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Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division's Sapper Platoon observe members of the Iraqi Army as they learn to operate the military anti-mine vehicle, the Buffalo. Photo by Spc. Jason Jordan, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs. KIRKUK — Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division’s Sapper Platoon recently conducted the ‘The Iron Claw Academy’; where members of the Iraqi Army (IA) were trained by in a series of ‘left seat-right seat’ exercises that taught the IA how to conduct route clearance operations to make local roads secure for travel. “Iraqi security forces have been doing a phenomenal job...

BAGHDAD — When bells ring for a return to schools throughout the Sadr City district of Baghdad later this month, students at 38 schools throughout the area are in for a big surprise. Following the end of hostilities in Baghdad’s most densely populated district, nearly all the 38 schools located in Task Force Gold’s operational environment were selected for repair and refurbishment by the Soldiers of the 926th Engineer Brigade. “The youth of Sadr City represent the future,” said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, commander of the 926th Eng. Bde., in speaking about the importance of the project. “They are the...

Iraqi Army Soldiers guide a Humvee engine to the ground with a small crane as part of a vehicle repair course, Aug. 30, 2008, at Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad. Photo by Sgt. Whitney Houston, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division. CAMP TAJI — Sixteen Iraqi Army mechanics graduated from a vehicle maintenance course on Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, Sept. 4, following a month of rigorous training. The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled vehicle (Humvee) course was conducted by a Military Transition Team (MiTT) and focused on repair techniques, and ensuring IA Soldiers could teach their fellow Soldiers. The students’...

COB ADDER — Approximately 20 Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers looked like a well-oiled machine as the trainer-candidates formed up in five-man stack teams at Camp Dhi-Qar’s basic training site, Aug. 25. The IA Soldiers glided through a make-shift neighborhood, built by the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq and the Coalition Army Advisory Training Team, searching house-to-house for suspected criminals. “I feel I take many benefits from the training to help my country,” said Cpl. Fakher Hamadani, one of the new Iraqi trainer candidates. “I want to protect our country, our people and destroy the terrorists.” As the Iraqis approached...

FOB LOYALTY — More than 130,000 residents of Kamaliyah have a more sanitary way to remove sewage from their homes and streets with the official opening of an extensive sewer system here, Sept. 3. Local leaders, Iraqi contractors, National Police officers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Soldiers combined their efforts to bring the sewer system to the people. The project took about four years to complete and faced a great amount of adversity along the path to fruition, said Maj. Robert Culberson, officer in charge of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers resident office on Forward Operating Base...

Sandblasting has restored the exterior of Courthouse 1 and the connecting colonnade to Courthouse 2 on the Anbar Judicial Complex in Ramadi. Photo by USACE. BAGHDAD — The $21.5 million renovation and new construction at the Anbar Judicial Complex in the provincial capital of Ramadi is under way by the Gulf Region Division on palace sites of the Saddam Hussein family.  Courtrooms and judges’ chambers will be located in palace buildings formerly used by Saddam and his infamous sons, Uday and Qusay, at the so-called “Hurricane Point� on the Euphrates River.  Ramadi is one of several Sunni-majority towns along the...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than two dozen insurgents while disrupting terrorist cells along the southeastern and southwestern borders of Afghanistan during operations over the past days, military officials reported. Coalition and Afghan forces killed six militants today after being ambushed while conducting a reconnaissance patrol in the Farrah province in southwest Afghanistan, coalition officials said. The insurgents ambushed the patrol from an isolated compound with intense and accurate small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire, officials said. Coalition forces responded with ground fire and close air support, killing six militants, they said. Although no...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2008 – Though U.S., coalition and Afghan troops are making steady progress against increasingly active insurgent forces in Afghanistan, it’s time to turn up the heat, a senior U.S. military officer said today. “I believe that more forces are required. And I think that over the next several months we can put them, certainly, to good use,” Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 101 and 101st Airborne Division, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference. Insurgent attacks in Afghanistan have increased 20 to 30 percent from 2007 to now, said...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2008 – Coalition troops captured more than a dozen suspected terrorists in Iraq today and yesterday, including at least three high-level al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, military officials said. Of 14 people detained today, one is believed to a senior advisor of al-Qaida in Iraq operations in northern Mosul. Intelligence reports indicate he oversees all attacks there and provides advice for targeting, officials said. Another wanted man detained today allegedly is involved in coordinating finances for al-Qaida in Iraq in Mosul, and is believed to take part in extortion schemes and kidnappings to raise money for terrorist operations....

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Sept. 5, 2008 – When bells ring for a return to schools throughout Baghdad’s Sadr City district later this month, students at schools renovated by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers are in for a big surprise. Local contractors in Baghdad’s Sadr City district work on refurbishing the Thatt Al Salasel School, Sept. 3, 2008. Multinational Division Baghdad spearheaded the renovation of 38 schools throughout the area. U.S. Army photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Following the end of hostilities in Baghdad’s most densely populated district, nearly all of the 38 schools in Task Force Gold’s...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2008 – Task Force Gladiator, together with the Afghan National Police and a contracted construction and supply company, delivered 75 desks, 10 chalk boards and 150 sets of school supplies to the villages of Jurghati, Hasanzi and Shawo Katay in the Kohi Sofi district of Afghanistan’s Parwan province Aug. 26. A child from the Kohi Sofi district of Afghanistan’s Parwan province, laughs at Army Sgt. Jeremy Smith of Task Force Gladiator’s Alpha Company. The task force distributed school supplies to the district’s Shawo Katay, Hasanzi and Jurghati villages on Aug. 26, 2008. Courtesy photo  (Click...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Sept. 5, 2008 – For one Iron Eagle soldier here, there was never a question of if she would serve. The only question was when. Army Spc. Radha Bhramdat watches as two Black Hawk helicopters land at the Camp Taji Airfield, north of Baghdad, Aug. 28, 2008. Bhramdat is an air traffic controller with the 4th Infantry Division’s Company F, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Since I was 15, my mom started giving me the idea of serving...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Sept. 4, 2008 – Army Staff Sgt. Lonny Steele helps his fellow soldiers succeed in one of the most difficult forms of warfare: close-combat fighting. Army Staff Sgt. Lonny Steele demonstrates a bent arm bar on Army Spc. Daniel Randall during a combatives class at Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, Aug. 27. They are assigned to the 25th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 225th Brigade Support Battalion. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Whitney Houston  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As the combatives instructor for the 25th Infantry Division’s 225th Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters and...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – An Army colonel working with Iraqi security forces in the country’s southern provinces said yesterday their proficiency and dedication have been impressive. "I am very impressed with the professionalism and the willingness of the Iraqi army to go out there and fight and go after the insurgents, smugglers or other special groups out there," Army Col. Philip F. Battaglia, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, told bloggers during a teleconference about the brigade’s mission in Iraq since deploying there in mid-June. Battaglia's brigade, based out of Fort Hood, Texas, works with...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – The enemy’s use of improvised explosive devices continues to decline in northern Iraq’s Salahuddin province, a senior U.S. officer posted there said today. Consequently, “the situation here continues to improve from a security standpoint,” Army Col. Scott McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference. McBride’s unit is based in Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad in Salahuddin province. The 4,000-member brigade is a component of Multinational Division North, and it has been in Iraq for about a year. The enemy is still active in Salahuddin...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq, Sept. 4, 2008 – In another indication of a return to normalcy in eastern Baghdad, more than 90 organizations gathered Aug. 29 and 30 at the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital’s Rusafa district for the 9 Nissan District Business Trade Show. An Iraqi businessman shows Turkish artificial grass, which is one of his company’s products, during the 9 Nissan District Business Trade Show at the Palestine Hotel in Karadah, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2008. More than 90 organizations, including more than 80 businesses, gathered for the event Aug. 29 and 30. U.S. Army photo...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – Coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained 15 suspects during operations today targeting al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cells and their supporting networks in Baghdad and the Tigris River Valley, military officials reported. A suspected car-bombing cell leader and three alleged associates are in coalition custody after an operation in Baghdad. The alleged leader reportedly is involved in procuring of bomb components, building bombs and distributing them to the cell, which has been known to attack Iraqi civilians in northern Baghdad, officials said. He also is believed to have contact with terrorists around Iraq and...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 4, 2008 – Coalition forces have positively identified five Taliban subcommanders killed during operations over the past month in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province. Qari Nejat, along with four other enemy fighters, was killed during a coalition forces operation in the province’s Nijrab district Aug. 5. Officials said Nejat was a Taliban commander in the Tag Ab valley region, with ties to senior insurgent figures. He was implicated in the July 21 suicide bombing in the Tag Ab bazaar that injured six Afghan nationals, as well as the July 16 kidnapping of three Afghan National Police officers in...

COMBAT OUTPOST MEADE, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2008 – Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Solis couldn’t have pictured himself working on Army vehicles in the Iraqi desert when he signed up to become a sailor. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Solis monitors one of the systems designed to counter improvised explosive devices in an Army tactical vehicle at Combat Outpost Mead, Iraq, Aug. 24, 2008. He is part of the Joint Counter-Radio-Controlled IED Electronic Warfare Composite Squadron 1, attached to the 101st Airborne Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S....

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2008 – Coalition forces killed an al-Qaeda in Iraq weapons facilitator and detained eight suspected terrorists during operations targeting the terrorist network in the Tigris River Valley yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition forces killed a weapons facilitator in Tikrit during an operation to disrupt the al-Qaida in Iraq bombing network in the area. Officials said intelligence reports indicate the man was trafficking rockets and bombing components for a Tikrit-based cell, and may have had ties to the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network. When coalition forces called out for occupants of the target building to surrender, several people...

Local sheikhs and tribal leaders from Karmah, Iraq, held a meeting with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, Aug. 20, 2008, at the Iraqi Army base located in the city. Photo by 1st Lt. Andrew W. Duncan, Regimental Combat Team 1. KARMAH — In an act of defiance toward al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI), Karmah sheikhs and Marines with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, recently held their first meeting since a suicide vest attack killed 20 local leaders and key tribal figures and three Marines, June 26, 2008. Lt. Col....

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed confidence Tuesday that Washington and Baghdad will reach an agreement before the year’s end on the future role of U.S. forces in Iraq. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also discussed his outlook on past and present U.S. humanitarian relief missions in a Pentagon Channel podcast interview. will reach an agreement before the year’s end on the future role of Mullen praised the bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and Iraq, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a one-day visit last month to discuss the status of forces agreement with Iraqi...

AL-ANBAR PROVINCE — A group of brave Iraqi men fighting to create a better Iraq recently assumed control of an area in western al-Anbar province from 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5. Prior to assuming control of the area near the city of Rutbah, Iraqi Soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 29th Iraqi Army Brigade worked hand and hand with 2nd LAR Bn. “Our main focus is to get rid of the insurgency in oil smuggling and drugs,” said Iraqi Army 2nd Lt. Afhman Dehold, 28, an infantry officer with 3rd Bn., 29th Iraqi Army Brigade. The Soldiers assumed...

BAGHDAD — It was a grand opening without any grandeur. No ribbons were cut, and no speeches were given. But an Iraqi Assistance Center (IAC) opened Sept. 1 in Baghdad’s Sadr City district nonetheless. The center, housed in a trailer near the Sadr City District Advisory Council building, is where Iraqi citizens go to file damage and condolence claims for losses suffered due to combat between Coalition forces and enemy elements in this northeastern Baghdad district. The second client for the IAC at its new location was a father seeking help for his son. The father was going over documents...

A member of the Iraqi media interviews two members of the winning Suwayrah "Quiz Bowl" team, Aug. 30, 2008, in al Kut. Photo by Spc. Tiffany Dusterhoft. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — The final event of a two-week educational competition ended, Aug. 30, in the U.S. Agency for International Development sponsored ‘Quiz Bowl’ in al-Kut. “This event was a friendly competition held between teams from the different youth centers in Wasit province, promoting education during the summertime while school is out,� said Staff Sgt. Melissa Powell, team sergeant of the 353rd Civil Affairs Team.The team from Suwayrah defeated a team...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2008 – Coalition forces captured four suspected members of the Shiite group Kataib Hezbollah and seized weapons caches in operations in Iraq yesterday and today, military officials reported. Kataib Hezbollah is reported to receive funding, logistics and weapons such as improvised rocket-assisted mortars from Iran. The group also is believed to receive guidance or direction from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Based on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted an alleged Kataib Hezbollah financier this morning during an operation in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district. The wanted man is believed to be a key figure in...

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Sept. 2, 2008 – If Army Cpl. Edward Helzer has a feeling of déjà-vu, it’s probably because he’s been to Iraq more than once. Army Cpl. Edward Helzer, a Laredo, Texas, native, mobilized for his second deployment to Iraq four days after he returned home from his first deployment. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Carmen Guerrero, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Now on his second deployment, he’s running the exact same routes he did before, still in his vehicle of choice: the towing and mine-detection vehicle known as the Husky. Helzer hails...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2008 – Intense enemy fire justified actions taken by Afghan and U.S. forces during an Aug. 22 engagement in which several civilians and more than 30 Taliban fighters were killed in western Afghanistan, a coalition investigation has concluded. The investigation found that Afghan and U.S. forces began taking fire from Taliban militants as the combined force approached its objective in Azizabad, Herat province, during a planned offensive operation in the pre-dawn hours. The intensity of the enemy fire justified use of well-aimed small-arms fire and close-air support to defend the combined force, investigators concluded, adding...

BAGHDAD, Sept. 2, 2008 – American citizenship became a reality for 192 U.S. servicemembers from 54 different countries during a ceremony yesterday at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory here. Army Command Sgt. Major Joseph R. Allen, command sergeant major for Multinational Corps Iraq, presents a servicemember and new U.S. citizen with an American flag Sept. 1, 2008, during a citizenship ceremony at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory in Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord, 13th Public Affairs Detachment   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, Multinational Corps...

CAMP STRIKER — Iraqi Army and Coalition Soldiers conducted Operation Monmouth, a combined air assault in Habbash Village to search for weapon caches and suspected criminals, Aug. 27. “This was a good mission,” said 2nd Lt. Muhamed Shuker Humood, platoon leader in 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division. “The Habbash Village was once a very bad area, but because of increased security and presence from both us and the coalition, it has become safer.” A total of 25 IA Soldiers participated in the mission. Fifteen were inserted via UH-60 Black Hawk, while the rest convoyed to...

HABBANIYAH — With violence in the region down nearly 80 percent from pre-surge levels in many areas, Iraqi citizens have begun focusing on economic development and essential services. Citizens of Habbaniyah came together recently to improve the Mudiq clinic by constructing a drainage system, which will help rid stagnate water collecting between it and the road. Two cement drains were built on both ends of a sloped section of ground directly in front of the clinic, forcing the water flow away from the entrance and into collection points. The need for such a project was brought to the attention of...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2008 – Iraqi civilian authorities today assumed responsibility for security in Iraq’s Anbar province, where Iraqi forces will now have the lead in security operations, President Bush said in a statement released by the White House. “Not long ago, Anbar was one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq,” Bush said “Al Qaeda was in control of almost every major population center, and its leaders intended to turn Anbar province into a safe haven from which to plan and launch further attacks against Iraqis and others in the region, as well as here at home.” Bush...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2008 – Coalition forces captured 18 suspected terrorists, including several wanted men, during operations throughout Iraq today, military officials reported. An alleged terrorist leader overseeing al-Qaida in Iraq operations in the Jazeera desert was captured with one suspected associate during an operation in Tikrit. The wanted man also is believed to have organized terrorist forces in Mosul after several leaders there were captured or killed, including the Mosul "emir," Abu Khalaf, who was killed by coalition forces June 24. Operations in Baghdad netted two wanted men and four additional suspects. One of the wanted men is assessed...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2008 – Afghan and coalition forces have killed more than 220 militants during operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province since Aug. 25, military officials reported. Attacked repeatedly by militants with small-arms and heavy-weapons fire during multiple engagements, the Afghan and coalition soldiers have responded with small-arms fire, heavy weapons and close-air support, eliminating the militant threats, officials said. Operations in the area have led to the discovery and destruction of multiple weapons caches containing ammonium nitrate, 107 mm rockets, motorcycles, 60 mm mortar rounds, pipe bombs, machine guns, rifles and small-arms ammunition. Several fortified fighting positions also have...

Iraqi children wait for their turn in line during an aid drop to the people of the industrial zone in Adhamiyah, as Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers provide security Aug. 25, 2008. Photo by Sgt. Philip Klein. BAGHDAD — Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, provided food packs, soccer balls, backpacks and pencil sets for residents of an Iraqi apartment complex Aug. 25.The aid drop was spearheaded by the Iraqi Army Civil Affairs Team, the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion and Soldiers from Multi-National Division-Baghdad to provide relief to a working class neighborhood around the Adhamiyah industrial zone.The aid...

Due to a family memeber moving FRWN will not be publishing on Aug 30 & 31. FRWN will return on Sep 1.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — During a recent air assault operation in the Diyala province, the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division medical team once again demonstrated its excellence. The group, which consisted of one physician, three physician assistants, one mental health provider, a preventive medicine officer and numerous skilled combat medics, delivered seamless and exceptional medical care, despite harsh conditions. Several of the team members flew by helicopter, carrying everything needed to set up a rapid aid station with them. A rapid aid station is able to provide immediate treatment for any injuries sustained during the early phase of an...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists yesterday and today as they continued to run down the al-Qaida in Iraq network, especially in the Hamrin Mountains region, where they detained four wanted men, military officials reported. One of the wanted men, captured yesterday near Qara Tappa with one alleged associate, is believed to be a senior advisor for al-Qaida in Iraq operations around the Hamrin Mountains. Three other wanted men in the region were captured in an operation today, along with one additional suspect. One of the wanted men allegedly operates an attack cell that also...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – Afghan and coalition forces killed more than two dozen militants and detained two others during two operations in Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported. Almost a dozen militants were killed and two were detained during a coalition forces operation to disrupt militant activities in Paktika province. Coalition forces searched compounds in the Bermel district, targeting an individual affiliated with militant leaders responsible for the movement of foreign fighters from Pakistan into Afghanistan. Militants engaged coalition forces during their search of the compounds. The forces responded with small-arms fire, killing the militants. In the other operation, Afghan...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – Improvements in the security situation south of Baghdad have enabled economic and political progress, and the continued development of the Iraqi security forces will advance those gains, a U.S. commander said yesterday. Progress across those multiple fronts is interconnected, Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations for Multinational Division Center, explained during a call with military bloggers. “If this were an organism, it would be a symbiotic effect that we have through these different factors operating in concert with each other to achieve an overall more positive effect,” Buchanan said. The general...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – Though Iraq’s military medical system has gained significant capability over the past five years, recruiting qualified physicians remains a challenge, the coalition’s top advisor to the Iraqi surgeon general said. Only 160 out of 800 available positions for physicians in the Iraqi military medical system have been filled, U.S. Army Col. (Dr.) John Powell, director of health affairs for Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, told bloggers and online journalists in a teleconference Aug. 26. “The biggest piece right now,” Powell said, “is personnel … who have medical capabilities, who can do what’s necessary to diagnose...

BAGHDAD, Aug. 29, 2008 – The view from the sky indicates the tide in Iraq may be turning. An AH-64D Apache takes off from Camp Taji, Iraq. Pilots with 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, have enjoyed a less intense and less kinetic mission since arriving at Baghdad International Airport. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Soldiers of 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, made the move from Camp Taji to Camp Stryker at the Baghdad International Airport about a month ago. Army Maj. Parker Frawley, the unit’s operations officer, said the squadron already is seeing the...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2008 – In a perfect world, military personnel on deployment always would be assigned to jobs within their specialties. But it’s not a perfect world, and some sailors assigned to provincial reconstruction teams are serving in general service positions, meaning prior military training is not required. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Shawn Simmons, a ship’s serviceman from Sherman, Texas, stationed onboard the USS Kauffman in Norfolk, Va., installs a new cable on a satellite dish at Camp Wright, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2008. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. With the robust...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – U.S. Marines in Afghanistan face daunting challenges in legitimizing the Afghan police and turning them into an effective counter-terrorist force, but perseverance and focus have served them well, a Marine officer said Aug. 27. “Probably the biggest challenge has been the size of our area of operations,” Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard D. Hall, commander of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, said during a call with online journalists and military bloggers. “And to answer how we’ve overcome that challenge, I summed it up in one word: Marines.” Hall’s unit has responsibility for recruiting, training and...

Mr. Hashim Abd Al-Amir Mahdi, owner of the Miran Company and operator of the new Joint Base Balad Container Repair facility shares a light moment with Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Crabtree of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The facility is yet another project of the burgeoning Iraqi based industrial zones initiate that provides Iraqis with economic growth opportunities on the perimeters of installations of Coalition forces. Photo by Staff Sgt. Lesley Newport. JOINT BASE BALAD — In a region where many men are often judged on their ability to thwart progress, he is counted among a growing number that...

8/28/2008 - CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- More than 130 Charleston Air Force Base Airmen deployed from here Aug. 27 to a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia to support operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Members of the 15th Airlift Squadron, 437th Operations Support Squadron and 437th Maintenance Group will fly and manage missions in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. The squadron will assume control of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron from the 14th Airlift Squadron based out of Charleston AFB, who will return home. Lt. Col. John Lamontagne, the 15th AS commander, said there was no...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2008 – Coalition forces in the Madain community south of Baghdad are shifting their efforts from predominantly offensive operations to improving central services and further developing the local government, a military official posted in Iraq said today. “Progress in Madain is absolutely phenomenal,” Army Col. Pat White, commander of the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, known as the Iron Brigade, told Pentagon reporters via teleconference. The Iron Brigade’s main mission in Madain may suggest heavy combat, as they’re responsible for filtering the flow of insurgents and munitions entering Baghdad. But attack levels are down from...

CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2008 – The chief of the National Guard Bureau came to see his troops serving here during a two-day visit that began Aug. 26. Army Chief Warrant Officer Russell Hoyer from Voorheesville, N.Y., assigned to the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix Logistics Task Force, poses for a photo with Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau. U.S. Army photo by Lt. Col. Paul Fanning, Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum was accompanied by Army Command Sgt. Maj. David Ray...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq detained nine suspected terrorists, including two alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, and found an improvised explosive device during operations in Baghdad and the Hamrin Mountains region of Diyala province today, military officials reported. A suspected terrorist leader who reportedly just returned to Iraq after trying to escape arrest during a trip to Syria was captured in Baghdad. The man is believed to be a regional al-Qaida in Iraq leader who orchestrates assassinations of Iraqis and allegedly moves foreign terrorists into Iraq to conduct attacks, officials said. Information from a July 29...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Aug. 28, 2008 – Iraqi army maintenance soldiers were honored for their recent achievements and progress during a ceremony at the Taji Level III Wheeled Vehicle Maintenance Facility Aug. 26. Staff Gen. Nasier Abadi, the Iraqi Army deputy chief of staff, stops and talks with one of the Taji Level III Wheeled Vehicle Maintenance Facility soldier as he walked the line of nearly 130 wheeled vehicles and 20 track vehicles that were recently repaired here. Nasier was genuinely proud of the progress made and was the guest of honor at the ceremony on Aug 26, 2008....