War On Terror News

Army Lawyer Notes Contrasts & Why He Serves

Soldier Finds Calling in JAG

1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs by Spc. Mike MacLeod 11.10.2009

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – One of Maj. Steve Berlin's attorney friends saw a picture that Berlin posted of himself and some of his paralegals in the jump shed at Fort Bragg. He said, "You get your paralegals to jump out of airplanes? I can't even get mine to stay past five."

A CALLING

The judge advocate for 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), Berlin recalled, as a boy, watching a documentary about West Point with his father, and their conversation:

"Daddy what are you watching?"

"That's where the generals go to school."

"Oh, is that where you went to school?"

Iraqi Police Capture 5 Al-Qaeda

Iraqi Police Arrest Terrorism Suspects

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs 11.10.2009 12:23

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Iraqi police, working with U.S. advisors, arrested five suspected members of the al-Qaida in Iraq and Islamic state of Iraq terrorist groups today during operations in Iraq's Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, military officials reported.

In Saytiyah, about 65 miles northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched with an arrest warrant for an alleged Islamic state of Iraq member known to be directly linked to al-Qaida in Iraq. The man is suspected of orchestrating attacks in Baghdad from remote locations in Diyala province, and also is wanted for providing vehicles for vehicle-borne bombings in the region.

Discussions Continue on Final Date of Iraq's January Elections

Iraq's Presidential Council Wants January 18 Election
By VOA News 11 November 2009

The head of Iraq's electoral commission says the presidential council has called for the nation's parliamentary election to be held January 18 instead of January 21, as proposed earlier this week.

Faraj al-Haidari said Wednesday that the decision on when to hold the poll is up to the council.

The date of the vote has been uncertain for weeks due to a political deadlock over an election law. Lawmakers finally passed the law on Sunday.

30th BCT Focused on Making Iraqi Elections Successful

Efforts Focus on Iraq's Election, U.S. Commander Says

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs by John Kruzel 11.10.2009 02:22

WASHINGTON - A U.S. commander in Baghdad today said all efforts are focused on helping Iraqi forces provide security for upcoming national elections in Iraq.

Army Col. Gregory Lusk, commander of the North Carolina National Guard's 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, joined a chorus of U.S. officials praising the Iraqi Parliament's passage this week of key legislation that paves the way for balloting in January.

Iraqis to Learn Eyes Intelligence

Company to Help Iraqi Security Forces Develop Long Range Surveillance Assets

Multi-National Corps Iraq Public Affairs by Sgt. Lindsey Bradford 11.10.2009 06:01

With saws grinding and hammers thumping away in the background, Soldiers of Company C, 38th Long Range Surveillance are busy training and preparing for the mission that lay ahead of them— training their Iraqi counterparts to successfully establish LRS teams.

"Our mission is to collect priority intelligence requirements for the Multi-National Corps-Iraq commanding general," said Capt. Zach Corke, 38th LRS commander. "We also want to focus on the Iraqi intelligence reconnaissance and surveillance brigades that are down here, that way we can share our techniques and get those guys trained up."

Iraq: Voltaire Might Like CPT Brown

Company Commander Passes on a 'wealth' of Knowledge

1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs by Spc. Mike MacLeod 11.10.2009

AL ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq – The enlightened 18th century Frenchman, Voltaire, might heartily approve of one company commander of "advise and assist" logistics paratroopers deployed to Iraq in August 2009 in support of Iraqi security forces.

"We must tend our garden," said Voltaire, meaning, don't just let things go to chance.

Capt. Kyle Brown is the leader of Team Partner, a matching of American mechanics, medics, and logisticians with Iraqi army counterparts, but he is first a company commander of 90 paratroopers in the 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade).

Others may leave their finances to chance, but not the paratroopers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company. A former investment advisor and member of the Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management trading desk, Brown coaches his paratroopers on both the why and how of fiscal responsibility.

Congress Effectively Cuts Combat Pay "To Be Fair"

Military to Reduce Hostile Fire Pay

Multi-National Division-South by J.P. Lawrence 11.11.2009 03:04

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Seven dollars and fifty cents.

That's now how much service members who spend one day in a warzone will end up getting for hostile fire pay.

It's quite a pay cut from $225, which is what they would have previously earned in hostile fire pay for that one day.

A service member could once spend as little as one day a month in a combat zone to earn full monthly combat benefits, but under section 618 of the new defense authorization bill signed, Oct. 29, service members will receive prorated war-zone pay for the 2010 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

Geek Soldiers Keep Communications Flowing

Tech Heads Drive Intelligence Electronic Warfare Maintenance Mission

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division by Sophia Volz11.10.2009 01:55

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - It is 2:00 a.m. and the Intelligence Electronic Warfare Maintenance section at 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, is ready to spark into action.

"We're on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week," explains Warrant Officer Fernando Aguirre, of Los Angeles, Calif.

Aguirre spearheads the Intelligence Electronic Warfare Maintenance section, overseeing day-to-day operations, providing guidance to commanders, and mentoring Soldiers. The twelve Soldiers in the Intelligence Electronic Warfare Maintenance section are officially responsible for maintaining all intelligence and communications security equipment used by the Military Intelligence Company assigned to the 4th Special Troops Battalion of 4th Bde., 1st Armd. Div.

"Unofficially though, we also fix everything from coffee pots and iPods to satellite dishes," said Aguirre.

New, Previously Deployed Veterans Serve on Veterans Day

Task Force 38 Story by Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry

11.01.2009 JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - "Honoring All Who Served." Many servicemembers, whether stateside or overseas, will do just that on Nov. 11.

Whether a new combat veteran or one who served before, Task Force 38 Soldiers reflected on what the holiday meant to them.

"It means more now that I'm a veteran," said Staff Sgt. Harold Brantley, a New Whiteland, Ind., resident and an information systems analyst for the task force.

The 2009 deployment was his second to Iraq, having first served in 2006 with the 38th Division Support Command in Baghdad. Celebrating his second Veterans Day in Iraq, he thinks Veterans Day is a special time for all Americans.

"I think it gives people

Victory in Iraq: It's Personal

How You Win in Iraq: Face to Face

30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team by Sgt. Robert Jordan 11.10.2009 01:31

BAGHDAD—American Soldiers have a wealth of technology at hand in Iraq; drones, armored vehicles, cameras and sensors.

North Carolina National Guard troops with the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team are finding that some of the successes, here, on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, come when they step outside their humvees and simply interact, face to face, with local citizens.

"We want to show security is getting better. Meeting with the locals helps us learn what is going on and helps us help Iraqi Security Forces," said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Mooring, of Pine Level, N.C.

RIP CW Mathew C. Heffelfinger, CW Earl R. Scott III

DOD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  They died Nov. 8 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained when their OH-58D helicopter crashed.  They were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer Mathew C. Heffelfinger, 29, of Kimberly, Idaho; and

Chief Warrant Officer Earl R. Scott III, 24, of Jacksonville, Fla.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

Kaitab Hezbollah Terrorist Linked to Attacks

Forces Arrest Terrorism Suspects in Iraq

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Courtesy Story

11.09.2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Iraqi forces, partnered with U.S. advisors, have arrested numerous terrorism suspects in Iraq in recent days, military officials reported.

Credible intelligence led team Iraqi soldiers and their U.S. advisors to a northeastern Baghdad neighborhood to serve an arrest warrant on a Kataib Hezbollah terrorist group member suspected of planning and conducting attacks against security forces in Iraq.

During preliminary questioning of those at the scene, the security team positively identified the man

Logistics, Technical Advisory Team Instructs Iraqi Army Soldiers

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Story by Spc. Lisa A. Cope

11.09.2009 CAMP UR, Iraq – The Ur Logistics and Technical Advisory Team with the 36th Sustainment Brigade out of Temple, Texas, works with Iraqi soldiers at the Ur Iraqi Army Regional Maintenance Center to improve their skills in maintenance and supply.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael J. Hoover, the officer in charge of the 36th Sust. Bde. LTAT, is an automotive maintenance supervisor with the Gatesville Mobilization and Training Equipment Site in Gatesville, Texas, and said he has been working in automotive maintenance for roughly 30 years.

Hoover, a Gatesville, Texas, native, said the mission is not as much about actual maintenance as it is

Soldier Sought Combat Deployment, Personal Satisfaction

Armorer Turns Infantryman for Opportunity to Deploy

30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team Story by Pfc. Kelly LeCompte

11.09.2009 BAGHDAD – Going to war may sound like the kind of thing most people would want to avoid, but for one Soldier, it was a compelling opportunity that he refused to miss.

Staff Sgt. Joseph Sauls, of Pikeville, N.C., is serving his 16th year in the North Carolina National Guard, but he is in his first combat deployment, serving with the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, at Forward Operating Base Falcon, here in Iraq.

Sauls was a full time Guardsman, serving as a small arms repairer with a command maintenance evaluation team, when he learned that the 30th HBCT would soon deploy.

"I felt like, I want to be more," Sauls said. "I wanted the experience of being deployed, that's why I volunteered to go with the brigade. I knew the Smithfield unit was a good unit from having worked with them on the full-time side, so I basically called them up and volunteered to switch [my military occupation], just to come."

Sauls said his wife has been supportive through his decision.

"I had explained it her, that I wanted to do it," Sauls said. "Of course she was hesitant about it, but she

NG Soldiers Erect Fences to Protect Ancient Sumerian Site, Antiquities

N.C. Guard Soldiers Help Preserve Iraqi History

Multi-National Division Baghdad Story by Sgt. Jon Soles

11.09.2009 BAGHDAD – What may look like large, weathered mounds of dirt in rural farmland near Mahmudiyah are actually artifact-filled ruins of an ancient civilization.

Soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard's 120th Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, surveyed the sites, here, recently, with officials from the Government of Iraq's Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism to examine ways to preserve and protect two ancient Sumerian sites from looters.

The complexes of dirt mounds – Tal Aldair and Sobbar Abu Habba – were once Sumerian city walls outside of what is today Mahmudiyah, south of

CA Soldiers, Iraqi Contractors' Work Comes to Fruition: 3 Schools Re-Opened,

The Gift of Education

Multi-National Division Baghdad Story by Sgt. Joshua Risner

11.09.2009 BAGHDAD – Education is essential for a child growing up in the world today. That is no less true in Iraq, where schools are a building block for a child's future.

Three schools were officially re-opened here, Nov. 5, thanks to Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers.

The Shab Female School, Yassamin School and Monte Tenaybo Schools were in shambles before they came to the attention of Army civil affairs Soldiers, according to Staff Sgt. Frank Halstead, from Brooklyn, N.Y.

"All three schools had to be completely redone because they were a mess," he said. "They had to be

Gearing Up to Head Home: Milestone Marks Close of Deployment

Greywolf Packs Up to Head Back to Fort Hood

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs Story by Christopher Kozloski

11.09.2009 FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq – There are many things that cross a Soldier's mind when he or she is deployed: the long flight overseas, putting their boots on foreign soil for the first time, being away from their loved ones for an extended period of time, or the long, stressful workdays throughout the deployment.

One milestone that marks the close of a deployment is often not heard about except in small circles of Soldiers that are discussing its tedious, albeit rewarding process; loading up their gear to head home.

3rd "Greywolf" Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers have begun the packing

RIP SPC Tony Carrasco Jr.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

    The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

    Spc. Tony Carrasco Jr., 25, of Berino, N.M., died Nov. 4 in Ad Dawr, Iraq, of a gunshot wound suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

Iraq CrossFit Al Asad: a New Approach to Physical Fitness

II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd)

Story by Cpl. Triah Pendracki

11.08.2009 AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Service members deployed to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, are given many opportunities to improve their physical fitness. While some people spend hours in the gym or hitting the pavement running every day, a group of service members and civilians are taking a different approach that yields similar results.

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program used by individuals of all different athletic skill levels.

"I used to go to the gym and work out for 45 minutes, but I found that I was losing all the muscle I had gained," explained Maj. Victor Frausto, protocol officer for Multi National Force - West and a level I CrossFit instructor. "That's when I started [using] CrossFit, because it works everything."

Iraq Engineers Race to Finish JSS Suj DFAC

Multi-National Division Baghdad

11.08.2009 BAGHDAD, Iraq— Joint Security Station Suj, on the northeastern edge of Baghdad, has very few of the comforts of a larger U.S. base.

Engineers from the 16th Engineer Brigade have been hard at work to try to change that.

Home to Paratroopers of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and soon to be home to troops of the 10th Mountain Division, the location is getting a much needed upgrade, starting with a new dining facility.

Soldiers from the 1434th Engineer Company began construction on the new dining facility in late Oct. 2009.

"Right now, the eating environment here is primitive," said Sgt. Thomas Johnston, of North Adams, Mich.

Welders Develop Prototype Mount

Multi-National Division Baghdad

Story by Staff Sgt. April Mota

11.08.2009 BAGHDAD, Iraq– Two U.S. Soldiers of the 101st Engineer Battalion, 16th Engineer Brigade have developed a prototype antenna mount for use on up-armored commercial vehicles, here, at Victory Base Complex.

"We were looking for something that kept a low profile so it would not obstruct the driver's field of view," said Beto Salazar, of Chaparra, N.M., a Department of Defense employee.

Sgt. Robert Hall, of Groton, Mass., and Spc. Chad Parks, of Steuben, Maine, both welders with Forward Support Company, 101st Eng. Bn., were happy to help Salazar with his request. The Soldiers worked together to come up with a plan that would meet all of the requirements.

"I took the dimensions and ran with it," Hall said.

Father, Son Share Special Moment in Iraq

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

Story by Capt. Rebecca Walsh

11.08.2009 TALIL AIR BASE, Iraq - Maj. Chuck Chapman, the brigade logistical support team chief attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kan., visited Talil Air Base, recently to reunite with his stepson, Spc. Paul Weigand.

After three days of travel, Chapman was surprised to learn that Weigand, a 21 year old Satellite Communications Systems Operator with the 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, was ready to re-enlist, and wanted his stepfather to be the reenlisting officer.

The last time Chapman saw his stepson was in March, just before Spc. Weigand deployed to Iraq. For Chapman, being able to be a part of his son's re-enlistment ceremony was a blessing.

Iraqi Parliament Approves Long-Delayed 2010 Election Law

By VOA News
08 November 2009

Iraq's parliament has passed a long-delayed election law required for national elections to be held in January.

The law won approval Sunday from 141 of the almost 200 Iraq lawmakers present after a tense, day-long debate.

The lawmakers overcame a key dispute about how to conduct the election in northern Iraq's ethnically-mixed and oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Iraq Joint Search for Explosives in Car Market

30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team

Story by Pfc. Kelly LeCompte

11.07.2009 BAGHDAD – U.S. Soldiers and Iraqi security forces continue to make southern Baghdad a safer place during a joint patrol to a car market in the Aamel neighborhood, Nov. 5.

American troops from 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team and Iraqi federal police, along with military working dogs, combed the market, searching for explosives, especially those often used to assemble car bombs.

"The mission...was to search for any type of vehicle-borne [improvised explosive device] making materiel, or any place where they could store anything that can be used to make vehicle IEDs," said 2nd Lt. Quadean Knight, an American platoon leader.

Sharing Gives Iraqi Police Tools to Keep Country Safe

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Story by Pfc. Justin Naylor

11.07.2009 FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq – As Iraqis continue to rely more on Iraqi Security Forces to arrest insurgents and wanted criminals, U.S. forces are increasingly sharing its intelligence and evidence to assist them.

In the city of Hawijah, Iraq, Iraqi police receive U.S. gathered evidence and intelligence on a regular basis, which aids them in keeping the city safe.

The IP cannot detain or arrest criminals without proper evidence, explained Lt. Col. Fitaah, a police chief at an IP station in Hawijah.

Therefore, it is essential that both U.S. forces and IP share as much of their evidence as they can in order to make sure cases can be completed, he said.

According to Fitaah, Soldiers from the U.S. Army make regular visits to his police station to share their information on criminal cases and suspected insurgents with him.

'Dirt Boyz' Level Iraqi Munitions Storage Area

Civil Engineer 'Dirt Boyz' Build Up Reconstruction Yard for Drawdown

332nd Air Expeditionary Wing

Story by Senior Airman Andria Allmond

11.07.2009 JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Detachment 6 are not only in the business of pushing dirt, but also in pushing the U.S. military closer to drawdown in Iraq.

The team of Airmen has been tasked to level off a Saddam Hussein era munitions storage area in order to create a workspace for the restoration of more than 30,000 shipping containers. The containers are slated to transport Multi-National Forces-Iraq assets and equipment back to home stations.

"We're preparing this site - moving thousands of yards of fill, cutting some areas and filling in some others," said Maj. Karlo Jajliardo, the construction team's commander. "And when we're done, we'll have a yard that's ready for the contractor to move in, mobilize and start preparing containers.

"A lot of the containers we have in-country simply aren't seaworthy; so instead of scrapping them or buying new ones, we can repair these containers to help the U.S. drawdown efforts -- at a much lower cost."

Iraqi Parliament Fails Again to Approve New Electoral Law

By Edward Yeranian
Cairo
08 November 2009

The Iraqi parliament has postponed the vote to approve a new electoral law, Saturday, that it needs to hold January 16 parliamentary elections. It was the seventh time in the last month that Iraqi MPs were unable to resolve disagreements.

It was several times in recent weeks that the Iraqi parliament tried and failed to reach a consensus over a new electoral law to pave the way for scheduled parliamentary elections on January 16.

Iraqi TV had reported, earlier in the day, that a compromise had been reached over the thorny issue of Kirkuk, which pits Kurds, Turkomens and Arabs against each other, but the announcement proved in the end to be wishful thinking.

Anchorman Don Shelby Visits Minnesota Guardsmen in Iraq

Minnesota News Anchor Visits Soldiers at COB Basra 

Multi-National Division-South
Story by J.P. Lawrence

11.06.2009 CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Noted Minnesota anchorman Don Shelby hasn't been sleeping much lately. Ever since he embedded with the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, he has been rushing from one end of Contingency Operating Base Basra to another, braving sandstorms, interviewing Soldiers and sharing their stories.

Shelby's cameraman, Tom Aviles, winner of 30 regional Emmys, slept even less – two hours in two days – but Shelby said that's his own fault.

"He's compulsive," said Shelby, winner of two Peabody Awards. "He wants to get every photo and every shot."

Although Shelby has served in the military and has been a war correspondent in Israel and Egypt, this was his first trip to Iraq. He said he felt privileged to cover the Red Bulls.

Aviators Have Unique Way of Saying Thanks

1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Story by Sgt. Travis Zielinski

11.06.2009 CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A nation's flag can be a powerful symbol of pride for people; a flag that comes with a story behind it can mean so much more.

From families and friends to companies and organizations, there are numerous people who support the efforts by deployed Soldiers. Support can come in the form of letters, movies, books, snacks and various supplies. It is all done to express the gratitude for what deployed Soldiers are doing in the service of their country.

In an effort to give back, the aviators of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, are taking American flags on combat missions and then sending them back home to show appreciation for the support.

There are various reasons the aviators take a flag up with them on a mission, whether it is for

5 Terrorists Arrested by Iraqi Forces

Iraqi Forces Arrest 5 Suspected Terrorists

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

11.06.2009 BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces arrested five suspected terrorists today in two security operations.

In northeastern Baghdad, the Iraqi soldiers, with U.S. advisors, searched two buildings looking for a Promise Day Brigade terrorist group leader who allegedly coordinates attacks against security forces in Iraq.

The Iraqi soldiers questioned and then arrested three people suspected of being Promise Day Brigade associates without incident.

Near Sharqat, about 50 miles northwest of Kirkuk, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who has ties to senior leaders of the terrorist group.

Based on evidence at the scene, two suspects were arrested without incident.

Iraq IPs Net AQI at Checkpoint

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Story by Pfc. Justin Naylor

11.06.2009 FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq – As a means of fighting terrorism, the placement and use of traffic checkpoints often prove effective.

As a recent example illustrates, Iraqi police in the Kirkuk province of Iraq detained suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq members in possession of bomb-making materiel because they reportedly saw something suspicious in one of their vehicles at a check point, Oct. 22.

The discovery by the alert IPs eventually led to an operation that netted a total of nine members of an AQI cell in Kirkuk and the discovery of 17 blasting caps, four initiator devices and over 300 pounds of ammonium nitrate.

Ammonium nitrate, initiated by gasoline,

RIP SSG Amy C. Tirador

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

    The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador, 29, of Albany, N.Y., died Nov. 4 in Kirkush, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.  She was assigned to the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

Iraq Engineer Troops Survey Liberty for New Maps

Multi-National Division Baghdad

Story by 1st Lt. Michael Lind

11.05.2009 BAGHDAD, Iraq – A temporary increase in the number of Soldiers moving through Camp Liberty is expected as the U.S. military transitions to a responsible drawdown in Iraq.

This increase means plans to improve facilities and security; an impossible task without updated maps.

Troops of the 621st Survey and Design Team, 101st Engineer Battalion, 16th Eng. Brigade, surveyed Camp Liberty, Nov. 5, to provide leaders and Soldiers with updated maps.

From North Carolina, the National Guard team includes two survey teams and one drafting team who are responsible for architectural design, land survey, and cartography.

"[The 621st] provides topographical data in our areas of responsibilities and provides input for better utilization of existing structures," said Staff Sgt. Glenn Cornett, of Hazard, Ky.

Iraqis Arrest 6 Bomb Network Suspects

Iraqis Arrest 6 Bomb Network Suspects

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

11.05.2009 BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces arrested six suspects during two security operations today targeting members of al-Qaida in Iraq-sponsored bombing networks.

In Bayji, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors with court-issued warrants searched several buildings in pursuit of vehicle-bomb network members operating across Iraq's Salahuddin province.

Based on information gathered at the scene, police arrested three people for allegedly aiding and abetting criminal activity. The suspect wanted on the warrant was not apprehended.

In Tall Zalat, southwest of Mosul, Iraqi forces acting on a warrant searched several buildings for an alleged roadside-bomb suspect. Based on incriminating evidence found at the scene, three suspects were arrested, though the warranted person was not among them.

Pioneering Iraqi Women Graduate Basic Combat Training

American Forces Press Service

AL MUTHANA, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2009 – The Iraqi army graduated 42 women here as the first all-female class to complete its enlisted basic combat training course.

Iraqi Staff Brig. Gen. Mohammed Abdul Razq, deputy director of the tactical training directorate, and Iraqi Staff Col. Mohammed Abdul Rahman Essa, deputy commander of the Regional Training Center, delivered congratulatory remarks to the pioneering women at an Oct. 29 graduation.

Iraqi army recruit Junde Lubab Ibrahim Kaleel said she was very excited about graduation. "It is

Iraqis Arrest 6 Bomb Network Suspects

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Nov. 5, 2009 – Iraqi security forces arrested six suspects during two security operations today targeting members of al-Qaida in Iraq-sponsored bombing networks.

In Bayji, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors with court-issued warrants searched several buildings in pursuit of vehicle-bomb network members operating across Iraq’s Salahuddin province.

Based on information gathered at the scene, police arrested three people for allegedly aiding and abetting criminal activity. The suspect wanted on the warrant was not apprehended.

In Tall Zalat, southwest of Mosul, Iraqi forces acting on a warrant searched several buildings for an alleged roadside-bomb suspect. Based on incriminating evidence found at the scene, three suspects were arrested, though the warranted person was not among them.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

Family Time: Dominoes Build US-Iraq Relationships

Dominoes Deliver Kinship Between Soldiers, Iraqis

Multi-National Division-South  by J.P. Lawrence 11.04.2009 02:50

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – The game is dominoes on this autumnal night in Camp Savage. As Maj. Joan Carrick shuffles the small spotted tiles you can hear them tinkle as they skid around the card table. Across the table sits Carrick's dominoes partner, Staff Sgt. Larry Saunders. To her left and right sit her opponents for the night: Capt. Timothy Vandewalle on her right, and Denzel, an interpreter, on her left.

By day, the four members of Multi-national Security Transition Command-Iraq, help develop and equip the Iraqi security forces. But late at night, whenever they gather around the table and break out the bones, they have a chance to connect with their Iraqi coworkers over the friendly competition of an ancient game, a game where the loudest language spoken is the clickety-clack-clack of dominoes.

Sniper Safeguards Schoolgirls while Supporting Iraqi Army

IA Led Joint Patrol Protects Aqur Quf

Multi-National Division Baghdad by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell 11.04.2009 09:42

BAGHDAD – On a dusty road in northwestern Baghdad, Sgt. Kegan Cline kneels beside a wall, resting his M-14 sniper rifle as a group of Iraqi girls in blue school uniforms walk by, giggling and pushing each other, Nov. 3.

The Worcester, Mass. native, smiled briefly and nodded at the girls, knowing that his presence, combined with Iraqi Army Soldiers, allows the girls to walk around safely.

"It feels great that we're here serving a purpose," said Cline, assigned to Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. "These kids can go to and from school without fear and that the community sees two organizations working together as one is a great thing."

Iraq Mission Requires Tailored Training Focus

Brigade Tests New Concept in Iraq

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs by Donna Miles 11.04.2009 11:03

WASHINGTON - The first new "advise and assist" brigades already in Iraq and others slated to arrive soon have a big leg up on their new mission, thanks to the groundwork laid by the "Highlander" brigade, which provided a test bed for the new concept.

The 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade has been on the ground in Iraq since April, conducting the initial advise and assist operations to pass on to the first officially designated AAB, explained Army Col. Peter Newell, the brigade commander.

Iraq: Exxon, BP, Shell Awarded Contracts to Expand Oil Production

Exxon Group Wins Major Iraq Oil Contract
By VOA News 05 November 2009

The Iraqi government has decided to award a contract to develop the prized West Qurna oil field to a consortium led by the U.S. oil company Exxon Mobil.