The Groundtruth from a combat veteran, backed up by independent research and historical study. Information beneficial to the Troops. And a touch of objective politics, as it relates to the subjects at hand.
This site is unabashedly Pro-American and Pro-Military however none of the views expressed here are to be considered as endorsed, proposed, or supported by the Department of Defense or any other Agency, government, public, or private. http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/
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Children's Books
Ages 7 and up
Marjorie Haun relates the stories of Vietnamese children, and their escape from the invading Communist forces of the North, including the heroism of Fathers and Troops.
These books can be read to children by parents, teachers, or other role models and there are more to come in the series.
Beanies For Baghdad Putting Smiles on Faces of Soldiers by putting smiles on the faces of Iraqi & Afghani children and hence the faces of their parents.
Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of G
Guantanamo Bay - Montgomery Granger
Review by Ms Marti: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/11/saving-grace-at-guantanamo-bay-by-montgomery-j-granger.html
The Facts about what has happened at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and who is detained there. More here: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2009/02/the-unvarnished-truth-about-gitmo-long-overdue.html
Hitler's Panzers
WWII scholar, Professor of History, Colorado College, uses Soldier interviews, archives & other information to demonstrate effectiveness of Armored Warfare as developed by Nazi Germany and pertinent to future warfare.
Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations
Command and former commander of Task Force Dagger, addresses the
audience during the dedication and unveiling ceremony for the De
Oppresso Liber statue at the Winter Garden Hall in Two World Financial
Center near Ground Zero, Nov. 11, 2011. Members of Task Force Dagger, a
Special Operations team made up Green Berets from 5th Special Forces
Group (Airborne), aircrew members from the 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and combat controllers from Air Force
Special Operations Command; joined Vice President Joseph Biden and
business leaders and veterans support organizations to unveil the
statue.(Photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Jacob)
NEW YORK, N.Y. - "It was as if the Jetsons had met the Flintstones,"
stated Capt. Will Summers, former Special Forces team sergeant for the
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), as his team linked up and operated
with members of the Afghan Northern Alliance just weeks after the 9/11
attacks.
A decade later those same words would resonate throughout the Winter
Garden Hall in Two World Financial Center near Ground Zero as Vice
President Joseph Biden, standing before the Ground Zero flag, spoke to
the audience assembled for the dedication of a larger than life bronze
statue depicting those same Green Berets.
The 82nd Airborne Division was born on August 15th, 1942. It had served previously as a leg infantry unit, in World War I, in the "organized reserves," and had on Active Duty again since 25 March 1942, on August 15th, it became the Nation's first Airborne Division.
Jumping out of planes, trusting a few strings tied to silk to slow your fall enough, that you will be healthy enough to fight an entrenched enemy, after you hit the ground, takes a special resolve. It's not freefall parachuting, but this means to get to the battle was not the sole factor in their success on the battlefield. They trained harder. They learned more. They fought harder than other Troops. The Germans nicknamed them "Devils in Baggy Pants" while the official motto was the "All-American" Division, as they had originally been consituted with citizens of all 48 states on August 5th, 1917.
Being the best doesn't mean never losing comrades. The leg 82nd fought hard in WWI and from May to November of 1918 lost 995 Soldiers, Killed in Action, 7,082 Wounded in Action, and gained two Medals of Honor; Colonel Emory Pike, KIA 1918, and Sergeant Alvin C York, of Tennessee. SGT York's expert marksmanship had led to masses of German soldiers surrendering to him in the final weeks of World War I. It was deactivated on 27 May 1919 when it returned from the War.
Great Generals trace their history to their time in the 82nd including Omar Bradleey, Maxwell Taylor, James Gavin, Matthew Ridgway, George Van Pope, and Matthew D Query. Olympic Medalists have served in the 82nd.
The first Airborne Attack was onto Sicily on July 9th, 1943, followed shortly by parachuting into Salerno on 13 September 1943. It continued to fight in Italy until pulled and reinforced to prepare for D-Day. On the 5th and 6th of June, 1944 the 505th, 507th, and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments of the 82nd parachuted into Normandy to free Europe. Scattered across the battlefield, it fought as small units, retaining all ground it gained in 33 days of battle that cost it 5,245 Soldiers. During WWII, 1,619 Soldiers of the 82nd were Killed in Action, 6,560 were Wounded in Action, and 332 Died of Wounds, in less than 2 years. Japan surrendered before the 82nd could be sent to finish them off.
In April 1965, the 82nd was sent to the Domincan Republic where is ended a Civil War. It would be used significantly in Viet Nam, though would not earn a combat jump there.
In 1967, it was sent to Detroit to end the race riots, which took it less than 2 days.
From the end of World War II, the 82nd Airborne was the Nation's Rapid Deployment Force. It was required to be ready to have the Division anywhere in the world in 72 hours and a Brigade in the fight in 24 hours. This kept it out of Korea as a strategic reserve against the Communist threat of World War III. It was alerted for operations in Jordan in September 1970, the Middle East in 1973 & 1980, for Zaire in 1978, and for Iran in 1979.
On 23 October 1983, along with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of 75th Ranger Regiment, it defeated the Communists on Grenada, marking the first time since World War II that Communism lost a Nation. In March of 1988, it parachuted into Honduras sending Communist Nicaraguans scurrying out of that country. In 1989, it jumped into Panama, defeating the drug lord, Manuel Noreiga.
On 8 August 1990, it became the first Troops to draw a line in the sand against Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Forces, which were threatening to invade Saudi Arabia, after having overrun Kuwait on the 2nd. It would remain on the ground until April 1991, after having provided the Northernmost and deepest penetration into Iraq of the ground war.
It was sent to end the violence in Haiti in September 1994, ready for another combat jump, the threat of which was sufficient to cause the belligerent leader to end his rule. It was called up for deployments in Bosnia and Kosovo, making its combat jump entry on 1 October 1999.
Its first deployment to Afghanistan was in June 2002 and elements of it crossed into Iraq on 21 March 2003.
The Division has earned 4 Presidential Unit Citations, a Meritorious Unit Citation, a Valorous Unit Citation, 3 French Croix de Guerre (2 with Palm), a Belgian Fourrageere, and a Dutch Military William Award. The most recent awards were for OIF 1.
In combat, there are no "days off." The enemy will attack at the time of his choosing, and he will choose the day he thinks you will relax your guard. On 4 July 2009, the enemy attacked, and Able Company was ready:
Remember those that put their lives on the line, so you can rest comfortably in peace.
The defeat of Imperial Japan & Nazi Germany may have ended the shooting wars, but it was not the end of Our Commitment, and it wasn't the end of dangers. Whole German and Japanese cities had been destroyed by allied bombs, but while we rebuilt our future allies, the Communists oppressed our future enemies.
The prognosis was bleak as the red flag of communism spread rapidly across Europe and Asia. The Cold War which began on the heels of WWII, would last until 1990. It would include the seige of Berlin, the hot wars of Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Grenada, Colombia, Nicarauga, El Salvador, and spawn the Islamist terrorists we fight now in the War On Terror. The Communist Cold War "hero" Che Gueverra would slaughter thousands of Bolivian peasants, after executing Cubans en masse.
But this video shows the first few years of the Communist rise to power.
AFGHANISTAN - Tactical site exploitation skills are becoming an increasingly valuable asset for Afghan National Security Forces, when it comes to conducting counterinsurgency operations.
With these skills, Afghan forces are able to link evidence found in a crime scene or cache site to the insurgents operating against ANSF and coalition forces.
An Afghan National Army military policeman with Military Police Tolai, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, conducts a simulated personnel search during a Tactical Site Exploitation course here, June 3, 2012. Marines and sailors with the Joint Prosecution Exploitation Center’s Operational Support Team instructed the soldiers on ways to respond to a crime scene, photograph a crime scene, collect latent fingerprints and other techniques to aid in the prosecution of criminals.
To help develop this skill set, Marines with the Joint Prosecution Exploitation Center’s Operational Support Team, traveled here from Camp Dwyer to teach Afghan National Army soldiers a Tactical Site Exploitation course, June 3.
US Army Reserve Command Story by Timothy Hale 6.6.2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – A permanent memorial, dedicated to all U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who have paid the ultimate price for freedom throughout history, was unveiled June 6, 2012, at the U.S. Army Reserve Command headquarters, here.
The Army Reserve's top enlisted soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Schultz, recognizes those who made the Fallen Soldier Memorial a reality during the dedication of the U.S. Army Reserve Command Fallen Soldier Memorial at the command's headquarters building on Fort Bragg, N.C., June 6, 2012. The permanent memorial honors all Army Reserve Soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“We’re free today because for nearly 237 years, whenever freedom has been threatened, gallant men and women have answered the call,” said Maj. Gen. Keith L. Thurgood, U.S. Army Reserve Command chief of staff.
John Perozzi, a D-Day veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, returned to Normandy, France, this year for the 68th anniversary commemorations and to visit his fallen buddies at the Normandy American Cemetery, overlooking Omaha beach.
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, France (June 6, 2012) -- When Eugene Cook jumped into Normandy during the predawn hours of June 6, 1944, he landed several miles from his intended drop zone.
Alone in the dark French countryside, the young 101st Airborne Division paratrooper from Georgia assembled his rifle, got his bearings and began looking for other Americans among Normandy's hedgerows. In the days and weeks that followed, Cook took part in the now famous battles that began the liberation of France and led to Allied victory over Nazi Germany.
Cook, 87, was among the handful of World War II veterans who attended the 68th anniversary of the D-Day landings this week. U.S. service members from all the military branches took part in honoring them, something Cook said he was glad to see.
"We have to commemorate the lives of the guys we left here," Cook said. "They gave their lives for us and we should show them thanks."
USACAPOC(A) remembers D-Day - Task Force 68, which is made up of paratroopers from U.S., Germany, France, Holland, and United Kingdom, re-enacted the D-Day airborne operation on the La Fiere fields near Ste. Mere Eglise, France to commemorate the heroic acts of World War II...
NORMANDY, France (June 4, 2012) -- When U.S. paratroopers jumped onto French soil during World War II, they were greeted with gunfire and bombs. Today, 68 years later, they were met with cheers and handshakes.
Task Force 68, which is made up of U.S. service members from Fort Bragg, N.C., British, Dutch, German, and French soldiers, held a commemorative airborne operation in honor of their forefathers who landed on the shores Normandy and fought their way through Nazi infested France. Included in the task force are paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) and the 824th Quartermaster Company.
The muddy fields of La Fiere, outside of Ste. Mere Eglise, France, hosted thousands of on-lookers, June 3, to ensure that the bravery and heroic acts of World War II and D-Day are never forgotten.
Winston Churchill speech in the House of Commons on D-Day:
[...] I have also to announce to the House that during the night and the early hours of this morning the first of the series of landings in force upon the European Continent has taken place. In this case the liberating assault fell upon the coast of France. An immense armada of upwards of 4,000 ships, together with several thousand smaller craft, crossed the Channel. Massed airborne landings have been successfully effected behind the enemy lines, and landings on the beaches are proceeding at various points at the present time. The fire of the shore batteries has been largely quelled. The obstacles that were constructed in the sea have not proved so difficult as was apprehended. The Anglo-American Allies are sustained by about 11,000 firstline aircraft, which can be drawn upon as may be needed for the purposes of the battle. I cannot, of course, commit myself to any particular details. Reports are coming in in rapid succession. So far the Commanders who are engaged report that everything is proceeding according to plan. And what a plan! This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place. It involves tides, wind, waves, visibility, both from the air and the sea standpoint, and the combined employment of land, air and sea forces in the highest degree of intimacy and in contact with conditions which could not and cannot be fully foreseen....[...]
Today, Memorial Day in America, it seems more than fitting that a Memorial has been dedicated to my "nephew" SSG Brian Cowdrey, an American Hero:
On Memorial day many people visit memorial sites and cemeteries to honor those who have died serving our great country. Today the Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan are honoring a fallen hero and dedicating a helicopter ramp in his memory.
From RC East:
Monday, 28 May 2012 23:31
The real “memorial” day
Written by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon, RC-East PAO
ALALABAD, Afghanistan – There wasn’t a BBQ with friends. No kids splashed in a pool or lined up for a rollercoaster on the official first day of the “summer fun” season. No-one got the day off. Memorial day wasn’t anything except a day to gather and remember, mark a patch of concrete with a small monument, and lament losing a friend.
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Troopers salute a memorial dedicated to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert "Brian" Cowdrey. Cowdrey died Oct. 13, 2011 while rescuing wounded servicemembers from a small combat outpost near the Pakistan Border. MEDEVAC troops on Forward Operating Base Fenty had the helicopter landing pad in the V.I.P. arrival area re-named "Cowdrey Ramp," and erected a small monument to honor his life on Memorial Day. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon
“Sometimes, I think about how many lives Brian affected,” said U.S. Army Capt. Augustine Castronovo, the MEDEVAC platoon leader on Forward Operating Base Fenty, near Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
On October 13th, 2011, Castronovo’s MEDEVAC unit responded to an urgent call from a small observation post in Kunar province, near the Pakistan border. The post had been under heavy enemy fire, and three Coalition Soldiers were critically wounded, requiring evacuation.
Among the medics on board was U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert “Brian” Cowdrey, from Atwater, Ohio. Cowdrey was seasoned combat veteran on his fourth deployment, known for his “hard right over easy wrong” attitude.
It is a day we have the opportunity to stop, even for a brief moment, and Remember With Honor the 1,000,000 or so men and women who gave their lives on the field of battle to found, protect and preserve our freedoms and American way of life. A high price was paid by each one of these men and women.
Some gave their tomorrows for us to have a new today each and every day. To say they were all in is an understatement. Those who had no children committed the tomorrows of future unborn generations who will now never be born.
And their families have paid a never ending price as well. When I have been asked what I think the cost of Freedom is, I answer a lifetime of love, for that is what the Families of the Fallen bear each day as they remember the loved one they lost. Memorial Day is a day for happiness and celebration, and well we all should, for a high price was paid that we might do so in freedom and security from the enemies who would wipe us off the face of the earth, but for the 1,000,000 who have gave their lives for you and I.
Some ask me from time to time how to make it better for the Families of the Fallen. I don't think there is but one real way to make it better, but that is not going to happen for no person has the power to give us back the loved one we lost. But it is helpful, at least to me, to know that people care what my son, SGT Mike Stokely, gave America and I would suggest others who have lost someone in war would feel the same way.
The best way in my eyes to show you care is to Make it Matter. Love America as much as the 1,000,000 have shown they loved America. Live life fully and enjoy the freedom that has been preserved for you. And, when you get an opportunity, even if it is only a small one, care about someone around you, whether a stranger, friend or family member and give a little of yourself to make it better for them. And on this Memorial Day, if only for a brief moment, Remember With Honor 1,000,000 and those yet to come, who have made the sacrifice of a Lifetime of Love. They have entrusted their forever to you.
Robert Stokely proud dad SGT Mike Stokely KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq USA E 108 CAV 48th Brigade Combat Team Georgia Army National Guard DUTY HONOR COUNTRY
We are the Land of the Free, because of the Brave, who volunteer to defend all that the Star Spangled Banner represents.
Remember them ALL - and their families - with honour.
WASHINGTON, DC—On May 16, President Barack Obama will posthumously award Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.
SP4 Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. distinguished himself May 10, 1970, in Se San, Cambodia, while serving as a rifleman in Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division.
Members of B. Co. were ambushed by a large enemy force. While conducting a reconnaissance patrol, 22-year-old Sabo charged an enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers. Immediately thereafter, he assaulted an enemy flanking force, successfully drawing their fire away from friendly soldiers and ultimately forcing the enemy to retreat.
When a grenade landed nearby a wounded comrade, Sabo picked up the grenade, threw it away while shielding his buddy with his own body, thus absorbing the brunt of the blast and saving the man's life.
5/9/2012 By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) William Jamieson, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) successfully led a simulated strait transit off the eastern coast of the United States May 8.
The exercise was designed to test the participant ship's ability to navigate safely, while also dealing with threats that could be encountered transiting straits in hostile waters.
"This exercise really helped to drive home the importance of coordination and communication between watchstanders, our bridge, and the other ships in the surface action group," said Cmdr. David A. Bretz, commanding officer of Jason Dunham. "Every member of the crew had an important part to play in this exercise, and I'm proud to say they performed up to the high expectations of Jason Dunham."
By Capt. Jillian Torango, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Col. William Walker leads the wing formation during the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing deactivation ceremony May 8, 2012, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. (Photo by Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia)
SOUTHWEST ASIA (May 9, 2012) — The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing deactivated in a ceremony May 8 at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.
Maj. Gen. James Jones, the deputy commander of U. S. Air Forces Central, presided over the ceremony which brought a storied era of 332nd history to a close.
Also in attendance were Matthew H. Tueller, the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, and Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, the vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.
"As the largest combat wing in the Air Force for most of its time frame, this wing served with distinction," said Jones. "In the nearly 10 years since the wing flag was reinstated, the Red Tails have been the very backbone of AFCENT forces engaged in Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn."
Story and photos by MC1(SW/AW) Chris Fahey 4.24.2012 NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan Public Affairs Office KABUL – As a Department of Defense employee walked from his deployed home at Camp Eggers, Kabul, to the International Security Assistance Forces headquarters, a young Afghan girl said three words that would inspire three months of aid for hundreds of Afghan refugees. 120410-N-3069F-030 KABUL - (April 10, 2012) Camp Eggers volunteer Lin House helps an Afghan refugee attending class at the Aschiana School in Kabul pick out correct sized clothing during a volunteer community relations mission.
“She asked politely ‘give me socks?’ ” said Marc “Dip” DiPaolo, a DoD civilian with NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan. “When I looked at her feet, on that chilly 35-degree day, I saw that she was wearing something like [canvas] shoes, probably too small, with no shoelaces and no socks. I looked at her friend—she was wearing dirty pink Crocs, also with no socks.”
From that point, Dip reached back to friends and family stateside through his Website-driven foundation “Give Me Socks” (www.givemesocks.wordpress.com). In all, the site generated aid from 25 states and three countries tallying nearly 400 boxes of winter garments, hygiene products and school supplies – each given to an Afghan child refugee.
“Afghans are people just like us …, said Dip. “I just wanted to be able hand out some socks and other practical stuff while it was still so cold outside. This is a trifle of a humanitarian effort with trivial results overall. I love it, but in the big scheme of things, it’s not even a dot. But this winter, a bunch of kids had gloves and socks, so that’s real.”
Story and photo by Sgt. April Campbell ISAF Public Affairs
Marim Zamani, who runs an orphanage in Kabul, received a bit of help from International Security Assistance Force volunteers who donated nearly 1,400 pounds of food as well as much-needed clothes, school supplies and toys, March 30.
KABUL, Afghanistan — For the International Security Assistance Force service members whose day-to-day mission focuses on the more long-term effort of coordinating and partnering with Afghan leaders, finding an opportunity to have a direct and immediate impact with the Afghan people can offer much-needed energy.
A group of American service members from ISAF Headquarters here found just such an opportunity when they traveled to a nearby orphanage, March 30, to donate nearly 1,400 pounds of food as well as clothes, school supplies and toys.
On January 12, 1962, United States Army pilots lifted more than 1,000 South Vietnamese service members over jungle and underbrush to capture a National Liberation Front stronghold near Saigon. Operation Chopper marked America's first combat mission against the Viet Cong, and the beginning of one of our longest and most challenging wars. Through more than a decade of conflict that tested the fabric of our Nation, the service of our men and women in uniform stood true. Fifty years after that fateful mission, we honor the more than 3 million Americans who served, we pay tribute to those we have laid to rest, and we reaffirm our dedication to showing a generation of veterans the respect and support of a grateful Nation.
The Vietnam War is a story of service members of different backgrounds, colors, and creeds who came together to complete a daunting mission. It is a story of Americans from every corner of our Nation who left the warmth of family to serve the country they loved. It is a story of patriots who braved the line of fire, who cast themselves into harm's way to save a friend, who fought hour after hour, day after day to preserve the liberties we hold dear. From Ia Drang to Hue, they won every major battle of the war and upheld the highest traditions of our Armed Forces.
Eleven years of combat left their imprint on a generation. Thousands returned home bearing shrapnel and scars; still more were burdened by the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress, of Agent Orange, of memories that would never fade. More than 58,000 laid down their lives in service to our Nation. Now and forever, their names are etched into two faces of black granite, a lasting memorial to those who bore conflict's greatest cost.
When a man is being beat by a mob on a beach, stabbed by those that had attempted to push a woman beyond her levels of acceptance, an Iraq War Veteran stepped in to help the good Samaritan. This is the nature of your Protectors, your Sheepdogs, YOUR Troops and Veterans.
This happens far more often than violence later blamed on PTSD by lawyers and malcontents. H/T to Jonn Lillyea of ThisAintHell.us Currently youtube says it has been viewed 12 times. It needs to go viral.
3/15/2012 By Lance Cpl. Alyssa N. Hoffacker , Marine Corps Bases Japan
IWO TO, Japan — Iwo Jima veterans were honored in front of the 5th Marine Division Memorial during the 67th Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor ceremony here March 14.
IWO TO, Japan-Retired Lt. Gen. Lawrence F. Snowden pays respect by bowing to the official Japanese party prior to giving his speech during the 67th Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor ceremony here March 14. The Battle of Iwo Jima lasted for 36 days and resulted in nearly 30,000 lives lost from both nations. This ceremony gave both countries the opportunity to honor the service members who lost their lives 67 years ago. The commemoration was hosted by the Iwo Jima Associations of America and Japan and coordinated with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Japan and the U.S. Marine Corps. Snowden is the chairman of Iwo Jima Association of America. , Cpl. Justin R. Wheeler, 3/14/2012
U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945, and on the fifth day raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi. The island was secured March 26, 1945, after what is known by many as the fiercest fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II.
“Standing here on this island brings back so many vivid memories,” said Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, a World War II Marine veteran. “My memories had become what seemed like distant dreams, but today brings it back to life.”
The longest bridge built on operations since World War Two has been handed over to the people of Gereshk in a ceremony attended by the district governor. It cost £1.2 million to construct the 70-metre long Freedom Bridge which connects communities either side of the NEB Canal. For soldiers of 29 Armoured Engineer Squadron - part of 35 Royal Engineers - it was the main effort throughout Operation Herrick 15.
A Royal Auxiliary Air Force airman who set up life-saving medical centres for Afghan children caught up in the conflict has been described as an inspiration and his contribution to the local communities across Helmand as immeasurable.
Squadron Leader Colin Mathieson with Afghan children [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD]
After decades of living under the shadow of the Taliban, isolated Afghan communities endure some of the harshest living conditions in the world. One of the most tragic facts is that one in five children dies before their fifth birthday.
Squadron Leader Colin Mathieson, a Medical Support Officer with 4626 (County of Wiltshire) Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at RAF Lyneham, spent six months in Lashkar Gah supporting the reconstruction and development of healthcare for the local Afghan population.
"I am still rocking! For those who haven’t heard, I was blown up, with my MWD, Axe, Feb 17th of this year. I lost both of my feet, and was back to work in July."
By Senior Airman Jarad Denton, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa
KARABTI SAN, Djibouti (January 6, 2012) — U.S. Army Spc. Tiffany Larriba held her hands in front of her, fingers closed, as children from Karabti San, Djibouti, waited in eager anticipation Jan. 3.
Suddenly, Larriba smiled and raised six fingers.
“Six,” the children exclaimed in unison.
U.S. Army Spc. Tiffany Larriba, team member from Civil Affairs Team 4902, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, raises six fingers to children during the "Soldier in the Classroom" program at Karabti San, Djibouti, Jan. 3. The program is designed to teach children basic English. (DoD Photo by Senior Airman Jarad Denton)
This was the children’s second exposure to learning the English language through a program Larriba, a team member with the U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team 4902, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion and Dallas, Texas, native, calls: “Soldier in the Classroom.” The program broadens the horizons of the children, while giving them a long-lasting memory of their relationship with U.S. soldiers. Karabti San is the first village to experience the program, which was introduced Nov. 29. Larriba said she hopes to see "Soldier in the Classroom" introduced in other villages throughout Djibouti.
“We wanted the kids to remember us for something good,” she said. “So we came up with this project where we go to schools or villages and teach some lesson they can’t learn anywhere else. It’s simple enough that the students understand, but yet it helps open their mind and leaves a standing memory.”
Just as Karabti San is the first Djiboutian village to receive eco-dome materials and construction training from the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, it is also the first place to experience "Soldier in the Classroom." Larriba hopes the participation she sees here will extend to other villages.
“They are all involved in it,” she said. “Every kid [in the village], young or old, all came. They wanted to come. They made some pretty good progress.”
According to Larriba, who is affectionately referred to by the children as “Lorouba,” which means “cowgirl” in Somali, the progress will provide these children with opportunities previously unavailable.
“[We want to] help them see there is a big world out there and a lot of opportunities,” she said. “That’s our goal.”
The children are not the only ones learning from this program. Larriba said her outlook on life has changed dramatically since coming to Africa and interacting with the local population. She hopes her friends and family back home will see the change in her and embrace it themselves.
“You can be happy with the smallest things, she said. “This village, for example, they’re happy. You can live without a lot of things and still be happy.”
Larriba said the happiness she shared with the children of Karabti San is compounded and reinforced with each new lesson, with every new number learned.
“It was good. I liked it all,” said Mohamed Bourito, a student in the program. “We practice what Lorouba has taught us. After I learn the English language, I want to go to the school. I want to continue my education.”
Bourito smiled broadly after sharing his dream for the future. He held up his hands and repeated what he had learned only minutes ago, from Larriba. Slowly, but surely, he counted to ten – in English.
Keni Thomas is first and foremost a great story-teller.
Keni Thomas was a Sergeant/E-5 and a fire team leader/Squad Leader in the Battle for Mogadishu. Raised in Florida and now making Nashville, TN his home, he was a Singer in the Rangers and he's a Country Star now. He isn't the first to write a book on the events made known to the world in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," but like CW3 Michael Durant, this story is his piece of the puzzle. And he weaves into his story of the battle, lessons of faith, and lessons of leadership in seamless manner that will keep you from putting the book down to refill your cup of coffee.
If you've ever wondered if your role in life is important, Keni answers that for you: You are the one piece of the puzzle that makes it all work! He points out how important it is for leaders of all levels to lead, even if they are the lowest Private, still learning how to use the weapons right. And he tells the story of how he learned that leadership doesn't mean being the fastest, but in making sure the whole team finishes. It took him 24 miles with a 50 lb rucksack to learn that lesson.
How is it that Task Force Ranger could flawlessly execute multiple missions given only a 10 minute notification? They had practiced every part of the mission multiple times, until it was routine. No, they didn't know that morning they were going to the Olympia Motel, but they knew how to Fast Rope, they knew how to set up external security, and they knew what to do if a Blackhawk went down.
This isn't just a book for Infantrymen, just for Historians, or for Soldiers, not even just a book for Leaders. It is a book for everyone, though there are lessons for Warriors, for Leaders of Warriors, for Politicians, and for Historians. This is a book for Teachers, and Aircraft Mechanics, and Doctors, and the person doing the paperwork to make it all happen.
But one of the most important stories he tells in his book of how he struggled with the notoriety of telling these stories. It took an almost missed encounter with a WWII Veteran to bring him to terms with why it was important for him to tell the Stories of Valor on the day he lost friends.
This is the first I've learned of SSG Eversmann's book, but each of these accounts sheds light on a different part of the Battle of Mogadishu.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2011 – Pearl Harbor survivors represent the best of America and serve as role models for the current generation that responded to another deadly surprise attack, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a message issued today to Pearl Harbor veterans.
[Later today], Panetta will place a wreath at the Navy Memorial here to remember the more than 3,500 Americans killed or wounded in the Japanese attack 70 years ago.
President Barack Obama signed a proclamation today naming tomorrow National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and urged all Americans to fly their flags at half staff in memory of those killed that day.
Staff Sgt. Sean Burnett, a squad leader, and Spc. Teresa Lynch, a commander's emergency response program assistant, both with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Engineer Battalion, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
BALKH PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Nov. 17, 2011) -- As the ramp to an armored vehicle lowered, a U.S. Army Soldier grabbed two plastic containers and handed them to a comrade. She then walked into a crowd of school-aged children who jostled around anxiously in expectation.
Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Engineer Battalion, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team patrolled to three schools and distributed roughly 100 pounds of scholastic and hygienic supplies here Nov. 15.
Fifty years ago, on November 24, 1961, President John F Kennedy, officially authorized the wear of the distinctive headgear of the Green Beret for US Army Special Forces. It was a decision that overrode the opinions of conventional Army Generals at the time and the result of the commander of US Army Special Forces at Ft Bragg, NC risking the backlash from conventional officers by ordering the wear of the unauthorized headgear in a parade the President was watching.
Ever since, people inside and outside the military have confused Special Forces with the hat they wear. Special Operations is the type of Warriors they are. Green Berets are the headgear they wear (when not in the field). Special Forces is the title they've earned.
They trace their roots back to the joint US-Canadian units in WWII called the 1st Special Services Force and to the OSS, which also gave birth to the CIA. They were fighting in Viet Nam and Indonesia, years before they were authorized a beret and before the currently reported "start of the war" there. It was a few dozen or less Special Forces in Lang Vei that defeated a North Vietnamese Tank Regiment, ahead of the Tet Offensive, that inspired the book and move "The Green Berets" by Robin Moore, and starring John Wayne.
They were fighting in Nicarauga and El Salvador, when malcontents were protesting against the war against communism. They were overstretched before 9/11 and have been busy since. It was 200 men of 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) that infiltrated Afghanistan and led the war overthrowing the Taliban government there in the fall of 2001.
Special Forces are "The Quiet Professionals" that do more, without accolades, during war and during peace to protect America. For a more complete history of US Army Special Forces, read it from those that made that history: Professional Soldiers History.
Veterans who took part in the 13th mission for the Missouri Ozarks Honor Flight visited the World War II Memorial Oct. 26, 2011, in Washington D.C. The Ozarks Honor Flight, in two short years, has taken more than 1,000 veterans to see the World War II Memorial.
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo., Nov. 8, 2011 -- Master Sgt. Tony Gifford, rear detachment S-3 sergeant major for the 92nd Military Police Battalion here, received an unusual Christmas gift from his wife, Shari, in 2010. It was a chance for Gifford to be an Honor Flight guardian and to take a World War II Navy veteran to see the war memorials in Washington D.C. through the Honor Flight program.
Shari Gifford said she got the idea from a commercial she had seen on TV, and after talking it over with her husband, she completed the online application.
terrykelly2 On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the stores PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.
Terry was impressed with the stores leadership role in adopting the Legions two minutes of silence initiative. He felt that the stores contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., Nov. 9, 2011 -- A World War II veteran's memories may help the U.S. Army save millions of dollars while protecting people and the environment.
World War II veteran Frank Cupp, a former technical escort Soldier, talks to current technical escorts 1st Sgt. Rebeca Franco and Master Sgt. Terry Sykes, 22nd Chemical Battalion and Michael Rehmert (second from left), CBRNE Analytical and Remediation
Frank Cupp, 85, recently visited the Historical Office at the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command to share memories while assigned to a technical escort unit in the late 1940's. He was met by current and former technical escort Soldiers from the 20th Support Command and presented with mementos and appreciative words for his service, but within five minutes of his arrival, it was all business.
"If you'll look at this map in these areas," a chemical engineer said pointing to a map that nearly covered a large conference table, "do you recall which types of munitions were buried in these areas?"
Virginia native dies three times, returns to Marjah by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes 2nd MarDiv
MARJAH DISTRICT, Helmand prov ince, Afghanistan — Some Marines involved in the battle for Marjah in 2010 say they stared death in the face. One Manassas, Va., native involved in the intense fighting not only stared death in the face, but shook its hand as well.
Lance Cpl. Matthew T. Earle, an assaultman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, was critically wounded while conducting counterinsurgency operations in 2010, but lived to tell the story. Now he is back in Marjah, setting the example for his Marines.
Earle’s squad was conducting a patrol to assess how local residents felt about the insurgency and the coalition troops tasked with liberating the city of Marjah.
Pictured: Lance Cpl. Matthew T. Earle, a Manassas, Va., native and an assaultman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, returned to Marjah just shy of a year after he was medically evacuated with two punctured lungs and a chipped vertebra, injuries he sustained during an insurgent ambush in Marjah in 2010.
His squad stopped at a local mosque to speak to an elder, when two men drove up on motorcycles and brought the Marines a warning. They said insurgents were planning to ambush the Marines from multiple directions as soon as they left the mosque. The Marines heeded the warning and decided to wait until dusk to leave; they hoped the enemy wouldn’t attack as valuable sunlight faded.
It's important to have former Warriors in Congress. They've lived through the results of decisions of politicians.
It's important for poiticians to listen to Warriors. Warriors implement the policies of politicans. They need Politicians to give them the tools to do so.
Face of Defense: Amputee Earns 'Sergeant, Airborne' Title
By Cheryl Rodewig, 1st Infantry Division
FORT BENNING, Ga., Sept. 13, 2011 - Like thousands before him, Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti donned an Airborne instructor black hat for the first time last month, signifying his completion of a detailed certification process with 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti reaches for a harness strap during training on Eubanks Field at Fort Benning, Ga., in August 2011. U.S. Army photo by Cheryl Rodewig
Unlike those before him, he met the standard with a prosthetic leg, a partial knee replacement and the aftermath of internal injuries suffered during an ambush in Afghanistan. With his wounds, he could have taken a medical discharge from the Army, but the paratrooper chose to stay in -- and to remain Airborne, all the way.
"It's still brand new," he said, "but it feels good to actually have my hat."
Dulashanti's determination in the face of adversity, evident at the unit, will be instrumental in training Airborne students, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Chip Mezzaline, battalion command sergeant major. More than 17,000 students come through the battalion each year.
"He's had a traumatic injury and had the resilience to stay on active duty and serve as an instructor in a position that's high-risk," Mezzaline said. "It's in his character -- something you can't teach. It's something inside him that's going to drive him to be successful in whatever it is that he's doing. I don't think 'can't' is in his vocabulary.
By C. Todd Lopez, ANS, WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2011 - After being sworn in Sept. 7 as the new chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno established some priorities for his tenure.
Shortly after taking the oath as 38th chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno warns of cutting the force too fast, too quickly. Army photo by J.D. Leipold
Among them are: ensuring the continued training and preparation of soldiers to provide a ready force to combatant commanders, the development of Army leaders, the strengthening of family programs, and a desire for all soldiers to be able to tell the "Army story."
"Soldiers are the strength of our Army," Odierno said at a media roundtable event yesterday. "I must continue to provide trained and ready forces to Iraq and Afghanistan and in other places around the world where our presence is required. I also have to ... look to the future, 40 years out, and develop what I believe it is the right versatile mix of capabilities, formations and equipment which have the key characteristics that I think will be important in the future."
Leadership development is critical, Odierno said. Future leaders must be adaptable, agile, and able to operate in a threat environment that includes a combination of regular warfare, irregular warfare, and terrorist activity.
Sergeant major and son join forces in Afghanistan for second time by Staff Sgt. Andrew Miller 1st MarDiv
CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Some fathers teach their sons how to throw a ball and others show their sons how to fish. Sgt. Maj. Ernest Hoopii, Regimental Combat Team 5 sergeant major, taught his son how to be a Marine.
Lance Cpl. Sean Hoopii, a fire team leader with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, is currently serving alongside his father for the second time in southern Helmand province.
Pictured: CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan - U.S. Marines Sgt. Maj. Ernest Hoopii, Regimental Combat Team 5 sergeant major, poses with his son Lance Cpl. Sean Hoopii, a fireteam leader with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, here August 30. The Hoopiis are currently serving their second tour to Afghanistan together.
On Monday, 18 July 2011, General Petraeus relinquishes command of International Forces in Afghanistan. He credits the Troops in the Field for the successes in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 5 combat commands of the six (Sixth was CentCom which commands both theaters) since he has become a General.
The man some call "King David" has spent much of the last decade commanding troops in the Central Command Theater of Operations. Tech Sgt. Trevor Pedro takes us on a journey with the man behind the stars.
The Command Sergeant Major (retired) has gone farther, done more, and given more than most. He's tenancious, resolute, and stubbornly independent. In short, he has "been there, done that." You may be able to kick him, but you won't be able to keep him down. He may be quiet for a spell, but it's not because he's been silenced. He speaks on his terms, with his own mind, at the time of his own choosing.
Of course, he's still linking to our old url, but it'll still bring you back here, if it's a story you want to read.
CSM Vanguard a helluvan NCO and Warrior, who has led the best (SFC Smith) and dealt with the worst (Adam Kokesh). He's pushed through more than most could fathom. He calls it straight, as he sees it. And with today's short term American memory, it would be good for people to hear the part of history he influenced. It would be good for the youth of today's Army, and for the politicians who claim we won't ever fight a war against an amassed Army to hear again, how just 8 years ago, we were doing just that. It would do them good to hear how one Senior NCO held the line against Saddam's Army, at the Baghdad International Airport.
But don't stop in unless you can appreciate someone who'll tell you what he really thinks. And if you need it sugarcoated, you probably ought not read his site.
By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (6/22/11) - Army Col. Kenneth Donnelly said he will leave Haiti this week a better man, but not before leaving Haiti a better place.
Army Col. Kenneth Donnelly, commander of Task Force Bon Voizen and a Louisiana National Guard member, turns over the keys of a new school and medical clinic to the residents of Upper Poteau, Haiti, June 20, 2011. The school and clinic were two of the engineer projects built in Haiti by troops of Task Force Bon Voizen. (Department of Defense photo by Fred W. Baker III) (Released)
Donnelly, the commander of Task Force Bon Voizen, handed over the keys Monday to the two engineer construction projects that the task force set out to complete when it hit the ground here two months ago.
Tuesday, its doctors and dentists saw their final patients, and Donnelly officially ended the exercise in a small ceremony at the airport here.
At the Battle of Agincourt, the British faced a numerically superior enemy, far more rested than their own.
It took a Leader, not merely a King, not merely a rank, to rally his Troops to Victory. "We few, we happy few, we Band of Brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my Brother."
Each year, in the United States, approximately 40,000 people are killed on American roads. Over the last few years, approximately 40,000 people have been killed in Drug Cartel crimes in Mexico. Recent Tornado's killed approximately 140 in the American South. The final count on deaths from Tsunamis in Japan and previously Thailand will never be known for certain, but thousands and more than a 100,000 are conservative estimates. Thousands of Afghan civilians and Thousands of Iraqi civilians are killed by terrorists every year.
Yet, the MSM doesn't publish the daily body counts in the Mexican Drug War, those of Iraqi based terrorists, Palestinian based terrorists, Afghanistan based terrorists, Pakistan based terrorists, civilian suicides, or those killed on American roadways, not even those killed by drug-crazed or drunken drivers. They do give the daily body count of any American Servicemember remotely connected to Afghanistan (and used to do so on those remotely connected to Iraq). Conversely, they'll use hours of broadcast time to tell the life stories of journalists that are killed in a combat zone, even if due to their own decisions to be in places of known extreme risk, as if the journalist were a saint.
War On Terror News does not report Fallen Soldiers as mere numbers, but by name. Conversely, we also don't report on numbers or names of civilians killed by cars, or suicide. This bears the question: Is a Soldier's Death more important than a Civilian's?
No, it is not more important, but the way a man or woman lives is different. No one can or should rejoice that someone has died. No one is immune from bereavement when a loved one dies. If a loved one is killed in a car accident, a tsunami, old age, or war, it leaves a hole in the lives of all that truly knew them. The families of the fallen are not immune from that, and neither is the grandson of a 90 year old woman. But it is easier for our minds to justify the loss of someone to old age than for a mother to adjust to the loss of a child.
For a few bucks more you can get a signed copy from the author himself! http://www.deltabravosierra.us/2011/02/10/a-word-about-the-new-book/comment-page-1/#comment-3383
Get your copy of this legendary cartoon now (or wait a few days for the signed copy!)
The Man Who Declared War on America
A Comprehensive Work of OBL, his ties to Iran, Sudan, and the wide Islamist Terrorism networks, regardless of name.
SSgt Workman is featured in the Hall of Heroes and a book review on this from Marine Till Death that read it as it was written: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/shadow-of-the-sword-by-jeremiah-workman-w-john-bruning.html
http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/ssgt-jeremiah-workman-navy-cross-usmc-iraq-marion-oh.html and links to prior articles.
Go to War against the Nazis with SSG Smith of the 94th Infantry Division. Review: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/04/everymans-war-vet.html.html
Ace Of Spades: Why Language Matters In this article, Ace of Spades demonstrates how the writing style of "journalists" and other writers is purposely used to influence the electorate. He explains this far better than I have been able to do, but this is the foundation of why I could no longer be silent.
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