiers of 572nd Military Intelligence Company were awarded their Cavalry Golden Spurs at a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Courage, Mosul, Iraq Mar. 5.
Soldiers received golden spur certificates for serving in combat and being assigned to the 14th Cavalry Regiment.
Legionaries Honor a Warrior
Link to Article
by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (Mar. 3, 2006) -- Soldiers of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team honored Spc. Joshua Pearce at a memorial ceremony at Forward Operating Base Marez, Mosul, Iraq on Mar 3.
Pearce perished during combat operations when the Stryker Brigade Combat vehicle he was in was hit by an improvised explosive device on Feb. 26.
I dont know if I will ever get used to you being gone, said Spc. Richard Napier, Co. B, 2nd Bn, 1st Inf. Rgt. Im going to miss you, Ill never forget you.
SGT Eric Edmundson Update
(The following was sent to us by SGT Edmundson's family)
SGT Eric Edmundson arrived home Thursday evening. Eric was temporarily discharged from the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center until after surgery, which will hopefully take place in June. Eric and his family have relocated from Fairbanks, Alaska to New Bern, North Carolina. Although Eric and his family are new to the community, they have been welcomed with open arms.
Cashing In - Cav Soldiers Take Massive Collection From Terrorists' IED-Making Arsenal
Link to Full Article with 5 Photos
Capt. Jeffrey S. Pool
U.S. Marine Corps
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq More than 3,000 pieces of various types of munitions were discovered Feb. 20 by 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers conducting a reconnaissance patrol near Al Quratiyah, about 350 kilometers northwest of Baghdad.
This cache is among the largest discovered to date in western Al Anbar province.
Training Iraqs Future Leaders
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Story by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle and Spc. L.C. Campbell
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL - The future of a successful Iraq begins with the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police. Having them trained properly is an important step in accomplishing that goal.
The Hammam Al Alil Regional Training Center provides that first major step by helping the IA and IP gain the confidence they need to professionally handle any emergency situation.
The comfort of friends
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By MARY BETH SMETZER, Staff Writer
Ever since Sunshine Jeane learned that her husband, Staff Sgt. James Jeane, was severely wounded in Mosul, Iraq, she has been surrounded by the sheltering arms of other Fort Wainwright Army wives.
James is a Ranger medic with the 1st Battalion,17th Infantry of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Teamwork Saves Soldier After Iraqi Sniper Attack
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Spc. Rick Rzepka
Scimitar
MOSUL, Iraq Come to me only with playthings now, said Carl Sandburg in his poem, Murmurings in a Field Hospital.
The line comes from an injured Soldier in a field hospital who, wilted from the exhausting path of war, seeks to find peace as he prepares to return home.
The combat support hospital is one of the last places Soldiers want to find themselves while running the gauntlet of war here. But for many Soldiers and civilians, the CSH offers a sliver of the flipside to the brutality of human nature. It is a place dedicated to the alleviation of true pain and the commitment to humanity.
U.S. Forces discover large cache in al Anbar province
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MNF Press Release
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq More than 3,000 pieces of various types of munitions were discovered Feb. 20 by U.S. Army soldiers conducting a reconnaissance patrol near Al Quratiyah, approximately 350 km northwest of Baghdad.
This cache is among the largest discovered to date in western Al Anbar province.
The soldiers, from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 4th Squadron, 14th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, assigned to Regimental Combat Team-7, were actively seeking out weapons caches. Local citizens provided information regarding the site, where the soldiers discovered two displaced piles of dirt and rocks near a vehicle trail. Upon further investigation, the displaced areas were identified as weapons caches and they were excavated.
Soldiers Return to School to Hand Out More Supplies
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Written by 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Teachers and students of the Alabed Middle School in the Palestine neighborhood of Mosul, gratefully accepted donated school supplies for the second time this month from the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion and 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, today.
Along with Coalition Forces, the Iraqi security forces participate in Operation Iraqi Children, a program that brings much needed school supplies to children.
Men and Women of CSH Dedicate Themselves to Saving Lives Here
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Story by Spc. Rick Rzepka
Scimitar Assistant Editor
MOSUL, Iraq - Bring me only beautiful, useless things, said Carl Sandburg in his poem murmurings of a field hospital.
The line comes from an injured Soldier in a field hospital who, wilted from the exhausting path of war, seeks to find peace as he prepares to return home.
From Bus Boy to Infantry Soldier
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Story and Photo by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (17 Feb. 06) -- When an individual senses their life might be at stand still, a decision has to be made to jump-start a new career.
For Pfc. James Horris from Baltimore, Md., the decision was easy, join the U.S. Army.
Training Iraqs Future Leaders
Link to Article
Story by Sgt. Dennis Gravelle and Spc. L.C. Campbell
138th Mobile Public Affairs detachment
MOSUL, Iraq (16 Feb. 06) --The future of a successful Iraq begins with the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police. Having them trained properly is an important step in accomplishing that goal.
The Hammam Al Alil Regional Training Center provides that first major step in helping the IA and IP gain the confidence they need to professionally handle any emergency situation.
Burning the Midnight Oil - Planning, Rehearsal Lead to Successful Night Raid
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Sgt. Dennis Gravelle
138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq Usually at around 10:30 p.m. most people are getting ready for bed after a long day at work.
The day is done and its time to think about settling down; letting go of the stress and anxiety for another day.
For Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, their night has just begun. There will be no sleep for these Soldiers tonight.
Injured Iraqi Girl Becomes the "Darling of the Ward"
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Sgt. 1st Class David P. Benamati
138th MPAD
LSA DIAMONDBACK, Iraq The smile on the face of the little Iraqi girl in the Intensive Care Ward of the U.S. Armys 47th Combat Surgical Hospital has an uplifting effect on the otherwise somber mood of the hospital.
Samah Arajy is a precocious 12-year-old girl recovering from wounds she sustained when she was caught in the crossfire between coalition forces and insurgents last September in her home town of Tal Afar.
Stryker Soldiers Train Iraqi Army Counterparts
Link to Full Article with 2 Photos
Sgt. Rachel Brune
101st Sustainment Brigade
Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq Iraqi Sgt. 1st Class Ala received what used to be known as a battlefield promotion.
About a year ago, Ala was a jundi, or private, in the Salamiya Company, near Mosul. The unit was threatened by bad guys, and some of the soldiers decided to quit.
The commander asked his soldiers, Who would like to go on a mission to fight terrorists?
Ala was one of only a few who volunteered, and upon successful completion of the mission, was chosen to receive training to become a sergeant.
Coalition Patrols Net Suspects in Kiowa Attack
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Sgt. 1st Class David P. Benamati
138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq Days following the downing of an OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter by a group of insurgents, Soldiers from companies A and C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and the Iraqi Police took to the streets in one of the most dangerous parts of Mosul.
They were tracking down those responsible after receiving an anonymous tip from Iraqi civilians.
SPC Patrick W. Herried
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SPC Patrick W. Herried, 29, of Sioux Falls, S.D., died in Rawah, Iraq, on Feb. 6, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker military vehicle during patrol operations. SPC Herried was assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry. It will remain at the top of the page through Wednesday. Please scroll down for more news.
SGT Eric Edmundson Update
(The following was sent to us by SGT Edmundson's family)
The family of SGT Eric Edmundson, C Troop, 4/14 CAV, 172nd Stryker Brigade, would like to provide an update of Eric and his condition.
Eric was seriously injured by an IED on Oct. 2nd, 2005. Injuries sustained in the blast were shrapnel wounds to the right leg and abdomen, with the shrapnel wounds to the abdomen requiring the removal of his spleen, fracture to the T4 and T5 vertebrae, fracture of the fibula head in right leg. While awaiting transport to Germany, Eric went into cardiac arrest. Because of the time needed to revive Eric and lack of oxygen to his brain, he sustained an anoxic brain injury.
Redeployment Rumors Addressed by Commander
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Fort Wainwright PAO
Rumors around Fort Wainwright have many talking that Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team will be coming home early.
Maj. Jeffrey Burrell, 172nd Rear Detachment commander said, This is a one-year deployment and we are planning for Soldiers (to come) back around mid-August time frame.
Bronze Star Recipient
Capt. Michael Spinello of the 2-1 INF is awarded the Bronze Star Medal by Major General Charles Jacoby Jr. in this USARAK photo.
Mosul makes gains against the chaos
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By Nelson Hernandez, The Washington Post
MOSUL, Iraq - A year after its police force melted away and the streets descended into anarchy, Mosul has climbed up from the abyss. But this city of 2 million, a key battleground in the Iraq war, still teeters on the edge of chaos.
Insurgents have tried to assassinate the province's governor three times during his 18 months in office. They have killed his son, five other relatives and 27 bodyguards. The provincial police chief was fired late last year after he was accused of having ties to the insurgency. Unemployment hovers at about 40 percent. The number of reported attacks is down 57 percent since the battle for the city last year, according to Lt. Col. Mitchell Rambih, operations officer for the U.S. Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. But residents say violence remains a serious problem.
Troops shift to desert post
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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
MOSUL, Iraq--When 1st Lt. Rob Murdough found out he and soldiers in his platoon were being moved from Mosul to Rawah in western Iraq for the remainder of their tour, he asked his parents to send him an electric razor.
"We heard water for shaving can be scarce at times," he said.
Soldier to receive Purple Heart
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The Daily Item
TAMPA, Fla. Army Sgt. Wayne Landis, 25, a Middleburg, Pa., native, will receive his Purple Heart during a ceremony today at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa Spinal Cord Injury Center.
He is a 1998 graduate of Middleburg High School, where he was a varsity soccer player and a wrestler.
Combat Deployment Brings Change in Soldiers' Travel Plans
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Sgt. Michael Hamlin
C/2-1 Inf.
MOSUL, Iraq When the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fairbanks to Iraq in August, it was my first deployment since joining the Army in 2003.
Since our arrival five months ago, our unit has worked continuously with training, daily patrols and numerous missions throughout the city of Mosul.
The letters and packages received by Soldiers from friends and family prove our labors are not overlooked.
Occasionally, letters of support are received from people we have never even met. Now, after five months, our platoon is being rewarded by being sent on leave.
Patrolling Mosul
Link to Photos - from USARAK e-post.
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM Capt. Thomas Kurtz carried his camera on patrol with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, Monday, documenting a days worth of action for the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers.
A/4-14th Cavalry Prepares for Move to Rawah
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1st Lt. Benjamin Tiernan
A/4-14th Cav.
MOSUL, Iraq The previous week has seen A Troop, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, preparing and packing equipment for our latest move.
We have continued with our normal patrols and mission requirements while at the same time ensuring we are ready to leave Task Force 2-1 and return to 4-14 Cav.
T-F 2-1 Soldiers Recognized for Valor Under Fire
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PAO staff report
MOSUL, Iraq Two Task Force 2-1 Soldiers were recognized recently for their actions during a fierce firefight that claimed the life of one of their compatriots and left several others injured.
Staff Sgt. Jamie Johnson and Sgt. Kenneth Plantz, both from the 2nd Platoon of Company C, received bronze star awards with V devices to signify valor for combat actions that occurred Nov. 19, 2005 in the al Sukar section of Mosul.
Pentagon Looks into Recent Helicopter Crashes in Iraq
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The photo shows 2-1 INF soldiers helping recover the downed Kiowa on Jan. 13.
Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON The Pentagon is seeking answers as to why three U.S. helicopters have crashed in Iraq within the past two weeks, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
MEDCAP Mission Forges Stronger Bonds with Iraqis
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Sgt. Rachel Brune
101st Sustainment Brigade
MAKHMR, Iraq Coalition medical personnel conducted a medical civil action program, or MEDCAP, with medics from the Iraqi Army 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, here in December.
Capt. Michelle Moore, brigade surgeon, 101st Sustainment Brigade, and Capt. Charles Roberts, physicians assistant, 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, led the team examining, diagnosing, treating and advising family members of Iraqi soldiers.
Iraqi Basic Combat Training Program Graduates Soldiers
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Story and photo by Sgt. Ashly Rice
101st Sustainment Brigade
Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq Fifty-four trainees graduated from the Iraqi Basic Combat Training program, taught by 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers, at the NCO Academy here Dec. 16.
The graduated class, 05-06, was the first class to end with all of its original soldiers who attended, said Sgt. Maj. Walter Murrell of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment.
Murrell is the Noncommissioned Officer Academy commandant for the program.
Iraqi Tips Lead to Captured Terrorists
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Task Force Band of Brothers PAO
TIKRIT, Iraq Three raids in northern Iraq led to five captures of anti-Iraqi forces, including one that was turned in by a cohort, Jan. 13.
Soldiers from Alaskas 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team received a tip that led them to a terrorist cell member. Once the troops caught the terrorist, he turned informant and gave up another member of his cell.
DoD News Briefing
Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner II, commander of Multinational Division North (MND North), explains the transition of control from Task Force Freedom to Task Force Band of Brothers. The 172nd is operating as part of MND North.
GEN. TURNER: Good morning. I'd like to thank you all for being here today and for this opportunity to address the great work that our soldiers are doing in Iraq.
I'd like to begin by giving you a little background on our task force, our battlespace, our mission, and finally, some areas where we're seeing progress.
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) first assumed responsibility for the area known as Multinational Division North Central from the 42nd Infantry Division on November 1st. On December 30th, we assumed responsibility for Task Force Freedom's Multinational Force Northwest, which combined constitutes our current area of responsibility, known as MND North.
Support soldiers' actions sometimes invisible, always indispensible
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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
MOSUL, Iraq--The darkened city appeared dormant after curfew Monday night. No people on the streets, shops closed, sheep huddled and sleeping, entire neighborhoods swathed in blackness from sporadic power outages. No vehicles on the road.
None, except for a convoy of armored U.S. Army vehicles hustling through the city. The big-rigs, flatbeds and Humvees weaved through town, accompanied by escorts to protect their cargo of tires, a Stryker engine, mail and a variety of other supplies coveted and needed by soldiers at bases situated around Mosul.
Red Cross 'moms' dole out TLC
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By MARY BETH SMETZER, Staff Writer
Army Spc. Derek Reese is running two miles a day, building his strength and endurance after receiving a serious leg wound in Iraq. The 25-year-old hopes to rejoin his unit in Iraq next month.
After eight surgeries--and counting--to repair a broken femur and compound fracture of the ankle, Sgt. Reginald Cundy's military career is over. He plans to go to college and be "a desk jockey" once he's discharged.
Fear keeps Mosul residents from informing
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NICK WADHAMS, Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq - When Capt. Pat Flynn and his squad knock on doors in Mosul in search of intelligence tips, Iraqis often welcome them inside with chocolate candy and tea in tiny glasses. When he asks if they have been intimidated or threatened, they emphatically shake their heads "no." That's a bad sign.
"Ninety percent of them say it's the safest place in the world to live," said Flynn, 29, a platoon commander in the 172nd Stryker Brigade's 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment. "But we know that's a lie because it's that 10 percent that comes and tells you what's really going on."
Citizens lead security forces to drive-by suspect
TFBOB Press Release
TIKRIT, Iraq Iraqi civilians in Mosul led Iraqi Police and a patrol from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to the house of an AIF man wanted for a drive-by shooting Sunday evening.
Iraqi Police reported a vehicle approached them and began to fire at the policemen with an automatic rifle.
Artillerymen Help Bring Water to Iraqi Villages
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Story and photo by Sgt. Ashly Rice
101st Sustainment Brigade
Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, IRAQ Battery C, 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment and Rakan Daille, a local contractor, dedicated the Shukran Water Treatment Project in a ceremony recently, marking the payoff of a long-term project.
Water serving the area outside of the Q-West southeast gate was unsatisfactory until Oct. 12, when the first fresh water pumped out of the Shukran Water Treatment Project.
Fire Support Team Acts as Eyes of the Artillery
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Story and photos by Sgt. Rachel Brune
101st Sustainment Brigade
Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq A fire support team from Company A, 52nd Infantry (Anti-Tank), traveled outside the wire recently to act as forward observers during a live-fire artillery certification.
Were the eyes of the artillery, said Capt. Patrick Shepherd, fire support officer.
The team supported the Battery C, 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, exercise, which the unit must perform every three months. The same team earlier supported Battery A, 4-11th FA.
Coalition Helps Dr. Mohammed's Perseverance Pay Off
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Sgt. Rachel Brune
101st Sustainment Brigade
Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq In April 2003, an elder from the small farming village of Jedallah Sofia appeared at the gates here with a handwritten request.
Sent by Dr. Mohammed, the local physician, the note asked for help in stopping random shots landing in the village and solving a water shortage.
U.S. Chopper Down in Iraq
Soldiers from the 172nd respond to a downed helicopter near Mosul.
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq A U.S. Army reconnaissance helicopter went down near Mosul in northern Iraq on Friday while aiding Iraqi police who came under hostile fire, and its two pilots were seriously injured, military officials said.
Both pilots of the OH-58 Kiowa, which is armed, were alive but unconscious when they were evacuated, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joel Burger, of the 172nd Stryker Brigade 's 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, said at the scene of the crash. [...]
"It was responding to small arms fire being taken by Iraqi police. The gunmen fled to a nearby mosque," said Maj. Richard Greene, executive officer of the 2-1.
They Shoot Litter Bugs, Don't They?
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By Shawn Macomber
MOSUL, Iraq -- At times the shoots and leaves of the new (hopefully) democratic order in Iraq can partially obscure the deeply entrenched psychological effects of three decades of brutal totalitarian rule. A series of successful elections have gone off well and a sort of amnesia about the past, egged on by desire for a peaceful future, sets in. And then an Iraqi waste management businessman, completely open and willing to work with Americans, suggests litter bugs should be jailed or even shot. Suddenly you remember that this isn't Peoria. It is Mosul.
Knowledge offers Iraqis long-term healing
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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
MOSUL, IraqSciatica, ear infections, swollen tonsils, worms from playing with dogs, cold, fever and asthma.
That's a short list of ailments that might be found at any U.S. walk-in clinic, except this clinic is taking place with an armed detail in a damp and chilly schoolhouse in a poor Mosul neighborhood.
The 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry on Saturday conducted its seventh clinic in the five months it has been deployed in Iraq as part of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
172nd Soldiers Find Terrorists, Weapons
Link to Full Article with Photo
MOSUL, Iraq Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team detained more than 50 suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches in northern Iraq, Dec. 17-29.
Helping Hand - Communities Back Soldier, Family
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Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
FORT WAINWRIGHT At 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, Enid Rosario Rivera received a phone call from Iraq.
It was Command Sgt. Maj. Hector Davila calling to tell Enid her husband had been injured.
Staff Sgt. Javier Rosario Rivera, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, was shot in the hand in an ambush on Sept. 19.
Combat Medic Responds to Soldier's Call for Help
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Maj. Michael Smith
172nd BSB
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM In January of 1945, the Department of the Army authorized the Combat Medical Badge to recognize those medics who served alongside the infantry in combat.
The requirements have changed over the past 60 years, but one thing has remained constant.
To earn the Combat Medical Badge, the medic must perform his medical duties under fire while assigned to a ground combat unit.
Spc. Fernando Mendoza, a medic with the Brigade Support Medical Company, 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, performed those duties on the evening of Nov. 30.
Soldiers Make School's Opening Grand
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Capt. Marcus Grimes
172nd SBCT
MOSUL, IRAQ There was an anticipatory buzz in the atmosphere at the Al Amel Institute for the Deaf and Mute as the Soldiers of the 172d Stryker Brigade arrived to help celebrate the grand re-opening of this unique school Dec. 12.
As the Soldiers came in, the teachers could not contain their pupils excitement. All the children in this small school, which is situated high above the Tigris River in downtown Mosul, craned their necks and pasted their faces against the windows in their classrooms to see what the Soldiers brought.
Cracking An Insurgent Cell
The following is the first page of a ten page article. Thanks to those of you who sent the link to us.
Link to Full Article
By Julian E. Barnes, US News & World Report
MOSUL, IRAQ--It is 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 10, five days before Iraq's national elections. A red four-door sedan carrying four men cruises through the western half of this freewheeling oil town. The old beater of a car doesn't attract any particular attention before the driver, an 18-year-old called Nashwan, pulls over near a gaggle of campaign workers hanging political posters. A man known as Abu Mahmoud steps out of the car. He draws a handgun. Two other men with guns follow quickly. The campaign workers step back, then begin shouting angrily. Abu Mahmoud points his gun at one of the workers. He fires. The man falls to the ground, dead.
Sniffing out enemies
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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST--Following a tip from a resident of a nearby village, Capt. Robert Rossi of Fort Wainwright's 52nd Anti-Tank Unit led his team to search a farm near the site of a recent explosion.
He was interested, he said, because the farm was several hundred meters from one of what have been many improvised explosive device explosions in the past three days. While the place was several hundred meters from the farm, it was in direct line of sight. Most IED's are detonated by a triggerman who is within sight of the explosion, Rossi said.
Infantrymen patrolling dusty intersection in Iraqi village
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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
ADIAH, Iraq--They are infantrymen who carry big rifles and are trained to fire a mobile missile system to destroy enemy tanks. But, like most soldiers in the Mosul area, they have found they spend more time making peace than mayhem.
Their Humvee and two Stryker vehicles--one with "Pest Control" stenciled in black near its missile turret on top--rolled into this village on a sunny, breezy Friday afternoon. The soldiers had driven nearly 45 minutes from base, past miles of dusty fields lying dormant for the winter, waiting for the rainy season to bring spring crops.
Army father, Air Force son reunite in Iraq for Christmas
TAL AFAR, Iraq (Army News Service, Dec. 29, 2005) As a career infantryman, 1st Sgt. Matt Splechter has missed four Christmases away from family due to deployment overseas serving his nation.
He figured his current deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom would be no different, but on Christmas Day in a land far away from home, Splechter was proven wrong.
Reporting from Iraq
In addition to her regular news stories, Margaret Friedenauer of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is maintaining a weblog while she is embedded with the 172nd SBCT. She is adding entries almost daily. Today's entry is titled: "Mail, Cigars and Serious Coffee Drinkers". Her weblog also has links to her news stories, other Iraq news and opinion, Iraq maps and weather and a number of photos not seen elsewhere.
Soldier averts tragedy for Iraqi family
Here's a follow up to a press release we posted last Thursday.
Link to Full Article
By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER
MOSUL, Iraq--Spc. Lucas Crowe didn't know what to expect Saturday when he arrived at the home of 2-year-old Muhammad.
Two days earlier, Crowe revived the boy after he nearly drowned in a flooded basement. He hadn't gotten word on whether Muhammad was still alive or suffering lasting effects after he was taken to a hospital by Iraqi paramedics.
Quiet day for brigade
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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer
MOSUL, Iraq--With only a handful of attacks that caused no damage or injuries, Lt. Col. Chuck Webster said the cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi forces to secure Iraq's parliamentary elections Thursday was success.
"The coalition forces were responsible for preparing against a catastrophic event," said Webster, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment of the 172 Stryker Brigade Combat Team. "And luckily, nothing happened. Maybe we did something right."
U.S., Iraqis open military training center
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By Margaret Friedenauer
HAMMAN AL AIL, IraqThis area was a hive of terrorist activity a year ago. Now, this community south of Mosul is getting ready to open The Northern Iraq Regional Training Center in an effort to continue strengthening the Iraqi Army for the fight against terrorism.
"Twelve months ago it was the most dangerous area in Iraq and now it's the most safe area in Iraq," Iraqi Army Col. Haje Maher Alzebari said Thursday.
172nd BSB Warriors Fill Multiple Roles in Iraq
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Cpt. Matthew Arbogast
172nd BSB
MOSUL, Iraq Since assuming control from the 25th Brigade Support Battalion, the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion has not only assumed its doctrinal support mission of providing maintenance, medical and supply support, but also a wide range of other critical roles.
The 172nd BSB, also known as the Opaheys, provides support to more than 3,000 Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
All in a Day's Work - Cav Soldiers Encounter IED, Treat Injured Civilian
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Sgt. 1st Class Leonard Strickland
A, 4-14th Cavalry
MOSUL, Iraq The 1st Platoon of A Troop, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry, conducted a route recon mission one morning in November to confirm or deny enemy activity.
We were clearing and searching for any improvised explosive device emplacements or any anti-Iraqi forces planning an attack on coalition forces on this specific route.
As the platoon moved along we noticed there was no traffic on the route like there usually is.
N.C. Students Adopt Deployed Alaska Soldiers
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Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
Where do you sleep?
Do you eat good food?
Do you take breaks?
Questions like these come from the third graders at Longview Elementary School in Hickory, N.C. They have been writing to 12 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers since November.
Christmas comes early to Iraqi children
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (December 16, 2005)-Soldiers from Task Force Freedom distributed a truckload of over 40 large boxes of gifts to Iraqi children at St. Georges Church in the Bartella neighborhood Dec. 14.
About 300 kids were seen smiling with hands full of new clothes, toys, soccer balls, basketballs, and numerous other treasures. Children were also excited about receiving keepsake McDonalds toys. Not one child left the church empty-handed.
Heart List
(The following is a letter we recently received from Susan Preston Raybon)
Dear Editor:
There are hundreds of small, personal humanitarian efforts that go on daily, for the most part invisible to the public. These projects are usually tiny and involve one or two special people. The holiday season is a perfect time to tell this story and showcase two really special soldiers, one starting and the other continuing a heartfelt legacy.
Almost everyone has a Heart List even if they have never put a name to it. For the most part, it is an unconscious thing. Usually, it includes our family, our friends and our acquaintances that we admire and emulate. They are the ones whose traits and philosophies either mirror ours or shine above our own mirrors.
ISF and MNF continue sweep of terrorists and weapons
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (December 12, 2005)- Iraqi Security Forces along with Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 46 suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches in northern Iraq Dec. 5-12.
172nd SBCT Photos
U.S. Army Alaska provides us with these two photos and accompanying narratives:
Honoring Fallen Soldiers - from the Ft. Wainwright memorial service for Pfc. Alcozer
Try This on For Size - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reporter Margaret Friedenauer gears up for Iraq.
Thanksgiving Reflections from Deployed Soldier
Link to Full Article with Photo
Spc. Thomas Evenson
C, 2-1st Infantry
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM I was sitting in my shack surfing the Net and planning on chilling out after a 12-hour detainee guard shift. Some friends came in and asked if I was going to dinner.
No, Im just grabbing some pogy bait and taking it easy. Pogy bait is a term used to describe snacks and candy sent to the Soldiers by family and friends.
Do you know its Thanksgiving? they asked.
Coalition Forces Take Battle to the Terrorists
Link to Full Article with Photo
MOSUL, Iraq Iraqi security forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Nov. 27 - Dec. 4.
Iraqi Army soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, along with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in Mosul Dec. 4.
Cav Soldiers Help Drop Steel Curtain on Anti-Coalition Forces in Iraq
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Spc. Dale Sweetnam
Fort Wainwright PAO
FORT WAINWRIGHT Coalition forces including Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team recently completed an extensive isolation and containment mission in Ramana, Iraq.
Lt. Col. Mark Freitag of the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, said nearly 1,000 individuals from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and the Iraqi Army worked together to clear 11 towns encompassing close to 230 square kilometers during offensive operations from Nov. 18-22. The offensive maneuvers were apart of the larger Operation Steel Curtain.
Security forces take charge against terrorism
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (December 4, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 64 suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Nov. 27 - Dec. 4.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division detained two individuals suspected of attacks on Coalition Forces in Mosul Nov. 27. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity and confiscated a weapons cache during operations in Mosul Nov. 30. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Mosul Dec. 1. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Division along with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Battalion detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in Mosul Dec. 4.
News-Miner's first embedded reporter leaves for Iraq on Tuesday
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By Kelly Bostian
The News-Miner is about to send a reporter to Iraq.
Our reporters have traveled long distances to cover local-interest stories over the years. We've written from all corners of Alaska, and most places in-between. [...]
On Tuesday, military reporter Margaret Friedenauer leaves for a six-week stay in Iraq. If all goes well, she will be in Mosul before the Dec. 15 elections, spend the holidays with our troops, and return at the end of January.
She will be embedded with the 172nd Stryker Brigade soldiers from Fort Wainwright and Fort Richardson. The reason for this is simple. It's because those 3,000 soldiers from Fort Wainwright are roughly 10 percent of the Fairbanks population. This is an intensely local story and she will be there to cover the daily activities of our troops, to tell their stories and to help our community understand and share in their daily challenges.
Chaplain Uses Historic Monastery as Site for 4-23rd Soldiers' Baptism
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Chaplain (Capt.) John Grauer
4-23rd Infantry Chaplain
MOSUL, Iraq A 1,600 year old Christian monastery located eight miles to the northeast of Nimrud or the ancient city of Kalkh, is a gathering place for Christians in a Muslim-dominated area.
The Saint Behnam Monastery was built in the last half of the 4th century and renovated during the 12th and 13th centuries.
It thrives among a Muslim-dominated population and carries on many of the ancient Christian rituals.
In October, I made arrangements for the baptism of two Tomahawk Soldiers at the monastery.
Iraqi Leaders Stand Against Terror
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Sgt. 1st Class Jason Arneson
4-11th Field Artillery
FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq Local leaders from the Tigris River Valley came together Nov. 20 to sign a Contract Against Terror to signify their opposition to terrorism.
After traditional greetings were exchanged, the ceremony started with Lt. Col. Scott Wuestner, Task Force Thunder commander, thanking the leaders for coming.
4-23 Patrols Calmer Streets
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Spc. Jeremy Crisp
Army News Service
MOSUL, Iraq Theyre not hard to spot.
Not because they rumble through the streets in their Stryker vehicles; those have been here before.
Its a new attitude; its a new uniform on smiling faces with determination to get the job done.
We are out here doing what we like to call PR public relations, said Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Pickerel, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, Company B, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. Our patrols are designed to let the citizens of Iraq know we are here for them, and we are out here every day.
Artillerymen Raise Iraqi Police Proficiency
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Sgt. 1st Class Jason Arneson
4-11th Field Artillery
FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq I swear to God that I will be faithful for my people and protect my country.
These words marked the solemn oath of 22 students who graduated from Iraqi Police Proficiency Training class 06-01.
This iteration was the first class of an 11-day course taught at FOB Q-West in a joint cooperative effort between the 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, Soldiers of Task Force Thunder and the Iraqi police.
First Stryker Soldier Home for R&R Just in Time for Emergency Delivery
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Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
FORT WAINWRIGHT Having a baby while a member of the family is deployed can be a difficult part of being military. Knowing it will be a difficult birth can make it worse.
But Ashley and Capt. Timothy McCulloh looked forward to his impending Rest and Recuperation break from the combat zone in Iraq as a time to be together as a family for the first time.
Buffaloes Connect With People of Tal al Ruman
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Capt. Christopher Todd
Co. A, 1st Bn. 17th Inf.
MOSUL, Iraq The Soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, didnt know what to expect before conducting the units first medical screening in the neighborhood of Tal al Ruman here.
Not only was the company concerned about efficiently using the medical staff, we would also be sending an Army chaplain, a civil affairs team and a company of Iraqi Army soldiers.
To top it off, we werent even certain any of the locals would show up.
Medic savors family time
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By MARY BETH SMETZER, Staff Writer
All Staff Sgt. James Jeane wants to do while hes home on a two-week leave from Iraq is hang out with his family. James wife, Sunshine, and their four sons are happily complying.
Just being here is enough, James said.
Soldier from Green River injured in combat
Army Staff Sgt. Mike Barrera suffered five gunshot wounds Nov. 19 in Mosul, Iraq, after a gun battle with insurgents.
Barrera's mother, Lori, said her son underwent successful surgery in Ramstein, Germany, last Saturday and he may return to the United States as early as this weekend.
A Soldier's Story, Part 3: Raising Iraqi Security Helps Soldiers Get Home
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by Doug Grindle, KTUU TV, Anchorage
Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq - Soldiers from Anchorage are working to raise the level of the Iraq security forces so they can go home.
Soldiers stop in at an Iraqi police station at the southeastern corner of Mosul. The soldiers are inspecting a detonating device that was used to trigger roadside bombs set against passing American vehicles
A Soldier's Story, Part 2: Searching for Insurgents
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by Doug Grindle, KTUU TV, Anchorage
Mosul, Iraq - Soldiers from an infantry battalion of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team have been on the ground for about two months now. The soldiers continue to patrol the streets of Mosul in northern Iraq.
Mom and Co-Workers Make a Difference for 172nd Soldiers
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Tracey Murray
Fort Wainwright PAO
LIVONIA, Mich. Stephanie Julian was putting together a package to send to her son serving in Iraq in October when a co-worker asked about the items she had piled on her desk.
Julian had no idea mentioning this package to co-workers would have such a huge impact.
Distribution Company's Mission Varied, But Vital
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1st Lt. Matthew Yutzey
172nd Brigade Support Battalion
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, the Distribution Company (DC) Gators of the 172d Brigade Support Battalion are as busy as ever.
New Soldiers in Town Provide Security
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By Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 22, 2005 Theyre the new guys on the block, and theyre not hard to spot. Not because they rumble through the streets in their Stryker light-armored vehicles, for those have been there before. Its a new attitude; its a new uniform on smiling faces with determination to get the job done.
The soldiers of Company B have assumed responsibility for one sector of the streets of Mosul. They smile at the Iraqi citizens on the streets, but at the same time they will kick the doors in on the insurgents who plan to spread upheaval.
PVT Christopher M. Alcozer
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
PVT Christopher M. Alcozer, 21, of DeKalb, IL, died in Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire and grenades. PVT Alcozer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry. It will remain at the top of the page today. Please scroll down for more news.
American Forces Find Help for Iraqi Child in Need
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2nd Lt. James Snoddy
Co. A, 1-17th Infantry
MOSUL, IRAQ A young boy named Mohammad Abdullah Ahmad, of Tal al Ruman, had a tumor in his skull.
Lakeland students provide shoes for Iraqi counterparts
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News Staff Reporter
Putting on his Spiderman shoes always made Clayton Chenoweth feel like a superhero.
It was a sad day when his feet grew too big for them, but the 9-year-old is happy again, knowing that his sneakers could someday make an Iraqi child feel the same way.
ISF deliver needed equipment to Iraqi children
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 18, 2005) Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, along with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, successfully distributed school supplies to numerous families during a medical screening in the Tal Ruman neighborhood of Mosul Nov. 12. With the help of U.S. donors, three children with special needs received wheelchairs during the operation.
The community is very supportive of the hard work put in by both the IA and 1-17th Soldiers. The Iraqi families were exceptionally grateful for the generosity and shared their thanks with Coalition Forces. The operation was a complete success.
Tomahawks Pin on Combat Patches, Valor Awards
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1st Lt. Anthony Fennell
Co. C, 4-23rd Infantry
MOSUL, Iraq On Nov. 6, less than two years from its official stand-up date, the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment donned the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team combat patch.
Ten Soldiers also received medals for their valor, one of which was a Bronze Star, demonstrating their steadfast courage and resolve towards their nations committed goal of a free Iraq.
These valor awards were the first of their type the Tomahawks and the 172nd have received since Vietnam.
Task Force Freedom Continues Robust Operations in Northern Iraq
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The information in this U.S. Army Alaska story has been previously reported, however, it contains a new photo of SSG Salelea Tuiolemotu of the 2-1 INF.
SSG Stephen J. Sutherland
The Department of Defense has announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
SSG Stephen J. Sutherland, 33, of West Deptford, NJ, died in Al Qadisiyah, Iraq, on Nov. 12, when his Stryker military vehicle accidentally rolled over. SSG Sutherland was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, AK.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
We will add any subsequent articles we find to this entry. It will remain at the top of the page today. Please scroll down for more news.
Arctic Wolves Help Iraqi School Children
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1st Lt. Kurt J. Lohwasser
A Troop, 4-14th Cavalry
MOSUL, Iraq Iraqs recent elections were similar to ours in America in that the voting sites were mainly located in local schools.
Officials spent days establishing the sites and preparing for voters. One drawback of this operation was that the children missed a week of school.
Soldier Medics Under Fire Treat Friend, Foe
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2nd Lt. James Snoddy
Co. A, 1-17th Infantry
MOSUL, Iraq The Soldier medics of Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, play a dual role in the Army.
Security forces continue operations in northern Iraq
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 9, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 49 suspected terrorists and seized a number of weapons caches during operations in northern Iraq Nov. 5-9.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search near the Syrian border Nov. 5. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division detained two individuals with a weapon after receiving small arms fire in Tal Afar Nov. 7. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2/1/3 also detained five individuals for hiding a weapon and being positively identified as terrorists. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in northern Mosul Nov. 9. Iraqi Police alongside Multi-National Forces discovered a 500-pound bomb in Avgani Nov. 8. The bomb was reduced without incident. Iraqi Police also detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity after receiving small arms fire in central Mosul Nov. 8. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
2-1 INF Video
DVIDS has a video of 2-1 INF conducting patrols recently in Mosul. Thanks to Missy for the link.
1-17th Inf. Bulldogs Thwart Suicide Bomb Attack
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Maj. Craig Triscari
1-17th Infantry
MOSUL, Iraq An insurgents attempt to disrupt U.S. patrols in the western part of the city Sept. 28 left one suicide car bomber dead and his vehicle destroyed with no coalition casualties sustained.
Company B, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment were attacked by a suicide bomber who attempted to ram his small car into a Stryker vehicle and detonate an improvised explosive device with the goal of disabling the Stryker and killing American Soldiers.
Mosul Terrorist Cell Leader Killed
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from USARAK e-post
BAGHDAD, Iraq The Quick Reaction Force from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, aided in the operation that killed an al-Qaeda terrorist cell leader and his assistant during a coalition raid of a suspected safe house in Mosul Oct. 22.
Mosul Photos
A number of new photos from Mosul have appeared on both Getty Images and