56th SBCT Homecoming
WTAJ-TV News has a very extensive collection of video clips regarding the recent homecoming of the 56th SBCT. Thanks to Ray for sending this link along.
Finally Home
The last troops from the 56th SBCT are arriving home to PA.
Final Stryker troops return home; parade and ceremony Friday - Meadville Tribune
Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade returns from Iraq - PennLive.com
56th SBCT Still Returning
There are many new stories from media outlets across PA regarding the return of the 56th SBCT.
First group of Stryker Brigade troops coming home today - Meadville Tribune
TROOPS UPDATE: Joyous reunion as Stryker Brigade soldiers return - Meadville Tribune
Johnstown Welcomes Home Stryker Brigade - WJACtv.com
Local soldier welcomed home - Lebanon Daily News
56th SBCT Transitioning
Local papers have a number of stories featuring Stryker soldiers.
War still a fresh memory for Stryker brigade - Centre Daily Times
Stryker Brigade Soldier Reflects on Return Home - WPMT
56th Stryker Bridgade gets patriotic homecoming in Carlisle - PennLive.com
Two soldiers not around for hero's welcome - Meadville Tribune
Stryker soldiers home after grueling journey - Meadville Tribune
56th SBCT Homecoming Continues
There are a number of new articles sharing homecoming stories of soldiers from the 56th SBCT.
- ‘It’s great to be home’ - The Altoona Mirror
- Carlisle area Stryker Brigade unit back in U.S. - The Sentinel Online
- 56th Stryker Brigade field artillery unit returns from Iraq - PennLive.com
- Families happy to see returning soldiers, however briefly - PennLive.com
- Soldier keeps bond with Stryker unit - The Patriot-News
56th Homecoming Coverage
WTAJ-TV has create a special section on their website devoted to their coverage of the homecoming for the 56th SBCT.
Pennsylvania Guard Marks End of Iraq Mission
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, marked the official end of their mission in Iraq, Aug. 31, with a transfer of authority ceremony.
Commander Col. Marc Ferraro and Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. John Jones lowered the colors of the "Independence Brigade" in front of a crowd of Soldiers and Iraqi government and military officials.
"At the start of our mission I said, 'The citizen Soldiers of Pennsylvania have always answered the call to duty," Ferraro told the audience. "They did just that."
"During the deployment we remained focused on the mission. The Soldiers of the Independence Brigade served side by side with Iraqi soldiers to ensure security."
Brigade Soldiers performed over 800 combined operations with Iraqi security forces, capturing seven brigade level high value targets and 80 additional targets; capturing more than 80 enemy weapon caches.
More PA Troops Return
Chambersburg Public Opinion reports that another 300 56th SBCT soldiers returned home Wednesday morning.
About 300 more soldiers with the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team arrived in Fort Dix, N.J. at 4 a.m. Wednesday, following a tour of duty in Iraq. Their arrival marks the second wave of troops to return this week.The soldiers are members of the 2nd 112th Infantry Regiment. They are from the Bellefonte and Lewistown areas. Others, including the soldiers from the Chambersburg, Waynesboro and Gettysburg areas, are expected in the next week or two.
Family members of Gettysburg's Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery, will head to the Gettysburg armory on Sunday, where they will decorate the facility with "Welcome Home" signs and banners.
56th SBCT Soldiers Arriving Home
The first group of soldiers from the 56th SBCT has arrived home to PA.
- Video: Pa. Guardsmen return after serving in Iraq - 6abc.com
- Video: 300 Pa. Soldiers Return From Iraq - Fox News 29
- PA guard unit arrives at Ft. Dix after Iraq duty - AP
- Pa. Guard contingent welcomed home from Iraq - Philadelphia Inquirer
- First Wave Of 56th Stryker Brigade Returnng Tuesday - WJAC Johnstown
Video: Col. Ferraro End of Mission
Col. Ferraro, commander of the 56th ABCT, talks about some of the highlights of his brigade's accomplishments and their re-integration, as they prepare to re-deploy back to the United States. Produced by Master Sgt. Sean Whelan.
Pennsylvania Guard Unit Recognized for Electronic Warfare Fight
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – An electronic warfare association has named a 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team battalion as the Army unit to best make use of EW assets and training in the past year. The selection comes at a time when Soldiers in Iraq are relying on EW capabilities to defeat improvised explosive devices.
The 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., is the recipient of the "Association of Old Crows Outstanding U.S. Army Electronic Warfare Unit for 2009" honor. The Pennsylvania Army National Guard unit, currently deployed in Iraq with the 56th SBCT, garnered the Army-wide honor for its extensive use of lifesaving EW capabilities in day-to-day operations in country.
"This award demonstrates that the Pennsylvania National Guard is in the forefront of emerging technologies," Capt. Melvin Benson of Abington, Pa, 56th SBCT electronic warfare officer, said. "All of our battalions have made good use of electronic warfare. The 1-111th made the greatest use of joint assets."
Photos: New Non-commissioned Officers
DVIDS has a few photos of a recent ceremony featuring soldiers from the 56th SBCT. Description:
The 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, welcomed 39 new sergeants to the non-commissioned officer ranks during an NCO induction ceremony Aug. 16 at the Sgt. Jon M. Schoolcraft Pavillion.
Stryker Troopers Earn Combat Spurs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Troopers with the 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are leaving Iraq with new spurs jangling from their combat boots.
In keeping with cavalry tradition, troop commanders conducted award ceremonies, at the "Fiddler's Green" rest area of the squadron's footprint. The area is the namesake of a poem about the final resting place of all cavalry Soldiers.
"When a Cav Soldier dies, he goes to a place called Fiddler's Green," 1st Lt. Duncan MacQueen, unit public affairs representative for the 2-104th said. "It's a place for the spirits of Cav Soldiers."
Maj. Guy Smith, information officer for the 2-104th, explained that in peace time, troopers can earn their silver spurs through a challenging process known as a spur ride. It tests physical endurance and Soldier skills, including land navigation, rifle marksmanship and a road march.
The Final Countdown
The Daily Times profiles the family of 56th SBCT officer, Lt. Col. Mark O’Hanlon, as they await his return from Iraq.
Lt. Col. Mark O’Hanlon is commander of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. He and his 700-man unit, including several soldiers from Delaware County, have been in Iraq since January. They are expected to be home by the end of September, said O’Hanlon’s wife, Michelle.“We expect him back in Wallingford by Sept. 30, which is my birthday, which would be a nice birthday present if he is,” said Mrs. O’Hanlon.
Since he has been deployed, O’Hanlon has missed Kate’s and Maggie’s birthdays, as well as the birthdays of his children from a former marriage, Joshua, 16, and Beth, 13, who live in Lehigh County.
Homecoming Parade?
Edith Walters would like help organizing a welcome home parade for soldiers from the 56th SBCT. Interested? You can find more details in this story from WJAC News.
Photos: 56th on Patrol
DVIDS has a new photo gallery featuring soldiers from the 56th SBCT. Description:
U.S. Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, utilize simple gestures to communicate with the local children during a cordon and knock at Taji Market, near Camp Taji, Iraq, Aug. 9. Small moments like this help the next generation of Iraqis learn that they do not need to fear the U.S. Army.
Video: GMAV
Here's a bit of video to go along with the article we posted earlier this week.
56th SBCT Articles
The Warhead blog hosted by PennLive.com has a number of new entries featuring the 56th SBCT.
GMAV Pilots Bring 'hover and Stare' Capability to Battlefield
TAJI, Iraq – A new unmanned aerial vehicle with "hover and stare" capability gives the high ground to 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team units on Camp Taji, Iraq. Soldiers piloting the Gas Micro Air Vehicle can use it as an extra set of eyes near a patrol or can send the UAV miles ahead to scout beyond the horizon and send back real-time video.
"Independence Brigade" pilots who have used the prototype in Iraq over the past seven months have provided feedback to manufacturer Honeywell. Company engineers have used that input to make modifications to a forthcoming GMAV model.
"It's exciting to hear their ideas that come back," Kevin Bogert, a Honeywell field service engineer working at Camp Taji, said. "For a prototype configuration it's done very well."
"The beauty of the system is you can hover and stare," Bogert said, adding that the GMAV can take snapshots, record video and help Soldiers mark targets.
Pennsylvania Guard Mission Counters Attacks From IEDs, IDF
BAGHDAD – An area known as "the big concrete slab" has attracted the interest of a platoon of Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers for its use as a staging area to deter indirect fire attacks against coalition forces.
Soldiers of the "Charger" Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, drove Stryker vehicles onto the "slab" to conduct a counter-improvised explosive device and counter-IDF mission here, July 30.
The area, which gave a wide 360-degree view, was picked as a good spot to thwart insurgent attacks in the planning phase.
"We're trying to catch people placing IEDs or trying to fire rockets and mortars at us or at VBC [Victory Base Complex]," said Spc. Paul Valdiserri, an infantryman from Stockdale, Pa. "There is also that chance that someone will come up to us to give us information. We've had that happen before."
Future Hero Project Distributes Smiles to Iraqi Children
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Over 2,000 children from the Tarmiyah area received soccer balls and school supplies, July 29, thanks to a combined effort between the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (Independence), Iraqi security forces, and the Ministry of Education.
The Future Hero project is a joint effort between Soldiers from the Independence Brigade and their Iraqi security force counterparts. In the past they have done many school drops under the Junior Hero program, but the Future Hero program took things to the next level by involving Iraqi officials and recognizing academic achievements of the students.
"We have done about 15 Junior Hero projects throughout the Tarmiyah qada, but this one is the largest," Sgt. Brian Choe, of Tustin, Calif., said. "We asked to bring in the Ministry of Education and the council members and are presenting the top students from 15 schools with a certificate of achievement today."
Choe has been based out of Tarmiyah since last October and wanted to give back to the small town north of Camp Taji that he had been working in. He got the idea for Operation Future Hero after holding about fifteen Junior Hero school drops in the past 10 months. According to Choe, Operation Future Hero creates community involvement rather than just handing out gifts.
Redeployment on Horizon
Folks in PA are gearing up for the return of the 56th SBCT this fall, according to The Herald-Mail.
Before long, Angell and more than 4,000 other members of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team should be talking to their loved ones face to face. The brigade, which included about 88 guardsmen based in Chambersburg and Waynesboro when it deployed in January, is scheduled to return to the United States in September.“Everybody’s looking forward to coming home, but we can’t lose sight that there’s a bad guy out there,” said Maj. Daniel Cody of Chambersburg.
Stryker Vehicle Good Fit for PA NG Cavalry Troopers
TAJI, Iraq – Decked out in "Pope Glass," camouflage netting and possibly an ice chest or two, the vehicle begins to resemble a parade float. But Soldiers who depend on the Stryker each day at Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad, are fond of their "trucks" that bring a new level of versatility and mobility to the battlefield.
Soldiers of one 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team unit also praise the eight-wheeled, all-wheel-drive Stryker for its high-tech communications package and its safety features. U.S. Army 1st Lt. Eric Tomlinson of Warminster, Pa., leader of 1st Platoon, A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, said he appreciates the armor package of the Stryker.
"It's a lot more robust than what you've got in a Humvee," Tomlinson said. "And the other thing that's great about it is the flexibility of being able to have more dismounts in a concentrated vehicle platform."
The Stryker, produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, comes in 10 variants. The infantry carrier variant can shuttle a full squad of seven Soldiers, in addition to a vehicle commander, driver and gunner. The vehicles feature fire-suppression systems and operators can adjust tire pressure to terrain.
Update on Injured Soldier
The Altoona Mirror has an update on a 56th SBCT soldier, SGT Matt Gibbons, who was injured in Iraq.
After a second deployment with the 56th Stryker Brigade of the Pennsylvania National Guard when Matt, 26, and Jon, 37, went to Iraq, an enemy grenade injured the youngest of four Gibbons siblings earlier this year."I wish I was still there," Matt Gibbons said while recently on leave in Altoona during his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
While his brother continues active duty in Iraq, Matt travels to Walter Reed for physical therapy on an injured hand and adjusts to life with only one eye. At the end of the month, he will remain at the medical center until a transfer is complete.
56th SBCT Videos
DVIDS has a number of recent videos featuring elements of the 56th SBCT.
- DVIDS 656th Signal Company
- DVIDS Stryker Vehicles Driving
- 56th Stryker Brigade Clears Route of IED's - Interviews
- 56th Stryker Brigade Clears Route of IED's
- 56th Stryker Brigade Clears Route of IED's - Package
Stryker Route Clearance Teams Clear Roads for Soldiers, Local Civilians
TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers of the 856th Engineer Company, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team slowly cruise the roads of the Taji area, north of Baghdad, trying to find anything that might hide a roadside bomb. When the engineers find something suspicious, they poke it.
It may seem like a strange job but it's a necessary one. Soldiers on the route clearance missions have a goal of finding emplaced improvised explosive devices before they can be used against other Soldiers or civilian motorists. Their toolbox includes Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles equipped with hydraulic arms that can "poke" at suspect items and dig through dirt or piles of trash. The teams also use metal detectors and the engineer-variant Stryker vehicle. Teams don't move very quickly. But speed is not the goal; vigilance is.
"It's very interesting because you never know what's going to happen out there," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Bentley of York, Pa., a squad leader with 856th's 2nd Platoon.
A typical mission can last hours. Bentley said the heat and the repetitiveness of the job wears on Soldiers. He said his squad has seen the same stretches of road, and the same garbage, many dozens of times. He said the key is for team members to keep the radio chatter going between vehicles and to call out familiar and unfamiliar objects by the road.
Eyes in the Sky
Stars & Stripes describes a new unmanned aerial vehicle soldiers from the 56th SBCT are testing out.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — It starts with a pull cord, sounds like a high-powered weed whacker and looks like a motorized bucket with legs.Soldiers in the field have already given it a nickname — the "flying beer keg."
But this keg dispenses something more valuable than frosty ale, even for thirsty troops in Iraq. The Gas Micro Air Vehicle gives an individual soldier a view around corners and on the roofs of buildings without having to call back to headquarters for help.
Signal Company Keeps Stryker Soldiers in Touch With Each Other, the World
TAJI, Iraq – The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's signal company has been fighting the heat and dust of Iraq to keep brigade units "on the horn" with each other. The Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers understand that the performance of Soldiers on missions may depend upon how well they can communicate.
"In few places can you say life or death depends on being able to talk; this is one of them," Capt. Mark Campbell of State College, Pa., 656th Signal Company commander said, July 11.
The mission of the 656th, based in Torrance, Pa., and currently deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad, is to provide phone, internet and radio communication for the 56th SBCT. Campbell, who as a civilian works in information technology for the Penn State University library, said Soldiers of his unit aggressively look for communications problems to solve by routinely visiting units.
"We go ahead and we ask them, 'How are things going?'" Campbell said.
56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade Commanders Swap Roles
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – For an aviation unit, the concept of performing missions on the ground is perhaps an alien thought, just as being in the air is to the Stryker teams who are helping to keep the Iraqi streets safe.
When the roles are reversed however, and both sides are able to see operations from each other's point of view, the importance of air-ground integration is magnified – revealing how crucial both are to complete these missions.
The commanders of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade and 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team were able to experience this reversal, as both undertook joint training working together to obtain a new perspective on AGI and better understand how it works.
Col. Marc Ferraro, from Cherry Hill, N.J., commander, Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th SBCT, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, said the working relationship between the 1st ACB and the 56th SBCT began last November at Fort Polk, La., when the two trained together in preparation for their upcoming deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Joint Readiness Training Center.
56th SBCT Memorial Marathon
I wish I had discovered The Warhead earlier. It's is a blog written by CPT Ed Shank of the 108th FA, 56th SBCT. His most recent entry is a great long piece on an effort to organize the 108th Field Artillery Memorial Day Marathon and Half-Marathon in Iraq to honor SSG Mark Baum.
Although 1st Lt. Jeremy Arnett had never met Staff Sgt. Mark Baum, he felt a connection. Like Baum, Arnett was a father and husband serving in a country far away from his family. Arnett knew that, if he were to die in combat, he would want his wife and child to feel that they could count on his fellow soldiers to help ease the sense of inconsolable loss."I kept thinking "what can I do?'" said Arnett. "I just kept thinking of how my family would feel if I didn't come home."
That's when the lieutenant, an avid runner with two marathons under his belt, approached his commander with the idea of hosting a marathon to raise money for Baum's family and the families of other soldiers who (God forbid) were lost during the brigade's tour in Iraq.
56th SBCT Soldiers Honored
Three soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry, 56th SBCT were honored recently, according to the following article by the Patriot-News.
A Bronze Star with valor and two Purple Hearts have been awarded to midstate soldiers injured in an Easter attack that destroyed a Stryker vehicle near Baghdad.1st Lt. Reed Preece, 25, of Gettysburg, received the Bronze Star with valor. [...] Two other midstate soldiers injured in that attack received their Purple Hearts a few weeks ago, said Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver, Pa. National Guard spokesman.
National Guard Unit Formed by Benjamin Franklin Still Defending Freedom
TAJI, Iraq – As America celebrated its 233rd birthday this past week, a Pennsylvania National Guard unit that predates the American Revolution, continued its mission of defending freedom with combat operations here in Iraq.
The 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment is the original unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard and is one of the oldest units in the Army. The unit, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin, first saw action in the French and Indian War and today is a part of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad.
"We're the founding unit in the Pennsylvania National Guard," said Lt. Col. Mark O'Hanlon, commander of the 1st Bn., 111th Inf. Regt. "We're very proud of our lineage. We have been around since 1747 before there was a country."
In the mid-18th Century, Pennsylvania was a British colony, but was still subject to threats from the French privateers and pirates.
Mother, Son Serve Together in Iraq
TAJI, Iraq – One Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier has two ways he can address Capt. Dorothy Watkins. He can call her ma'am or he can call her mom.
Spc. Joshua Watkins and his mother, Capt. Watkins, are both deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, a base camp north of Baghdad, with the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division. The mother and son from Hazleton, Pa., are able to enjoy lunch together most days, and celebrate family holidays such as Mother's Day.
Capt. Watkins was already in Iraq, deployed with another unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard when her son received orders to deploy to Iraq with the Philadelphia-based 56th SBCT.
Capt. Watkins, an officer in the adjutant general corps, scrambled to find a slot so she could deploy with her son. She was home from Iraq only nine days before she mobilized with the 56th SBCT.
Update on Injured Stryler Soldier
The Carlsbad Current-Argus has an update on a soldier with the 56th SBCT, SSG Michael Leach, who was injured recently in Iraq.
CARLSBAD — For Staff Sgt. Michael Leach, an army reservist fighting in Iraq, June 17 was a day both lucky and unlucky. It is also a day that will be forever burned into his memory.Leach, who in civilian life serves as director of surgical nursing at Carlsbad Medical Center, was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with al-Qaida suicide bombers. They were flushed out by the Iraqi army during a raid on a house where al-Qaida insurgents were believed to be hiding.
Leach said he is blessed to have survived taking three bullets from an AK-47 two in his right arm and one in his right side and to be able to talk about it.
PA NG Soldiers Deliver Food to Abu Ghraib Orphanage
Story by Sgt. Philip Schratwieser
BAGHDAD – Soldiers of Company C of the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, "Paxton Rangers", 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad conducted a combined patrol through Abu Ghraib June 25 to disrupt insurgents in the area and improve their relationship with their Iraqi counterparts.
The area they patrolled is called the "1st of June" as Iraqis often name areas after significant dates in their history.
Leading the patrol was a platoon from the 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi army Division. As a result of the agreement between coalition forces and the nation of Iraq all combat operations are now conducted jointly.
One of the goals of these joint operations is training, another is to show the people that there is a transition happening as coalition forces begin pulling back.
Space Technology Assists Iraqi Irrigation Inventory Project
BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's geospatial intelligence section are playing a role in helping Iraqi leaders prepare to expand irrigation and farming throughout Iraq.
The Soldiers are teaching 20 Iraqi technicians on data processing procedures they will use to inventory the Iraqi farmland and irrigation infrastructure.
Sgt. 1st Class Marvin Nichols and Pfc. Amanda Po, both of Philadelphia, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are presenting a geospatial systems workshop to ministry of water resources and ministry of agriculture officials in the International Zone. The course, that began June 21, will continue throughout the week.
The workshop shows technicians how to compile data, gathered recently by field technicians, to measure canal layouts and amounts of acreage used for growing various crops.
Taji Troops Help Defend Wetland Habitats
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers in one Pennsylvania Army National Guard company here have been "enlisting" over the past week in an effort to preserve stateside wetlands – for the benefit of wildlife and people.
A group 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers formed Ducks Unlimited's first chapter in Iraq with a June 13 cookout and charter meeting. Those first Camp Taji DU members have continued to sign up more new members for the waterfowl conservation organization since then. About 35 Soldiers have joined the roles of the Camp Taji, Iraq, chapter of Ducks Unlimited since the kickoff cookout.
The idea for an Iraq chapter started with a longtime DU member who is serving here with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry, 56th SBCT.
Sgt. John Chrzanowski, 57, of Erie, Pa., said the first annual meeting of the newest DU chapter offered the camaraderie of hunters hanging out together and sharing stories while deployed far from the nearest duck blind or deer stand.
Iraqis Graduate Electrical Course
TARMIYAH, Iraq — The Ministry of Electricity celebrated the addition of 20 new linesmen to help restore much-needed electrical services to a rural area north of Baghdad.
The Tarmiyah Electrical Line Repair Team School held its graduation ceremony in the city of Tarmiyah, June 18. The event culminated six months of training for area citizens to gain the skills necessary to work for the ministry and help improve the electrical service in the area.
The class included three weeks of classroom instruction followed by 23 weeks of on-the-job-training. 1st Lt. Richard Weber, assistant engineer for 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division—Baghdad, has been working with the ministry to oversee the progress of the course.
Stryker Infantry, Engineers Support Iraqi Army-led Search
NUBAI, Iraq – A platoon of Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers played a support role in an Iraqi army-led, battalion-level search for weapons caches near Nubai, north of Baghdad, June 16. The search of several areas discovered no caches but achieved another level of success for the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment and the unit's IA partners.
"This is actually the first time the Iraqi army as a brigade has planned a mission and executed on a battalion level," said Capt. John Mance of Norristown, Pa., commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-111th. "This is a first for their division and their brigade."
Soldiers from the 56th SBCT's 856th Engineer Company joined the HHC, 1-111th for the mission. Engineers and IA Soldiers together swept several large areas with metal detectors as a military working dog and handler zig-zagged across fields and along canals.
The 56th SBCT Soldiers linked up with the IA unit near Nubai, northwest of Camp Taji, in the early morning hours. IA Soldiers had already begun searching a field adjacent an IA checkpoint as the HHC Soldiers rolled up in their Strykers.
'Charlie Med' Soldiers Take Care of Camp Taji
TAJI, Iraq – Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers staffing Camp Taji's main medical clinic are prepared to treat the worst of battlefield injuries but hope the bulk of their cases continues to be sprained ankles and upset stomachs. Soldiers of Company C "Charlie Med," 328th Brigade Support Battalion, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, operate the facility which provides basic healthcare to the thousands of Soldiers and civilians on the post which is located north of Baghdad.
"All walks of life come in here, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Strathmeyer of Lititz, Pa., the clinic's non-commissioned officer in charge. "We treat anything from a Hesco barrier getting dropped on someone's foot to gunshot wounds. We've got the only Guard [facility] and we're the highest level of care on the FOB [forward operating base]."
The clinic's lab workers can do urine analysis and blood counts. Tests that can't be performed at the clinic are sent to a combat support hospital in Baghdad. The medical clinic supports about 10,000 Soldiers and up to another 12,000 civilians at Taji.
Weapons, explosives seized near Taji
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
CAMP TAJI – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division—Baghdad Soldiers seized a sizable amount of weapons and explosives June 9 while conducting joint operations north of Baghdad.
Members of the 36th Iraqi Army Brigade and the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (Independence), uncovered three significant weapon caches in the Taji area that included two rockets, seven RPGs, 44 mortars, 10 fuses, 16 grenades, three rifles, one machine gun, four pounds of military grade explosives and suicide belts.
The majority of the findings were destroyed with select items turned over to the Iraqi Army.
1-112th INF Update
The Erie Times-News conducted a phone interview with the commander of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade.
The Iraqis "are coming to us with missions now, we don't have to go to them with targets," said Junkin, 32, of Erie. "We're really in a support role, to tell you the truth. It's working out well."The same applies to the rest of the 4,000-soldier deployment, said brigade spokesman Capt. Cory Angell.
"We're all trying to let (the Iraqis) take the lead, because they know, and we know, that we are only going to be here for so much longer," Angell said.
Joint Medical Expo Brings Healthcare to Needy Iraqis
TAJI, Iraq — Thanks to the combined efforts of Pennsylvania Guardsmen, the Iraqi army, and concerned citizens, villagers have access to medical care in an area where local clinics are not accessible.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Multi-National Division-Baghdad helped support a medical expo, June 7, at the al-Sadir secondary school in the rural area of Hor al-Bosh to see doctors and nurses, and obtain necessary medications.
Sheik Mohammed Ibrahim donated hundreds of doses of antibiotics, vaccinations, and other medications to provide to the locals who otherwise don't have regular access to medical facilities. He worked with the Soldiers of Co. C and their Iraqi army counterparts to set up the event where families could seek medical treatment in a safe environment.
"Lots of these people have no money," Ibrahim said, "With this mission they are feeling that someone cares about the people; that the coalition forces, along with the Iraqi army, are for their best interests."
PA Representatives Visit With Stryker Soldiers
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Col. Marc Ferraro, commander of 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, updated four U.S. representatives from Pennsylvania on the work of "Independence" brigade Soldiers during the congressional delegation's visit here, June 7.
U.S. Reps. Tim Holden (D-17th District), Bill Shuster (R-9th District), Charlie Dent (R-15th District) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3rd District) visit comes at the midpoint of the brigade's deployment in Iraq.
"We conduct full-spectrum operations," Ferraro told the delegation. "Everything we do is through a partnership with the Iraqi army."
Ferraro reported the brigade has conducted over 3,000 patrols, with Soldiers finding 79 weapon caches. Additionally, 827 arrest warrants have been issued through cooperation with Iraqi security forces. Ferraro said that number is the highest within Multi-National Division-Baghdad.
Gym Dedicated to Fallen Independence Soldier
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Soldiers from 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Independence," Multi-National Division—Baghdad paid tribute to a fallen Soldier by naming a gym in his honor.
The Baum Fitness Center was dedicated, June 5, named after Staff Sgt. Mark Baum, of Quakertown, Pa., who was killed in action, Feb. 21.
Baum was fatally shot near Mushada, just north of Camp Taji, when members of his platoon responded to attack by small-arms fire. This deployment was his third combat deployment and second to Iraq.
Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment stood under the 112 degree sun to watch the ceremony for a Soldier they considered a brother, friend, and mentor.
Guardsmen Deliver Supplies to Local Children
TAJI, Iraq – Teamwork between Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and three local Iraqi sheikhs led to a June 4, distribution of essential supplies to two local schools, north of Baghdad.
Although philanthropy is not a part of the units' stated mission, Soldiers from the 328th Brigade Support Battalion and 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division—Baghdad managed to accumulate several boxes of supplies by appealing to private citizens and organizations back in the United States
Iraqi army and police officers provided security as over 320 children received school materials and hygiene items. The American soldiers found themselves driven to help local school children.
"Every kid got something today," said Lt. Steven DeSanzo, of Ellwood City, Pa., of Company B, 1st Bn., 112th Inf. Regt.
After coordinating with Sheikhs Awad, Naif, and Yasin, the U.S. troops were able to offload the supplies at the al-Bowasick and al-Boreyap schools.
The students were given handbills to assist in identifying personnel and groups wanted by regional authorities. They were also given instructions on how to inform their local police officers.
The Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers involved in the effort said most of the children present are too young to fully comprehend the reasons behind the conflict in their nation but said selfless acts like these will ensure that the children will have positive memories of the United States and its Soldiers.
Maintenance Mission Lifts Soldiers to New Heights
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers who work at the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team headquarters, likely no longer take notice of the towering antennas around their buildings. One piece of the communications equipment drew a lot of attention though, June 4, when two Soldiers rode a crane-operated platform to the top of the nearly 50-feet high antenna to perform routine maintenance.
The spectacle of two Soldiers perched well above rooftop level had passersby stopping for a look-see throughout the day.
"We were conducting antennae maintenance on the towers, for the FM [communications]," said Sgt. Shauna Banks of Philadelphia. "We also ran new cable."
Banks, a signal systems specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th SBCT, coordinated the maintenance project for the brigade's "commo" section. She said temporary connections to other antennas had to be made so the company did not lose FM communications while maintenance was conducted.
Joint Air Assault Checks for Caches
TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers from a Pennsylvania Army National Guard unit worked with Iraqi army soldiers, June 3, to confirm that insurgents have not reseeded a small portion of desert area, northwest of Taji, with weapon caches.
The joint mission also provided IA soldiers an opportunity to hone air assault skills as the Iraqis participated in a helicopter insertion into the search point with their 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team counterparts.
"Today's mission was a combined air assault operation. The purpose was to confirm or deny whether the area is being used by the enemy for logistics," said Capt. Greg Holloway, of Slippery Rock, Pa., commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th SBCT.
Holloway said insurgents have used the location in the past for hiding weapons. U.S. and Iraqi forces periodically search such areas to ensure insurgents don't begin using them again.
ISF, MND-B arrest seven during Baghdad operations
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces Soldiers arrested seven criminals in three different operations in northwest Baghdad and Abu Ghraib May 30 – June 1.
At approximately 11 p.m., May 30, Soldiers serving with the 2nd Stryker Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division—Baghdad, arrested four individuals while conducting combined patrol operations with Iraqi Security Forces in the Abu Ghraib district west of Baghdad.
During the patrol, the Soldiers observed two suspicious males and as the convoy approached their position, the individuals fled to a house.
Soldiers Remember Comrade in Memorial Ceremony
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers remembered the life of one of their own in a memorial ceremony at Camp Liberty, May 30.
Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers serving with the 2nd Stryker Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, held the ceremony for Spc. Chad Edmundson, from Williamsburg, Pa., who died of wounds from an improvised explosive device during dismounted patrol operations in Abu Ghraib May 27.
Friends and comrades of Edmundson said a few words to describe just the type of character he had.
"Chad personified every aspect of the Army values," said Capt. Jason Hoffman, Edmundson's company commander. "His character was defined by selfless service."
Photos: Joint Patrol in Abu Ghraib
56th SBCT soldiers featured in new photo album from DVIDS. Description:
A U.S. Soldier from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, digs for a potential weapons cache during a joint patrol through a village in the Abu Ghraib District of Baghdad, Iraq, on May 26.
Joint Operation Clears Nassir Factory
TAJI, Iraq — Soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team conducted a large-scale joint operation, May 24, with members of the Iraqi army to clear a factory of possible enemy insurgent activity.
Independence Soldiers, along with elements of the 36th and 37th Battalions of the Iraqi army, conducted a massive sweep of the Nassir factory and Kem village in order to upset enemy activity.
The Nassir factory, located about two miles north of Camp Taji, has historically been an area of insurgent action in the northern Baghdad belt. This was the first joint operation of this size the Pennsylvania National Guard troops had conducted with the Iraqi army. It included two companies each from 56th SBCT and the Iraqi army.
A Time to Remember
BAGHDAD – Soldiers with the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team took time to honor their fallen at a Memorial Day service, May 25, on Camp Taji, Iraq.
"For us in Iraq, this day is all the more meaningful and significant," said Capt. Schaun Myers, chaplain, from Reading, Pa. "We have a much clearer view of what our fallen have faced, the courage displayed and the sacrifices made, to keep our children and our nation free."
During the event Col. Marc Ferraro, commander of the 56th Stryker Brigade, read a letter he received from a sergeant in the brigade whose soldiers were killed in action on a previous deployment.The letter stated in part, "I only knew these men from my service with them but I loved them as much as I have loved anyone in my life."
Ferraro concluded much like the letter, by saying, "I ask all of you, as this sergeant did, to take the time today to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice."
The 56th Stryker Brigade has suffered one combat loss during its current deployment when Staff Sgt. Mark Baum was killed north of Taji, Feb. 21, in a direct fire engagement with the enemy. Seven other members of the brigade have died in action since September 11, 2001.
Busy Year Precedes Infantryman's Trip to Iraq
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – A Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldier who began his basic training the day the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team mobilized has caught up to his unit in Iraq, after a busy year of military instruction.
Pvt. Jason Berry, of Carlisle, Pa., with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, said he joined to serve and can best do that by being with his deployed unit at Camp Liberty where the 2-112th is attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
"This is the Guard's biggest [combat] deployment since World War II. I wanted to be a part of it and do my part," Berry said.
LA Marathon...In Iraq
A 56th SBCT soldier organized a "shadow" LA marathon in Iraq on Memorial Day and 400 fellow soldiers participated in the event.
Update: DVIDS has a follow up article re: the marathon, with photos - Camp Taji Marathon.
SPC Chad A. Edmundson
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Chad A. Edmundson, 20, of Williamsburg, Pa., died May 27 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on a dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry, 56th Stryker Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Related:
Area soldier killed - Altoona Mirror
Central Pa. soldier dies in roadside blast in Iraq - Philadelphia Inquirer
Soldiers Remember Comrade in Memorial Ceremony - Stryker Brigade News
Guardsmen, Iraqi Army Soldiers on the Hunt in Abu Ghraib
Story by Sgt. Doug Roles, 56th SBCT
BAGHDAD – Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team partnered with Iraqi army soldiers, May 19, to search several locations in the Abu Ghraib area for explosives. The joint patrol was part of an ongoing joint effort to lessen the threat of vehicle borne improvised explosive devices in Abu Ghraib by searching for components used in making car bombs.
Soldiers from Company B, 2-112th said the continued patrols with the Iraqis serve as a deterrent to would-be insurgents.
"The VBIED is one of the greatest threats. We were actively patrolling to mitigate that threat," said Capt. Jason Hoffman, commander of Co. B. "We maintain a near constant presence."
Hoffman said Soldiers of the 2-112th face "a big challenge" in Abu Ghraib, at one time one of the more volatile areas of Iraq, but said he is proud of the way his Soldiers have met that challenge and have represented both the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the U.S. Army. Hoffman said the civilian experience teachers, corrections officers and emergency medical technicians bring to Iraq as Soldiers is invaluable. He said his Soldiers are involved in "full spectrum operations" that range from combat patrols to assisting with civil affairs missions.
"We've done a lot of great things here," said 1st Lt. Michael Keckler, of Bel Air, Md., a platoon leader with Co. B.
Keckler's platoon was in charge of securing a landing zone during the operation, in the event that medical evacuation by air was needed. He echoed Hoffman, saying, his platoon maintains a near constant presence in sector. He said that level of activity pays off with locals providing more tips on insurgent activity.
"The civilians are stepping up. They're a little less scared, because we're out there all the time," he said. "They're less scared to come and talk to us."
Photos: 56th SBCT
DVIDS has a new album of photos featuring 56th SBCT soldiers conducting medical training for Iraqi soldiers.
A Wet Future for Saab Al-Bour
BAGHDAD – The Directorate General of Water Resources for Baghdad, Thair Dahri, visited Pump Station One in Saab al-Bour, May 16, to encourage students learning new skills and see firsthand the recent increase in irrigation.
"This increase means [more than 6,000 acres] of land will be irrigated," said Thair. "We are committed to increasing the ability to maintain this pump station as well."
Thair talked with 18 students training as operators at the station and said the ministry is working on getting them employed.
"We have helped increase the output of Pump Station One from two cubic meters per second to four cubic meters per second," said Capt. Philip Benner, assistant engineer, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division-Baghdad. "This has doubled the capacity of the station providing irrigation water to Saab al-Bour and Abu Ghuraib."
Benner said that they are also looking to provide excavating equipment so the Iraqi's can better maintain the canal system. This additional equipment along with 18 new operators, who will graduate the training course July 10, will increase their ability to sustain the progress.
"This project also helped fill the Ghrai Bawi canal with irrigation water," said Benner. "This is the first time in years that that canal has had significant water."
Airmen Support Soldiers by Putting Bombs on Targets
[56th SBCT soldiers quoted in this story. - Ed.]
Story by Staff Sgt. Tim Beckham
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – On a battlefield they plan, request and direct air strikes against enemy targets in close proximity to friendly forces, namely the army units on the front lines who may need close-air support in the blink of an eye.
"I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I am supporting my Army counterparts," said Senior Airman Stephan Merlics, 82nd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron joint terminal attack controller, and who is deployed from Fort Riley, Kan., and is a native of Orlando. "I basically tell the aircraft where to put bombs on targets."
The Airmen charged with calling in these possible air strikes are known as the Tactical Air Control Party or TACPs, and for a small group of them here supporting ground forces is their number one priority.
Iraqi Police, PA Guardsmen Provide Help in Taji
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Iraqi national police, working with Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, distributed over five truckloads worth of food and household supplies to needy women in the Taji area, north of Baghdad, May 16.
Women lined up with their children to receive food donated by the United Nations; made available to them at the Taji Council building. Many of them said they had lost husbands in the war and have been struggling to provide for their young children.
56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers discovered the food in a warehouse on Camp Taji when the unit took over operations last February. Civil affairs Soldiers and members of embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team - 5, based out of Camp Taji, worked with the National Police to make the food available to distribute to needy women and children.
"This is UN relief food to give to the needy, such as the handicapped, widowed, orphaned," said Maj. James Fluck, civil affairs officer for the 56th SBCT.
Commander Highlights Progress North of Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Col. Marc Ferraro, commander of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, told Iraqi journalists, May 12, that his Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers, working alongside Iraqi security forces, have improved security in the Taji and Tarmiyah regions, north of Baghdad.
Ferraro and an embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team leader also discussed ongoing efforts to improve local infrastructure during a press conference and luncheon held at the Freedom Rest center in the International Zone, Baghdad.
Over 30 Iraqi journalists, from media outlets based in Baghdad, attended the event. After making their opening statements, Ferraro and Linda Specht, the PRT leader, answered questions on topics ranging from security to freedom of the press to irrigation.
"Security does remain our number one priority within the qadas [regions]," Ferraro said. "We continue to conduct combined patrols with the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police throughout the qadas. We feel we have disrupted the enemy's ability to conduct operations."
Funding a Brighter Future Through Micro-grants
Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell
BAGHDAD – A few months ago there were desks caked with dust piled in a corner, no fans or air conditioning, no books - filthy conditions and broken windows in a dilapidated building that was supposed to be al-Irshad primary school in Bata.
But according to Pfc. Nickolas Klingel, a cavalry scout from Kresgiville, Pa., assigned to 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th "Independence" Stryker Brigade Combat Team, during their 90-day micro grant assessment on May 9, this school has transformed into a safe-haven for Iraqi children to come and learn.
Because of the micro-grant program, this school, along with local businesses, now has proper facilities to help improve security and resurrect the Iraqi economy.
At the al-Irshad primary school, the children's future is brighter and the parents notice.
Senior Enlisted Soldier Receives Memories to Last a Lifetime
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Klunk keeps a box in his home in Hanover, Pa. In it are keepsakes that remind him of significant events that have shaped his career as a Soldier over the past 38 years in the military.
When he returns home in the fall, he will need a bigger box.
That's because Klunk, the senior enlisted staff member of Task Force Joshua, 108th Field Artillery, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, has new memories - memories of the time he spent helping to prepare his unit for deployment to Iraq; memories of time spent in Mississippi and Louisiana training for an ever-changing war in the Middle East; and memories of time spent at Camp Taji, Iraq where his unit is responsible for both traditional missions as well as a slew of non-traditional field artillery missions.
One of the things that his box of memories is sure to include is a stack of letters from the Spring-Ford Middle School Seventh Grade Center in Royersford, Pa., where his daughter, Melinda, teaches math.
'Independence' Individual Ready Reserve Soldiers Answer Call
Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell
BAGHDAD – After spending a year in Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from 2003 to 2004, Specialists Wayne Mason and Ronnie Whitehurst finished up their time on active duty as infantrymen and transitioned to the Individual Ready Reserve and civilian life.
Everything was going fine. They each had families to take care of and never thought they'd see each other again. Until one day a few years into their IRR commitment when they each received FedEx packages.
"I was scared for real, to be honest," said Mason, a native of Columbus, Ohio. "I didn't want to come back to Iraq. I could've got out of reporting, but I have the mentality of a Soldier. I love this country."
"At first, I was debating on what would happen if I didn't show up," admitted a soft-spoken Whitehurst of Pensacola, Fla. "'Cause I really didn't know the consequences."
Both Soldiers swallowed hard and left their families for Iraq again. This time as members of C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th "Independence" Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Caches Sweep Uncovers New Leads, Trust
Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell
BAGHDAD – A concerned local citizen tips a community leader in the rural village of Hay al-Skri in northern Baghdad. There might be a weapons cache buried on a farm.
Soldiers of 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are quick to move and arrive at the farm, May 8, with tools to search for weapons and explosives.
"We follow up on leads for weapons caches with tips that we receive," said Staff Sgt. Paul Jones, a Waynesboro, Pa., native and cavalry scout squad leader assigned to C Troop. "The locals give us information because they want to save their kids too. They live here and are tired of getting blown up."
The Soldiers quickly cordon off the farm, make their presence known and talk to the military-aged males at the farm, next to a school. Parents herd the children into a line on a curb. Despite their curiosity, the children bury their heads in their books.
"Overall, you got the insurgency placing these caches at places like this and when you find them, the locals come out and thank you," said Cpl. Bryan Eveland, a cavalry scout team leader from Waterville, Pa., also assigned to C Troop.
Photos: 56th SBCT
DVIDS has a new photo album featuring soldiers from the 1-112th INF, 56th SBCT patrolling near Taji.
56th SBCT Update
The Patriot News has a brief update from the brigade's commander, COL Marc Ferraro.
Keystone Soldiers, Iraqi Police Focus on Taji Market Security
TAJI, Iraq – Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers and their Iraqi counterparts have been hitting the streets to maintain security in Taji market, one of the busiest sectors of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's area of operations, north of Baghdad. The market is a lynchpin in the security effort there because it's where the lives of locals intertwine.
"Being the main market area, that's the economy," Harrisburg, Pa., native, 1st Lt. Joshua Fox, a platoon leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, said following a May 4 patrol through the market.
"Everybody in the area is linked to the market," Fox added. "They work there or they buy there."
The market is in the area of operations of Guard Soldiers stationed at Joint Security Station Hor Al Bosh. Patrolling Soldiers regularly talk to shopkeepers and with Iraqi security forces manning checkpoints. Fox said his Soldiers incorporate as many Iraqi police as are available on a given day into their patrols.
Fundraiser for 56th SBCT
The Altoona Mirror describes an effort to raise money to send care packages to soldiers with the 56th SBCT.
Help for area soldiers deployed in Iraq came Thursday one hoagie at a time."It went wonderful," said Hope Benning, whose brother, Brian Weaver, is among the 166 soldiers from Company B, Second Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. "One guy came in, got four hoagies and gave $200."
The daylong sale, organized through the Sankertown VFW Ladies Auxiliary, raised money to help send overseas care packages that already are sitting at the armory.
Walking With Warriors
BAGHDAD – At Joint Security Station Hor al-Bosh, the day for Company C, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry, begins around a briefing board mounted on a wall. Soldiers gather around as they receive the day's mission; again reminded of the threats that they could face.
"We brief them on the mission, making sure everyone knows what task they will perform and the purpose for performing it," said Staff Sgt. Bert Finland, from St. Mary's, Pa. "We cover the risks we face and if any of those risks become reality, the actions we will take."
It's a ritual that the Soldiers have ingrained in themselves after more than three months in Iraq. Each Soldier is called on to brief something; indicators of an improvised explosive device, actions on identifying a threat, and evacuation of wounded. All of them repeat the steps as if they were second nature.
ISF Ensure Safety in Sab Al Bour
Story by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford
BAGHDAD – Iraqi security forces have taken the lead to ensure the safety of the people in a place known as the "City of Peace."
"Sab al-Bour, once a thriving city with over 60 thousand people composed of Shi'a and Sunni tribes living in harmony saw its population dwindle to less than 10 thousand during [Operation Iraqi Freedom]," said Sgt. Hussan, an Iraqi army Soldier with the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 6th IA Division.
"Al Qaida came in and disturbed the peace and caused sectarian violence among the people here," said Muhammed, an Iraqi policeman in Sab al-Bour. "Many of the people left the city to escape the violence," he added.
According to Muhammed, some stayed to fight with the coalition forces to protect their community and to help drive al Qaida out.
Students of Ann G. McGuinness School Let Soldiers Know They Care
Story by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford
BAGHDAD – After a long stressful day of patrolling the streets of Sab al-Bour looking for weapons and explosive devices, weary Soldiers of B Troop, 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team return to base anxious to fall into bed. But, as they enter their quarters, they pause for a look at the collage of greeting cards that hang around the door. The cards, a collection of well wishes from children at the Ann G. McGuinness School back in the States, seem to erase the events of the day and cause smiles to form on their weary faces.
"It just makes you feel good," said Spc. Matthew Fogarty, from Bethleham, Pa., and a cavalry scout in B Troop.
According to Fogarty, there are many schools around the country like the Ann G. McGuinness Intermediate School from Union Endicott, N.Y., that make it a point to let Soldiers know they still care. But this is different for Fogarty and the Soldiers of B Troop. The cards of support come from one of Fogarty's childhood friends.
Brothers in Arms
Story by Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Growing up together in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Moersch and Spc. Brandon Kosky played cops and robbers as boys, fighting the "bad guys" and putting them behind bars in an imaginary world.
Now more than 15 years later, the two service members, both currently deployed here, are doing something similar - only now, it's not a game and their actions are helping aid the Iraqi judiciary system.
An Airman with the 732nd Expeditionary Intelligence Squadron, Sgt. Moersch is a document media exploitation cellular exploitation analyst assigned to the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team here. Spc. Kosky, also assigned to the 56th Stryker BCT, is an infantry Soldier and Stryker driver.
Support Unit Keeps Outposts Stocked With Fuel, Food
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A Pennsylvania National Guard unit is on a quest to find the best ways to quickly and safely move supplies of every kind to remote outposts dependent upon timely delivery of those goods.
Soldiers of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team's 328th Brigade Support Battalion spend their nights braving the roads of Iraq to make re-supply runs to joint security stations. In the two months since they've started their mission, they've fine tuned the process, cutting time on the road while making sure loads of goods fit the needs of the receiving company at the joint security station.
"The goal is to get out there in a timely fashion and an orderly manner, offload, and then get back to Camp Taji," said Sgt. Maj.Thomas Buck, of Myerstown, Pa., sergeant major of the 328th. "The less time you can spend outside the wire the better for the Soldiers."
56th SBCT Soldiers Injured
The Public Opinion of Chambersburg, PA is reporting that four soldiers from 2/104th CAV, 56th SBCT were injured in an explosion.
Capt. Cory Angell, public information officer, released the following statement on the incident:"Members of the 2/104th CAV were struck by an IED on the afternoon of April 12 just south of Camp Taji, Iraq. Four soldiers were injured, one was returned to duty and one is being treated at Balad in Iraq.
"The other two were evacuated from country and are categorized as having very serious injuries. Of those two, one is at Walter Reed and the other at Landstuhl Army Medical Center awaiting transport to Walter Reed." [...]
All of the families have been notified.
Related:
Frederick police officer wounded in Iraq - Frederick News Post
Injured Stryker Brigade soldier helped others, wife says - The Patriot-News - PennLive.com
Guard member recovering from surgery at Walter Reed - Hagerstown Morning Herald
Iraq blast caused 'chaotic scene' - The Patriot-News
IED blast injures two guardsmen - Carlisle Sentinel
Update: Injured 56th SBCT Soldier
WJAC News has a story and video segment featuring SPC Keith Maul, a 56th SBCT who was injured seven weeks ago.
It's a very special weekend for the family of 20-year-old Specialist Keith Maul of Portage. Just seven weeks after losing his arm and leg while serving in Iraq, he's back home and already walking.Specialist Keith Maul made his second trip home Friday night, but this trip was special. When he arrived at his in-laws in Lilly, he was walking on his own with no wheelchair in sight.
Maul has been working hard and going through intense rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Convoy Training Develops Iraqi Army Unit's Skills
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Threats to Soldiers come in all shapes and sizes on the streets and roadways of Iraq. Constant training for the unexpected is the norm.
For Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers, simulating improvised explosive device attacks, April 7, served as a training objective for their Iraq army counterparts.
The Soldiers, from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 328th Brigade Support Battalion, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, worked with an Iraqi army commander over the past two weeks to conduct individual Soldier task training for an Iraqi army logistics platoon. The U.S. trainers capped training with convoy exercises designed to make the Iraqi army soldiers put those individual skills to work as a team.
"This was the culmination training for the convoy STX [situational training exercise] lanes," said Capt. William Salisbury, the HHC commander.
Three arrested, explosive cache found north of Baghdad
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Three suspected insurgents are behind bars and deadly weapons are off the street after joint Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division—Baghdad force’s operations March 27 and 28 in Tarmiya.
The 4th Battalion, 36th Brigade of the Iraqi Army, in conjunction with 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, raided two homes north of Baghdad in the early morning, netting suspected members of an RKG-3 anti-armor grenade cell.
Several local residents stepped forward to positively identify the three men who conducted recent attacks. The 4thBn., 36th Bde., IA is ensuring terrorists who target the Iraqi people, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces are brought to justice.
In a separate action, Iraqi Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 36th Brigade discovered several explosive caches southwest of Rowad, Iraq, March 28. U.S. Soldiers from 1st Bn., 11th Inf. Regt. immediately responded to assist their Iraqi counterparts with the cache seizures.
The caches consisted of 52 mortar shells of various sizes, two improvised explosive device shape charges and rocket-propelled grenades of various sizes.
They also found assorted IED-making materials, to include wire, remote controls and a camcorder.
The IA commander on the scene called in a Coalition forces explosive ordinance disposal team to safely clear the cache.
Iraq commander lauds 56th Stryker Brigade efforts
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Forces—Iraq Commander, Gen. Raymond Odierno, praised the work of 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers following a visit to the Taji region of Iraq, north of Baghdad.
Odierno met leaders of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Unit March 21, while also participating in a patrol conducted by one of the 56th SBCT companies in Tarmiyah.
Odierno took time at the conclusion of a daily morning briefing to laud the 56th, saying the brigade “has done a very good job of picking up the fight” from the unit it replaced in February – the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based in Hawaii.
“I found the brigade and the company that was in that area to be very aware of its surroundings and to be developing good relationships with the Iraqi Security Forces - specifically the Iraqi Army units there - as well as quickly bonding with the community,” Odierno said. “It was a very impressive visit and they are on the right track.”
Baghdad University Gets Spring Cleaning
Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell
BAGHDAD, Iraq – On the first day of spring, Baghdad University College of Agriculture in Abu Ghraib needed some cleaning. Instead of brooms and dustpans, Iraqi police and U.S. Soldiers used detection dogs, shovels and mine detectors to sweep for unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and weapons caches March 21.
In preparation for University Day, April 5, troops from 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, received reports that the area needed to be cleared before it could open its doors to the public for Baghdad University’s annual event.
“It’s almost like a college day open house back home,” said Mifflintown, Pa., native Staff Sgt. Robert Welfley, the private security detail noncommissioned officer in charge, assigned to the “Strykers”. “They think there’s UXO out in the fields and we need to clear it before University Day.”
Soldiers Don Keystone Combat Patch
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, marked another milestone in its yearlong mobilization, train-up and deployment to Iraq – receipt of the order for Soldiers to place the brigade’s combat patch on their uniforms.
The Pennsylvania National Guard brigade arrived here in late January and will be in Iraq through the summer. The Soldiers will wear a black “Keystone” patch on their right sleeve for the rest of their deployment. The patch mirrors the division’s Keystone worn by all 28th Inf. Div. Soldiers. Once awarded, Soldiers are authorized to wear the combat patches they earn for the rest of their careers.
“You should be very proud of what you’re doing here. Congratulations on earning this combat patch,” Brig. Gen. Jerry G. Beck Jr., 28th Inf. Div. commander, told Soldiers during a ceremony in which he placed patches on several soldiers.
Keystone Troops Get Out on Patrol
BAGHDAD – Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, conducted a presence patrol in the Al-Faris area, southwest of Tarmiyah Friday, March 13.
“We were basically patrolling the area, showing our presence, letting the people in that neighborhood know we’re there to protect them,” said Sgt. 1st Class James Mergott, a platoon sergeant from Ridley, Pa.
“From my perspective, I thought the patrol went well. I’m a vehicle commander, so I was in the vehicle providing over watch and could see what was taking place.”
Prior to the patrol, Soldiers stopped by traffic control points manned by their Iraqi army counterparts. Company C Soldiers and Iraqi army soldiers routinely patrol through the village, providing security for residents and giving Soldiers the opportunity to learn about resident’s concerns. Staff Sgt. Michael Brown, of Exeter, Pa., said the Al-Faris residents have spoken to patrolling Soldiers about how conditions have improved.
“We did a presence patrol in the neighborhood to talk to some of the local nationals, to see what they need overall in the neighborhood,” Brown said. “Each time we’re there, it’s just getting better.”
Brown said many of the Al-Faris residents had relocated to the area from Baghdad, because of previous insurgent activity there. Brown said the Al-Faris residents who had relocated want only to start over and live quietly.
Small-Scale Diplomacy
The Patriot News has a nice feature on Sgt. Frank Dubeck of the 56th SBCT.
Sgt. Frank Dubeck is practicing small-scale diplomacy through arm wrestling.The Penn State student from Harrisburg, who is serving in Iraq with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade, was surprised when he was challenged to an arm-wrestling match by the son of Sheik Nadeem, a local Iraqi leader. At first he thought the Iraqis were pulling his leg. But a group of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis gathered in a circle to watch, cheering and laughing.
After Dubeck won, there were hugs all around, he said.
"I think it was good for our relationships with the Iraqis, and it was a break in the monotony," he said by phone Thursday from Camp Taji, north of Baghdad.
Get Caught Up
We are just now realizing that we've missed a number of story from the DVIDS website regarding both the 1/25 SBCT and the 56yh SBCT. The best way to get caught up on everything is to head over there and work your way back through the Stryker-related stories. We're subscribed again to the correct content, so hopefully we'll catch everything going forward. While you're there be sure to browse the images, audio and video sections as well.
Overview: Coalition Forces in Iraq
The Long War Journal has a very thorough overview of the coalition forces currently operating in Iraq, and how future reductions in combat forces will be made. Excerpt:
The number of US and allied combat brigades deployed in Iraq has been cut in half since the height of the "surge" in the summer of 2007, while the number of Iraqi security forces has nearly doubled during the same period of time.The US Department of Defense has announced the reduction of two more US combat brigades during 2009. The announcement also noted the withdrawal of the last non-US coalition combat brigade from Iraq. The UK 20th Armored Brigade starts its departure this month. The reductions will bring the total coalition forces in Iraq from 24 combat brigades at the peak of the "surge" to only 12 in the fall of 2009.
Update: Injured 56th SBCT Soldiers
WJAC News has an update, including video, on the soldiers from the 56th SBCT who were injured recently.
Two soldiers serving from the Alleghenies were injured in separate attacks in Iraq. The community is rallying and supporting each other during this time.Spc. Keith Maul of Portage is a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard in the 56th Stryker Brigade. He is recovering at Walter Reed Hospital. He lost part of his arm and leg in a grenade attack.
Sgt. Matt Gibbons of Altoona is a member of the same stryker unit. He is being treated for an eye injury at a hospital in Germany.
Operational Update: 56th SBCT
The commander of the 56th SBCT, Col. Marc Ferraro, conducted a telephone conference with PA reporters this week to provide an update on the brigades recent activities. The Philadelphia Inquirer has the details.
Like commanders in Iraq before him, Army Col. Marc Ferraro spoke optimistically of the new job ahead - building up the country's security forces, erecting schools and electrical lines, encouraging ties between Sunnis and Shiites.But already the war zone's harsh realities have hit home for the leader of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, a 4,100-member force of the Pennsylvania National Guard that arrived in January and officially took over a 900-square-mile area northwest of Baghdad on Tuesday.
In a telephone conference call with Pennsylvania reporters yesterday, Ferraro reported that in addition to having lost a soldier killed in combat, the brigade had had two men badly wounded in recent days.
Related:
Altoona soldier injured in attack; returning home - Altoona Mirror
56th SBCT Takes Control
Elements of the 56th SBCT are taking over for the 2/25 SBCT as it redeploys to Hawaii.
BAGHDAD — The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s 328th Brigade Support Battalion assumed authority of its mission during a ceremony Thursday at Camp Taji in Iraq.The 328th, which is based in Lancaster and has a company at the National Guard armory in Avon, South Lebanon Township, took control from the 225th Brigade Support Battalion from the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade.
The 56th Stryker Brigade is headquartered in Philadelphia and has units in communities across the state, many of which trained at Fort Indiantown Gap. It is the only Stryker brigade in the National Guard.
SSG Mark C. Baum
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Mark C. Baum, 32, of Telford, Pa., died Feb. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered earlier that day when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire in Mushada, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.
Brigades Swapping Roles
According to the Lebanon Daily News, the 56th SBCT is taking over for the 2/25 SBCT as it redeploys to Hawaii.
Most of the soldiers from Pennsylvania’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team are now at their base in Iraq after spending several weeks in Kuwait.And they are ready to take a seat, so to speak.
The brigade will be based at Camp Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad, according to brigade spokesman Capt. Cory Angell. It will replace the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from the 25th Infantry Division out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, which has spent the past 15 months there. The 56th Stryker Brigade comprises 4,122 soldiers, about 130 of whom hail from Lebanon County.
Angell said the two units are preparing to do their “right-seat, left-seat” transition.
Military Family
The Lebanon Daily News has a nice column written by Cindy Small, whose husband, son and son-in-law all deployed with the 56th SBCT.
The 56th Stryker Brigade was created, and we knew that activation for deployment was in the future. So, I prepared the best I could for this, wishing my husband could retire instead of going to Iraq. (He will be eligible while he is in Iraq).So, on Sept. 19, I kissed my husband good-bye, and on Sept. 22, I said good-bye to my son and my son-in-law. Yes, all the men in our family are with the Stryker Brigade. My husband is with Co. B 328 BSB from Philadelphia; my son in law is with Co. C 1/111 Infantry Batallion from Kutztown. Our son, Tom Jr., is attached to that unit, and it is comforting to know he is with his brother-in-law.
Seven weeks before he was deployed, my son and his wife separated. I not only take care of my house, bills and cars, but I am in charge of his house, cars and bills. I did nothing but cry for several weeks as the stress was 150 percent. Our daughter ended up supporting me and helping me get organized to deal with the extra things I must do. She knew I was upset about her brother and worried about his state of mind. The guys are so patriotic that my son refused to be removed from the list to stay home. My son-in-law has a flag tattooed on his back, and their home phone rings a patriotic song. We both have the “blue-star flag” proudly displayed in our window and tell everyone about “our boys.”
Heading North
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the 56th SBCT is preparing to head into Iraq from Kuwait soon.
More than 4,000 soldiers from Pennsylvania have spent four months training in Mississippi and Louisiana. After a brief trip home for Christmas, they are moving in stages to Kuwait and then Iraq. Pennsylvania has the National Guard's only Stryker unit. All the brigades using the armored fighting vehicle are part of the regular Army.When about 2,000 soldiers with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed in 2005, it represented the largest deployment to a combat zone since World War II, but a noncombat deployment during the Korean War was larger. Capt. Cory Angell, public affairs officer for the unit, said the 4,000 soldiers in this deployment make it the largest of any type of deployment since World War II.
Most of the 56th Stryker Brigade is based in central and eastern Pennsylvania, but several soldiers from the western half of the state volunteered to fill gaps in other units, he said.
"Every National Guard unit across Pennsylvania has members in this brigade," he said.
Christmas Party
This is a bit after the fact, but we wanted to link to an article featuring a Christmas party for B CO, 2-112 INF, 56th SBCT organized by its Family Readiness Group.
This was no ordinary Christmas party, but then again, these are no ordinary children.Perhaps the only visit these youngsters are looking forward to more than Santa is the brief return of their fathers - the men of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Styker Brigade Combat Team - who are training in Louisiana and leaving for the Middle East right after Christmas.
The company's Family Readiness Group, led by Hope Benning, sister of Spc. Brian Weaver, and Debi Lawson, wife of Sgt. Barry Lawson, hosted a Children's Christmas Party Sunday afternoon at the Frankstown Armory, complete with Santa and Mrs. Claus - riding in on a humvee filled with donated presents - donated food and a volunteer DJ.
56th SBCT Deploys
There are a couple new articles regarding the deployment of the 56th SBCT.
- Unit bound for Kuwait - GoErie.com
- Bulk of local Stryker unit to land in Iraq by next week - Meadville Tribune
56th SBCT Articles
Provided below are links to a few older articles sent by readers regarding the 56th SBCT. Thanks.
- Soldier grateful to be home for holidays - Altoona Mirror
- Lehigh Valley area Guardsmen get brief leave with families before heading to Iraq - The Morning Call
- National Guard unit will be home for Christmas - The Morning Call
56th SBCT Prepares to Deploy
There are a number of articles regarding the upcoming deployment of the 56th SBCT.
- Pennsylvania's Stryker Brigade troops spend time with families before deployment - Lehigh Valley News
- Mission-minded soldiers to deploy soon - The Meadville Tribune
- Leave over for Iraq-bound Guard - Lebanon Daily News
- National Guard Soldiers Depart Waynesboro For Iraq Deployment - WHAG News
- Blair County Troops Head Overseas - WTAJ News
- National Guard's Jason Beltz will be 'taking my hometown with me' - Chambersburg Public Opinion
- Departing soldiers say goodbye - The Evening Sun
- Local Guard unit readies for deployment to Iraq - The Herald Standard
- Guard members savor holidays before deploying - The Associated Press
PA Soldiers Prepare for Deployment
The Intelligencer has an article about a local PA Guard soldier preparing to deploy with the 56th SBCT. The 56th is on leave right now, but will be deploying to Iraq in the new year.
Army National Guard Sgt. Richard Brauer is looking forward to being in Iraq in January.For now, though, the 23-year-old Bedminster man is happy to be home with his family and boxer dog, Joe.
Brauer and thousands of other members of the 56th Stryker Brigade activated in September received 10 days leave after months of training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and Fort Polk, La.
56th SBCT Training
Rob sent us the following article and photo album from The Philadelphia Inquirer featuring the 56th SBCT as it prepares for deployment.
FORT POLK, La. - Simulated bombs were going off noisily. Smoke grenades were exploding. Blank rifle shots were popping all around.This was just a training exercise amid the pines of Louisiana, but it felt very real. And for a platoon of Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers headed to Iraq, it was about to teach a lesson.
Sgt. First Class William King jumped from the rear of an armored Stryker vehicle and started to lead his men into the woods to pick up a wounded soldier. Abruptly, an instructor shouted out, "Hey! Hey! Come back here!"
Military Technology
FOB Tacoma linked to a story from the Army Times that discusses new technology the 56th SBCT will be taking with them to Iraq. He also features a small robotic vehicle the 3/2 SBCT has been training with.
56th SBCT Articles
There have been a number of recent articles about the 56th SBCT as it trains prior to deployment.
- Stryker brigade trains at Shelby - Hattiesburg American
- Getting in battle mode - GoErie.com
- State troops roll through high-tech Stryker drills - The Patriot-News
- Healers become targets in Iraq - PennLive.com
3-103rd Deploys
Spc. Shawn Miller/109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Duty, honor, country, family. The words known so well to local Soldiers of the 3/103rd Regiment echoed across the parade field at the Grove Street armory Thursday afternoon as the community gathered with friends and families to wish luck to the unit as they deploy to Iraq on a year-long mission as part of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 28th Infantry Division.
Duty, honor and country are the easy parts of deploying, say most Soldiers. Leaving family behind, they agree, is much harder for them.
Leaving on his first deployment, Pfc. Joshua Herlt had to say goodbye to his 3-day old son. “It was nice that I got to be there to watch the birth though,” he said, remarking how the baby came early.
The show of support and well-wishes from the community during the ceremony really helps the Soldiers, said Capt. Briton Orndorf, organizer of the event and rear detachment commander of the 3/103rd.
56th SBCT Articles
There have been a number of articles re: the recent mobilization of the 56th SBCT (PA NG), including this one by the Altoona Mirror. Excerpt:
TYRONE - The members of Detachment One, Charlie Company, Second Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment were greeted by rousing applause and a flurry of flags Wednesday as they marched past saluting veterans onto Gray-Veterans Memorial Field.''This is a stop on the road to liberty,'' Lt. Col. Samuel Hayes III said as he thanked the hundreds who packed the bleachers to honor the 69 citizen soldiers of the Pennsylvania National Guard, part of the 56th Stryker Brigade.
The soldiers leave today, bound for Baghdad, after a few months of additional training at stateside bases.
56th SBCT Mobilizing
Over the weekend there were a few local articles regarding the upcoming mobilization of the 56th SBCT (PA NG). The unit will train for a number of months in the US before deploying to Iraq.
- 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team set to head to Iraq - Delaware County Daily Times
- Stryker team to make history - Lebanon Daily News
- Ready or not, families prepare - Lebanon Daily News
Operation Atlas
by Spc. Shawn Miller, 109th MPAD
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – They may not have known each other before this week, but now hundreds of Pennsylvania Army National Guardsmen from various units across the state will be joining forces to fight together in Iraq with the deploying 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 28th Infantry Division.
The Soldiers training here as part of Operation Atlas have come from a medley of units across the state, and are acting as reinforcements and filling in vacancies in the 56th SBCT’s force. The two-week long Operation Atlas is now getting those Soldiers up to speed on the skills and training such as urban operations and weapons familiarization before they are sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi to join the rest of the 56th SBCT later this month.
“[Operation Atlas] is a way to train the division backfills on all the tasks and training that the 56th went through at annual training,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Lohr, the non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the urban operations course. “It will make the transition into the 56th easier for them.”
Mom and dad off to war
Both members of the 56th SBCT, Neill and Kelly Coulbourn will leave their four children behind when the brigade deploys this fall. Excerpt:
Neill and Kelly Coulbourn got married in a red-white-and-blue-themed ceremony in the backyard of their Mount Joy home this past spring.By summer's end, they'll be leaving to go to war in Iraq.
The couple expects to deploy overseas after three months of training in New Jersey, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Their path is all the harder because they'll be leaving their four young children behind.
But they say duty is calling them.
Defeating IEDs
By the 56th SBCT, 28th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
No longer will the clash of striking swords be heard on the battlefield. No longer will plumes of white gun smoke rise from a volley of bayonets, making the line of troops barely visible. Gone are the days of the massive linear battlefields that forged our country’s history.
And while it is true the new non-linear battlefield is not as cluttered, that doesn’t make it any less deadly.
Enter the world of the improvised explosive device – today’s biggest tactical threat to U.S. troops in the Global War on Terror, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of service members.
But since any good offense requires a great defense, more than 50 members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team recently participated in an intense, three-day IED defeat training course at Fort Indiantown Gap, aimed at turning the tide against this new tactical weapon.
56th Dedicates New Facility
The 1-112th INF, 56th SBCT recently dedicated a new facility to house the unit. Provided below are two articles covering the ceremony.
- National Guard officially dedicates $19.5M center - Meadville Tribune
- Center saluted - GoErie.com
56th SBCT Deployment Announcement
The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard officially received its deployment announcement today from the DoD. The unit will deploy to Iraq in early 2009.
56th SBCT Trains at Camp Shelby
Spc. Shawn Miller & Spc. Matthew E. Jones
Pennsylvania National Guard Public Affairs
CAMP SHELBY, Miss., -- If it ain’t raining, you ain’t training. Or so the saying goes in the military, but don’t tell that to these Pennsylvania National Guardsmen. During their annual training at Camp Shelby, the Soldiers of the 2-112th Infantry, 56th Stryker Brigade withstood three weeks of temperatures topping 100 degrees (before factoring in the heat index), with barely a cloud in the hot Mississippi sky on many days.
These Soldiers, in addition to the rest of the commonwealth’s unique 56th Stryker Brigade, will be heading down to Camp Shelby for their mobilization training prior to being deployed to Iraq by the end of the year.
They knew that deployment was inevitable as soon as it was announced that the brigade would be transitioning to a Stryker unit. They have responded by gearing up their operational tempo and training.
Local Guard prepares for Iraq
Especially in times of war, most people know Memorial Day is a day set aside for more than firing up the grill with family, friends and neighbors.
This weekend, many soldiers with the local National Guard unit will be doing just that. Hot dogs, hamburgers, parades, ceremonies.
But they, and their families, will have something else in the back of their minds. Those soldiers will soon be serving in Iraq.
The 100 or so members of Battery A of the First Battalion of the 108th Field Artillery, based in Hanover, will be among the 4,000 Pennsylvania Guard members deploying to Iraq with the 56th Stryker Brigade.
Brigade executes massive move through Meadville
By Ryan Smith, Meadville Tribune
Meadville’s railroad yard became a mile-long stretch of heavy metal Wednesday.
More than 260 pieces of mobile military equipment — including about 70 cutting-edge Stryker combat vehicles — were moved to a staging area at the yard as Northwest Pennsylvania National Guard troops, including about 100 soldiers from Crawford County, continued preparing to ship out for training and eventual overseas deployment.
“This is the largest (ever) movement of military vehicles in northwestern Pennsylvania,” Capt. John Boyko, Erie-based 1-112 IN(SBCT) Battalion’s logistics officer, said Wednesday.
Stryker Brigade hones skills at Gap
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
INDIANTOWN GAP — More than 500 National Guardsmen from the 56th Stryker Brigade are at Fort Indiantown Gap participating in a weeklong exercise that is the largest and, according to the brigade’s commander, the most significant since the brigade converted to a Stryker brigade three years ago.
Known as “Warfighter,” the exercise brings together the brigade’s headquarters and members of the various units within the brigade as well as about 70 civilian contractors who would deploy with the brigade.
6,000 Guardsmen put on alert for Iraq assignment
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
As many as 6,000 Pennsylvania National Guardsmen could be deployed to Iraq at the same time next year.
The 2,000-member 28th Combat Aviation Brigade received an alert order late last year for a possible one-year deployment to Iraq, according to Capt. Cory Angell, a National Guard spokesman.
The aviation brigade received the alert order shortly after the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team received a similar order in late October.
“We anticipate the Stryker brigade will go at the end of the year, and then a few months after that, we anticipate the aviation brigade will go,” Angell said.
The drive for combat
Standing at the end of a double line of parked Stryker combat vehicles at the National Guard armory in Phoenixville, Capt. Anthony Passero watched the road. Four more of the green, eight-wheeled, 19-ton Strykers had just arrived from Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
"Winter is coming, and we're going to be called up for state missions," Passero said. "There's snow here, there's a flood here.'. . . When the governor sees a state of emergency, he calls the 56th Stryker Brigade."
But the roughly 4,000 soldiers of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 28th Division 56th Stryker Brigade - including the 150 soldiers of Passero's Bravo Company, 1st battalion, 111th infantry, who operate out of the West Chester and Phoenixville armories - are equipping themselves for more than just snow.
Stryker Brigades: Where Are They Now?
Mike Gilbert of The News Tribune has a nice summary of where each Stryker Brigade is right now (deployed/dwelling), and when each might be called on again to head overseas.
Pa. National Guard alerted to possible Iraq deployment
Thanks to Joe for the following link.
Nearly 4,000 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers are being notified today that they can expect to be sent to Iraq in about a year.
The soldiers are members of the 56th Stryker Brigade, which is headquartered in Northeast Philadelphia and is scattered among 39 armories across the state.
The Defense Department has yet to make the alert public. The troops are being individually notified via a phone chain, state Guard officials said.
The brigade is equipped with the Army's relatively new Stryker combat vehicle, an armored troop carrier that can move at highway speeds on wheels but has some of the defensive strength of a small tank.
[...]
Stryker gets major test during Gap exercise
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
INDIANTOWN GAP — Pennsylvania’s Stryker brigade has taken another step toward becoming a fully functional military unit.
About 350 soldiers from the National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team took part in a command-post exercise over the weekend at Fort Indiantown Gap. It was the largest exercise undertaken by the brigade since it was converted to a Stryker brigade in October 2005, according to Maj. Eric Zimmerman, the brigade’s operations officer.
Veterans home site to become armory facility
By Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror
The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs plans to build an armory near North Juniata Street where soldiers will train on the mechanics of the Army’s newest troop-carrying vehicle.
The new building will replace the Frankstown Armory and provide space to accommodate the 19-ton, eight-wheeled Stryker, a military combat vehicle that’s been described as “a Humvee on steroids.” Stryker training at the new facility will be limited to the vehicle’s state-of-the-art computer system and related mechanics.
First Female Squad Designated Marksman
By CPT Cory Angell, Pennsylvania National Guard
6/25/07, PA—As the hot summer sun beats down on an open range at Fort Indiantown Gap, SPC Krystal Ginter squeezes the trigger and puts her mark in the history books.
SPC Ginter of Lancaster PA, became the first female in the U.S. Army to graduate the Squad Designated Marksman Course. She graduated June 16 along with 18 others at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA.
Local Guard unit practices for combat at the Gap
By P.J. REILLY, Staff, Intelligencer Journal
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - A dust cloud swirled as the supply convoy made its way down an isolated road Thursday.
When a Humvee carrying four soldiers from the Lancaster-based Headquarters Company of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 328th Brigade Support Battalion passed by a seemingly harmless mound of leaves, an explosion erupted from the earth.
White smoke billowed across the road, and the convoy screeched to a halt.
Brigade expects to end up in Iraq
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
When the Army announced its latest round of troop rotations for Iraq earlier this month, the writing was scribbled on the wall for many Pennsylvania National Guardsmen.
Of the 10 brigades slated for deployment by the end of this year, two are Stryker brigades — the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck, Germany, and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
The 2nd Stryker Cavalry is making its second deployment to Iraq since it became operational as a Stryker brigade four years ago.
But of more interest to Pennsylvania troops is the deployment of 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry. That brigade is the fifth of seven planned Stryker brigades throughout the Army, and it just became operational this year.
Stryker reserve celebrates groundbreaking
Earl Corp, The Meadville Tribune
CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — Usually when talking to a soldier about a piece of Army equipment, there will be a list of ways to improve it as far as “the boots on the ground” are concerned.
But when Spec. Kirk Hinz of Erie was asked to comment on the Stryker Fighting Vehicle on Friday afternoon at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cambridge Springs Readiness Center and Field Maintenance Shop, he had nothing but praise.
“It’s held up to what’s expected so far — and it’s getting better,” he said.
Chambersburg Military Division Has New 'Stryker' Vehicle
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA- Charlie Troop C, 2nd 104th Calvary Division from Chambersburg has a new military machine.
First, the soldiers were on the firing range learning about new weaponry, and then later, they took to the classroom to bone up on the high tech aspect of their new equipment. They have taken that experience and are applying it out in the field and are actually mounting up and going places they have never gone before.
The eight wheel drive vehicle is allowing them to traverse anything from waist deep mud to sandy deserts, which is crucial to their missions.
“We're recon, so it gives us flexibility, and it's a quieter vehicle, can go through a lot more terrain than other vehicles can go,” said Lieutenant Ian Preece of Charlie Troop C.
Stryker vehicles arrive at Gap
Link to Full Article
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP The Armys new Stryker vehicles have arrived.
Twenty-one of the vehicles are now at the Gap, where they are being fitted with cutting-edge communications equipment and are being used to train National Guard soldiers.
Common Platform for Command
Link to Full Article
By Julian Nettlefold
Recognizing the urgent need to control the jungles of spaghetti in heavily wired modern command posts, the Army is moving ahead with the Command Post Platform (CPP) development and integration program. Valued at up to $400 million over the next five years, the award to prime contractor Northrop Grumman includes an initial $26 million contract for the design and construction of 10 prototype command posts.
Army prioritizes vehicles
Link to Full Article
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
ARLINGTON, Va. The Army largely will stand fast while Defense Department reviews take place in 2005, but one area they will attack is force protection.
500 Utah soldiers are placed on alert
This article mentions the 56th SBCT, the only National Guard unit to convert to a Stryker Brigade. Although the article implies the 56th already has the Stryker vehicle, I have to admit that I don't know if that's the case. Anyone?
Link to Full Article
By Dawn House, The Salt Lake Tribune
About 500 Utah soldiers in the 222nd Field Artillery Battalion have been placed on alert for possible deployment in January with one of the nation's six newly formed combat brigades. The brigades are more mobile than the Army's traditional heavy-tank fighting forces. [...]
The Triple Deuce is likely to be attached to the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, one of the new Brigade Combat Teams unveiled by the Army in October 1999. Five units have been formed from regular Army active-duty troops. The Pennsylvania brigade is the only combat team comprising citizen-soldiers.
Annual prayer breakfast honors veterans
There is some information here regarding the 56th SBCT, which is part of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division. It is one of the six Stryker Brigades planned.
[Link to Full Article]
Carol Cummings, Sentinel reporter
BURNHAM He sat in the last seat at the table and listened to conversations around him. In his pressed plaid shirt and suspenders, ball cap carefully laid to the side, Richard Druckenmiller of McClure could be anybodys grandfather.
As a veteran of both World War II and the Korean Conflict, Druckenmiller also could have been one of the U.S. militarys casualties of war.
But, he is one of the lucky ones.
Gap writes history
[Link to Full Article]
By LES STEWART
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP -- With some of its units formed during the Revolutionary War, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Brigade, 28th Infantry Division yesterday officially became part of the nation's military future.
During ceremonies that formally recognized formation of a new unit, the 56th Brigade became the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
"We unveil today's future for the Army," said Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, adjutant general of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
