War On Terror News

From Puerto Rico to Iraq He runs the Bad Guys Down

Soldier in Focus: Sgt. Samuel Silva

Story by Spc. Ruth McClary

09.27.2009 BAGHDAD – As a special operations police officer in Puerto Rico, chasing bad guys is nothing new for Sgt. Samuel Silva, of Troop A, 150th Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

Now the chase has expanded to include terrorists in Iraq.

The native of Guayama, Puerto Rico, has prior deployment experience with the 101st Airborne Division and after four years in the inactive reserve, deployed with this squadron to Iraq.

"At first I was a little sad when I received a phone call telling me to report," said Silva. "I was thinking I finished my time; I'm out."

The sadness dissolved as Silva stepped right into a junior leadership role with detainee operations and vehicle search guidance to U.S. and Iraqi soldiers.

"We check to make sure Iraqi soldiers do search and seizure correctly and we give them pointers," said Silva.

Special operations police officers work in hostile and dangerous environments, the highest risk unit in the Puerto Rico police department. Silva combines his civilian and military training for missions here.

"He has an uncanny ability to draw from his civilian life and military experience to accomplish missions," said Sgt. Donna Smith, of Williamson, W. Va.

AFG 400 Tons of Wheat Seed Stored Safely thanks to Marines

Marines Facilitate Upgrade of Distribution Center to Accommodate 400 Tons of Wheat Seed

Regimental Combat Team 3

Story by Sgt. Scott Whittington

09.27.2009 GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Afghanistan – With the intent of lowering poppy harvest here, the district governor provides wheat seed as a potentially lucrative alternative for local farmers. Poppy can lead to the production of illegal opiates and heroin, which is one of the main incomes for the Taliban.

Marines with 4th Civil Affairs Group in support of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 3, facilitated the construction upgrade of a government warehouse to house 400 tons of wheat seed and 1,000 tons of fertilizer provided free of cost to local farmers by Haji Abdullah Jan, the Garmsir District governor.

The 14-room government building had no constructed floors. It was simply dirt and debris like rocks and unused bricks.

Airpower Summary for September 25

U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

09.28.2009 SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations Sept. 25, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft responded to a request for support in the Asadabad area where friendly ground forces were alerted to an enemy position waiting to attack transiting friendly forces. A strafing run was made on the coordinates given and then a precision guided munition destroyed the position eliminating the threat to friendly forces.

Air Force F-16C aircraft were in the vicinity of Asmar providing armed overwatch for a patrol returning to base. A show of force was requested when suspicious personnel were spotted in a field adjacent

AFG Operation Champion Shield: Nets Huge Weapons Cache

Operation Champion Shield: ANSF, Paratroopers Net Huge Weapons Cache

09.27.2009 PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan national security forces and Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division discovered a large cache of weapons during a eliberate clearing operation, Sept. 24, in the Paktya province of eastern Afghanistan, as part of Operation Champion Shield.

The focus of Operation Champion Shield is directed towards targeting militant leaders, militant strongholds and save havens within Paktya.

Following intelligence gathered from previous operations,

Father and Son Guardsmen Deploy to Afghanistan Together

455th Air Expeditionary Wing

Story by Senior Airman Felicia Juenke

09.27.2009 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Missing family members is a common feeling many Airmen have while deployed, but for two Airmen, serving with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, that feeling is a little less prominent. This father and son duo from a family of Airmen deployed to war together.

Lt. Col. Bartley O'Toole, 774th EAS director of operations and his son, Senior Airman Bartley O'Toole, an aircrew flight equipment journeyman, are both deployed here for several months from the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard.

A third O'Toole, cadet Brogan O'Toole, is serving his country as a senior at the Air Force Academy.

Back home as the 192nd Airlift Squadron commander, Col. O'Toole felt it was his duty to volunteer for the deployment with his squadron.

"To watch the squadron deploy without me prior to becoming squadron commander was tough," said Col. O'Toole "Now that I am the squadron commander I could never father the thought of the squadron deploying without me."

AFG Operational Update, Sept. 27

Operational Update, Sept. 27: Afghan-International Security Force Detains Militants in Kandahar; ISAF Service Member Deaths; Aircraft Incident

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs 

 

Militants Detained

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and international security force detained several suspected militants today after searching a compound in Kandahar province, known to be used by a Taliban facilitator and his element.

The search was conducted near the village of Haji Mohammad Ewaz,

AFG Marines See Change in Bakwa

Regimental Combat Team 3

Story by Lance Cpl. John Hitesman

09.27.2009 COMBAT OUTPOST BAKWA, Farah province, Afghanistan – The Marines here have found fighting insurgents alone won't bring peace in this region. Experience has shown that Marines must also develop strong relationships with the locals to bring about positive change.

A platoon of Marines living here from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment – have gained the locals' trust and respect through kind acts and helping their Afghan neighbors with tangible, everyday problems. These same people who hid from them and even hindered their efforts a short time ago are now assisting them with information and access.

Platoon commander 1st Lt. Marshal M. Pagaling believes that undoubtedly the activities of insurgent forces in Afghanistan are a problem, but to the average Afghan, stopping them is not a high priority. To them, survival of their families takes precedence. Simply putting food on the table is hard enough.

RIP Private James Prosser

Private James Prosser from 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh was killed as a result of an explosion that happened during a vehicle patrol in Musa Qaleh district, northern Helmand province on 27 September 2009.

• Private James Prosser from 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, aged 21 from Cwmbran

"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)

Power Plant Prepares for Progress

Story by Pfc. Jared Sollars

 

09.27.2009 FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq —Improvement of essential services is just one of many areas that U.S. Forces focus on to bring stability to the Kirkuk province of Iraq.

Lt. Col. Hugh R. McNeely, deputy commander of the 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, recently visited the Mulla Abdulah Power Plant to see how the plant would be affected by one of its suppliers of natural gas cutting back for a month to perform maintenance.

The visit was also an opportunity for McNeely to tour the facility and discuss the needs of the plant with the plant's manager, assistant manager, chief of technical engineering and chief engineer.

Iraq Dedication to Memory of a Fallen Hero

Story by Pfc. Jared Sollars

 

09.27.2009  FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq —Through the efforts of his brothers and sisters-in-arms, Staff Sgt. Leroy O. Webster's name will live on beyond his all-too short life.

The 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division immortalized one of its fallen Soldiers by dedicating the distinguished visitor helicopter pad on Forward Operating Base Warrior to Webster, Sept. 25.

Webster died on dismounted patrol in the Aruba sector of Kirkuk, Iraq, April 25.

Bus Bomb Kills 6 in Iraq

By VOA News

 

28 September 2009  Police in Iraq say a bomb planted on a bus has killed six people and wounded two others.

Officials say the bomb exploded Monday as the bus was traveling south of Baghdad, outside Diwaniya.

Violence has fallen significantly in Iraq in the past two years, although insurgent attacks still remain common.

On Sunday, the U.S. military announced a development in the case of the 2006 kidnapping and murder of members of an Iraqi tae kwon do team.

The military said Iraqi commandos have arrested a suspect in the case near Khalidiyah. No further details were available.

The tae kwon do team was driving to Jordan in May 2006 when its convoy was stopped on a highway in Anbar province between Fallujah and Ramadi.  More than a year later, the remains of 13 team members were found.

AFG Marines Investigate Insurgents' Underground Highway

Regimental Combat Team 3 Story by Gunnery Sgt. Chris W. Cox

09.27.2009  FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM, Nimruz province, Afghanistan – Some people go cave exploring for fun, but when there is a possibility of stumbling on explosive materials, an armed enemy or a nasty surprise they've left to be triggered in the dark, it's about as far from fun as you can get.

Marines from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment are searching wet, pitch-dark tunnels ranging from 40 to 100 feet underground that connect the karez system – a network of wells and tunnels between the snow-capped peaks of the Buji Bhast mountains and the arid desert plain here. The karez system was originally constructed hundreds, maybe thousands, of years ago. These days, insurgents are using these tunnels as a form of covert transportation and storage for IED-making materials. The Marines are putting a stop to that.

"We've found evidence of weapons, dwelling, trash. We know they're down there," said Company E executive officer, 1st Lt. Husein Yaghnam.

"We can't collapse them because that will affect the farmers' irrigation system, but we can deter the enemy

RIP SPC Kevin J. Graham

DoD Identifies Army Casaulty

 

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

 

    Spc. Kevin J. Graham, 27, of Benton, Ky., died Sept. 26 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th 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)

Marathon brings 10,000 stories of dedication and love

by Derek Kaufman
88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Wheel racers and runners line up at the starting line during opening ceremonies for the U.S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 19, 2009, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. A record 9,969 runners participated in events which included 5K and 10K races, a half martahon and full marathon. (Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

9/24/2009 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE -- In the running world, people naturally want to know about the winners. Who were they? How fast did they run? 

And so it was with this year's U.S. Air Force Marathon, when a record 9,969 athletes turned out to race Sept. 18 and 19. The events included 5K, 10K, marathon and half marathon races over courses tracing this historic base where Wilbur and Orville Wright once perfected the airplane and the Air Force's newest weapon systems are now conceived and managed. 

Each one of those athletes came to run, walk or propel a racing wheelchair, driven by their own desire to compete, challenge themselves or just experience something truly special in the midst of a sea of humanity. They included elite athletes, Airmen, other joint and partner nation service members and many people with no particular connection to the military who just wanted to run. Others were driven simply to prove they could in the face of incredible adversity or personal tragedy. Cheering them all on was a legion of more than 2,000 volunteers. 

Here are just few of their stories: 

Iraq Honing their Flying Skills

Simulator Sharpens Pilots' Skills

Story by Sgt. Alun Thomas

09.27.2009  CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The often heard saying "practice makes perfect" applies to any given field in the Army; the more you do something the easier it gets.

For AH-64D Apache helicopter pilots of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, there can never be enough practice flying the aircraft used in the most crucial combat situations in the fight.

But gaining access to an Apache to train on is not always possible, a situation remedied by the Longbow Crew Trainer - an Apache simulator that allows pilots to train in realistic conditions and develop their flying skills, while not having to enter the skies.

"Having this type of equipment at our disposal over here allows us to train for things that we can't necessarily do in the aircraft," said Chief Warrant Officer John "Buzz" Covington from Ridgecrest, Calif., an instructor pilot with Company B, 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st ACB. "Because of the limitations of the airspace and control agencies we work with here in Iraq, we don't always have the capabilities to get out far away from the airfield and practice."

Financial Readiness Is Mission Readiness

Story by Spc. Michael Camacho

09.26.2009  CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION SPEICHER, Iraq – Soldiers with the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Contingency Operating Location Speicher, Iraq, attend personal financial management classes held by the unit's chaplain here three times a week.

The comprehensive program is geared toward Soldiers both stateside and overseas, said Capt. Myron Johnson, the 264th CSSB chaplain. These classes use financial adviser David Ramsey's "Financial Peace University: Military Edition."

"By the end of the course you learn about mutual funds, mortgages and all the major financial burdens," said Johnson, a Springfield, Mo., native.

Finances are an important factor for Soldiers, in both their careers and their personal lives, he said.

AFG MACG-28 breaks ground with mobile air traffic system

LANCE CPL. SAMUEL A. NASSO

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Two CH-53E Super Stallions land at refueling points here, scattering moon dust through the thin, cool morning air. Simultaneously, a UH-1N Huey and AH-1W Super Cobra take off on a flight patrol piercing the air with their rotors. Three Marines run out of a tent to watch a KC-130J land and take off moments later.

    This aerial symphony could not play out without air traffic controllers at the conductor stand synchronizing the aerial movements of Marine Aircraft Group 40.

    Marines from Marine Air Control Group 28 police the dense air traffic by providing all-weather radar and non-radar approaches, departures and tower services for International Security Assistance Forces aircraft here.

    “We are like the highway patrol,” said Gunnery Sgt. Alfredo B. Lopez Jr., the Marine mobile air team staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge. “We are the directors of the sky.”

Iraq Sustainers Assist in the Closure of Brassfield-Mora

 

Story by Spc. Michael Camacho

09.26.2009  CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION BRASSFIELD-MORA, Iraq –Military installations throughout Iraq are closing and the land is being returned to the Iraqi government as the drawdown of U.S. military forces and equipment continues.

Contingency Operating Location Brassfield-Mora, now in the final stages of closure, served as a staging point for food, water and other basic supplies for surrounding patrol bases.

The month-long closure process at Brassfield-Mora began mid-July. Now, the previously bustling base is more like a ghost town.

Housing units and T-walls are stacked like dominoes, staged to be loaded on flat-bed trucks and moved to other bases where they can be used.

Iraq Medical Clinic Dedicated to Fallen Soldier

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Story by Spc. John Stimac

09.26.2009 CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-West, Iraq – The Troop Medical Clinic at Q-West was dedicated and re-named the Cpl. Christopher J. West TMC, in a ceremony Sept.17 at Contingency Operating Location Q-West, Iraq.

West, or C.J. to his friends and family, was a medic assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. He died Feb. 4. 2008, of wounds suffered during combat operations in Muqdadiyah, Iraq.

28 SEP 2009 #MoS Moments of Silence #MilitaryMon 1300-1312 EDT

1 PM Eastern is Kabul 21:30/9:30PM, Baghdad 20:00/8PM, London 18:00/6PM, San Diego 10AM

He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be rememberd. 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)

 

 

 

 

REQUEST that all afford my Brothers a Moment of Silence each on Monday 28 SEP 2009 beginning 1:00 PM, Eastern Time.  REQUEST that each Moment of Silence be dedicated each Monday to my Fallen Brothers in order of noticification since prior Monday. 

 

• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1PM to 1:02 EDT: PFC #Bowe Bergdahl, Kidnapped by Taliban, Two Minutes for the Living until he comes home
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:02-1:03 EDT: T Sgt James R. Hornbarger, Castle Rock WA, 09/12, Mediterranean, 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:03-1:04 EDT: PFC Jeremiah J. Monroe, Niskayuna NY, 9/17/09, Kandahar, AFG,10th MTN DIV (Light Infantry) Ft Drum
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:04-1:05 EDT: SPC Michael S. Cote Jr., Denham Springs LA, 09/19/09 Balad, Iraq, 1st BN, 52nd Aviation REGT TF 49
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:05-1:06 EDT: SGT. David A. Davis, Dalhart TX, 09/19/09, Bagram Airfield AFG 43rd Sustainment BDE, 4th ID
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:06-1:07 EDT: SrA Matthew R. Courtois, Lucas TX, 09/20/09, Abdullah Al Mubarak AB, Kuwait, 366th Sec Forces Squadron
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:07-1:08 EDT: SPC Corey J. Kowall, Murfreesboro TN, 09/20/09, Zabul province AFG, 4th BCT, 82nd ABN
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:08-1:09 EDT: SPC Damon G. Winkleman, Lakeville OH, 09/20/09, Zabul province AFG, 4th BCT, 82nd ABN
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:09-1:10 EDT: Acting Sgt Michael Lockett MC, Monifieth Angus UK, 09/21/09, Helmand AFG 2nd BN The Mercian Regiment
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:10-1:11 EDT: PFC William L. Meredith, Virginia Beach VA, 09/21/09, Kandahar AFG, 569th Engineer Co, 4th Engineer BN
• #MilitaryMon #MoS 1:11-1:12 EDT: LCpl John J. Malone, Yonkers NY, 09/24/09, Farah AFG, 3rd Marine Division III MEF

 

1 PM Eastern is Kabul 21:30/9:30PM, Baghdad 20:00/8PM, London 18:00/6PM, San Diego 10AM.  This time was raised on Twitter and on this site.  The ensuing discussion demonstrated support for the change in time to accomodate those in London, Baghdad & Kabul, as well as Congress. 

Please Remember, the Moments of Silence are in Honor of Our Fallen.  It is a collaborative effort in recognition of their sacrifice and the families effected by it.  It is encouraged to tweet only the above during their INDIVIDUAL moments.

“Sand Sharks” add dimension to MEB-Afghanistan

LANCE CPL. SAMUEL A. NASSO

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Even though Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 has a few weeks left in its deployment, the Marines in the squadron continue to work as hard as if it were day one, completing any and every task assigned to them.

    The squadron, nicknamed the “Sand Sharks”, added another dimension to Marine Aircraft Group 40’s air capabilities with the construction of a C-130 landing strip, helicopter landing zones and a landing strip for unmanned aerial vehicles aboard Camp Dwyer.

Army wrestlers set to take on world's best in Denmark

By Tim Hipps

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program Greco-Roman wrestler Pfc. Jeremiah Davis upsets reigning national champion Joe Betterman en route to winning a berth on Team USA at the U.S. World Team Trials for Wrestling in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Davis will compete Saturday at the 2009 World Wrestling Championships in Herning, Denmark.

HERNING, Denmark (Army News Service, Sept. 25, 2009) – Pfc. Jeremiah Davis is in Denmark and confidently set to take on the greatest 132-pound wrestlers in the world. He also feels good about knowing his wife and daughter are safe and secure at home on Fort Carson, Colo.

A Greco-Roman wrestler in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, Davis will make his debut in the World Wrestling Championships at Herning on Saturday. WCAP wrestler Spc. Marco Lara accompanied him to Denmark to serve as Davis’ training partner for the biggest tournament of his life.

Honoring Gold Star Mothers Sept 27, 2009

Today, the "last Sunday in September," has been set aside as a day to honor our Gold Star Mothers!  This year that day falls on September 27, 2009.

 "The mothers of our Soldiers provide unwavering support to their sons and

daughters. When her child makes the ultimate sacrifice in service to the Nation, a

mother's quiet strength in the face of utmost loss inspires us all. These Gold Star Mothers

are uniquely amazing patriots, channeling their grief into the compassionate support of our

veterans, Soldiers, and other Families who have lost loved ones."

Source

New MEDEVAC fleet lands at Fort Polk

By Jean Dubiel, Fort Polk Guardian editor

The LUH72A Lakota helicopter just after landing at its new home at Fort Polk. The LUH is replacing the UH1 Iroquois, more commonly referred to as the 'Huey.'  Photo credit Jean Dubiel, Fort Polk Guardian editor

FORT POLK, La. -- The terrain and strategies of wars may change, but some things remain the same. An injured Soldier on the battlefield still feels pain. He still smells blood and hears gunfire.

As the medics patch him up and move him to an area where a helicopter can reach him, he can still feel the awkwardness of laying on a stretcher being carried by four running people in full battle-rattle. As the helicopter approaches, he can hear its blades cutting through the air and feel the sting of dirt on his skin from the hard wind they create.

The name of the game now is speed. Pilots and medics find themselves in a race with death, and the sooner they can get a patient to a hospital, the better the chances of survival. This was the reason for using helicopters as air ambulances in the first place.

Sept. 24 airpower: B-1B

Sept. 24 airpower summary: B-1B protects coalition forces

A B-1B Lancer takes off from an air base in Southwest Asia. B-1Bs support ground forces in Afghanistan using precision bombing and shows of force and presence. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. David Miller)

9/25/2009 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 24, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, coalition aircraft responded to a request for support in the Lashkar Gah area when enemy forces posed a threat to friendly forces. A show of force was requested when the friendly forces came under enemy sniper fire. The show of force was successful in deterring the enemy fire.

Iraq Senior Warrant Officers Pay It Forward

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)  Story by Sgt. Ryan Twist

09.26.2009  JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Task Force Double Eagle's warrant officers "pay it forward," to the unit's junior warrant officers – adhering to the 2000 movie's concept of doing good deeds for others so they will do the same.

The Task Force Double Eagle Warrant Officer Professional Development meetings are scheduled for Sept. 24, Oct. 22 and Nov. 19 at the new Dining Facility 2 conference room from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. here at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

"(The) Warrant Officer Mentorship Association is the proactive development of each subordinate through observing, assessing, coaching, teaching, development counseling and evaluating the results in people being treated with fairness and equal opportunity," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Arthur M. Lawler, the unit's standardization instruction pilot with the 244th Aviation Brigade (Forward), out of Fort Dix, N.J.

Airmen thank Iraqi family for lifesaving assist

by Capt. Larry van der Oord
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Tech. Sgt. Ben Martin, 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, hands a thank-you gift to a young Iraqi girl Sept. 18, 2009, as an 887th ESFS translator looks on. The girl found and reported an explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, outside of Camp Bucca, Iraq, in an area that 887th ESFS Airmen regularly patrol. (U.S. Air Force photo)

9/25/2009 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Several members of the 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron delivered a new generator, a care package filled with baked goods and a heart-felt thank you to a young Iraqi girl and her family near Camp Bucca, Iraq, Sept. 18.

The girl was playing with a group of friends when she noticed something strange sticking out of a nearby mound of dirt marked with wet mud. She told her father, a local farmer, who immediately notified local Iraqi highway patrol officers. 

In Kabul, It's #MilitaryMon #SOT with Honor

Remember Respect, Selfless Service, Duty, Loyalty, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage.  The Army Values.  The Values Our Troops live and fight by.  We honor them by demonstrating the same values.

I encourage all to include tag #SOT as well as #MilitaryMon and #quotes, #Mil, #Army, #Navy, #AF as appropriate to your message.

Remember: Mondays at 1PM Eastern/12PM Central are the beginning of the Moments of Silence

I'll be out of the loop for most of the upcoming Military Mondays.

The WOTN Editor will be less available over the upcoming weeks as outside commitments reduce my time available to modern conveniences such as computers and internet.

AFG “Night Owls” scan from above

LANCE CPL. SAMUEL A. NASSO

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Unmanned aerial vehicles from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 survey Helmand province 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in support of the ground units of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan.

    The squadron, nicknamed “Night Owls”, uses two different types of UAVs to accomplish their mission and provide Marine Aircraft Group 40 and MEB-Afghanistan with real-time information of designated areas of operation.

Tuskegee Airman of the Week: Sept. 13-19

Story by Senior Airman Andria Allmond

09.26.2009  JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Justin Barger, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air traffic control tower watch supervisor, is the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing's Tuskegee Airman of the Week for Sept. 13-19.

"This award was well deserved," said Brig. Gen. Craig Franklin, 332nd AEW commander, who presented Barger with the award and a commander's coin at wing headquarters Sept. 25. "People like Sergeant Barger step up and continue the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. He represents what one would expect from a leader."

During a power outage in severe weather conditions, Barger led four people in an evacuation to an alternate control tower, without mission disruption. Also, he coordinated the response to a recent aircraft accident and expedited the medical response to 12 personnel involved in the incident.

Twin Brothers Reunite at 380 AEW

380th Air Expeditionary Wing Story by Senior Airman Stephen Linch

09.26.2009  It had been more than three years since they had seen each other, but that was about to change.

Staff Sgt. Bryant Preston, 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, was at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., when he found out he was deploying to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Shortly after, Senior Airman Erik Preston, 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, was at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., when he received the same news. He would soon be deployed to the 380th AEW.

AFG “Vipers” bring fight to enemy’s backyard

LANCE CPL. SAMUEL A. NASSO

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Vipers can be found in nearly every corner of the world.  The venomous snakes strike quickly and have the ability to choose how much venom they inject into a victim.

A flying viper may not exist in nature, but like their namesake the “Vipers” of Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, have used the same caution with how much “venom” they inflicted upon enemy forces during recent operations in southern Afghanistan.

Since the Vipers arrived here in mid-August, they have provided a quicker response time for aerial combat support to the Marines of Regimental Combat Team 3, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan.

Afghan Mi-35 Pilots Once Again Patrol the Skies

Story by Staff Sgt. Thomas Dow

09.26.2009  AFGHANISTAN - The Afghan National Army Air Corps recently reached a milestone with the completion of the Initial Operations Capability Mi-35 attack helicopter program.

American and Czech Republic mentors recommended the Mi-35 program to the Ministry of Defense to provide security, show force and patrol the skies of Afghanistan.

The accomplishment required many hours of practice and training, but careful preparation was important when utilizing such a powerful aircraft.

The Mi-35 is a heavily armored aircraft, yet streamlined. It sports a

Iran Tests Missiles in War Games

By VOA News

27 September 2009  Iran says it test-fired three short-range missiles on Sunday and will soon test longer-range weapons, one of which is believed to be capable of hitting Israel.

General Hossein Salami says Iran will test-launch the medium-range Shabab 1 and Shabab 2 late Sunday, and the long-range Shabab-3 on Monday.  Iran says the Shabab-3 has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, putting Israel and some U.S. military bases within reach.

Salami, who heads the air force of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, says Iran also tested a multiple missile launcher for the first time during war games Sunday.

The tests come amid rising tension between Iran and Western nations over Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran revealed this past week that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant, despite the United Nations' demands that it stop processing material that can be used in nuclear bombs.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday that Iran's "deception," as he called it, could trigger

Death Toll Rises in Pakistan Bombings

By VOA News

Pakistani authorities have discovered more victims of two suicide bombings in the country's northwest, raising the death toll to 24.

Authorities say they pulled more bodies from the rubble in Bannu Sunday, a day after a bomber crashed his explosives-laden truck into the town's police station.

A Taliban commander, Qari Hussain, claimed responsibility for the blast and warned of further attacks.

The second explosion killed at least 10 people in the city of Peshawar on Saturday.

AFG 1-32 IN Conducts Patrol in Shinkowak Village

Photos by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Allison
55th Signal Company

 

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army 1st Lt. Aaron Malcolm, a native of Lake Charles, La., speaks with Afghans from the village of Shinkowak in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province during a patrol, Sept. 19. Malcolm serves as a platoon leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Allison, 55th Signal Company)

Afghan Energy Minister Survives Deadly Explosion

By VOA News

Afghan police say the country's energy minister has survived an explosion that killed four people in the western city of Herat.

The Taliban say they carried out the car bombing targeting Minister Ismail Khan Sunday.

Authorities say the explosion wounded at least 17 civilians who were passing on the main road to the Herat airport.

Also Sunday, the NATO-led force said three of its troops, including two Americans, died in insurgent attacks in southern Afghanistan in the past two days.

Meanwhile, the French president's office says three French soldiers died accidentally when a violent storm hit their unit during a night operation in a valley in northeastern Afghanistan.

SALE DATES: Sunday 9/27- Saturday 10/3

Iraq Reading Program Brings Families Together

Story by Spc. Lisa A. Cope

 

09.26.2009  JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Although deployed parents cannot tuck their children in at night, they can still read them a bedtime story.

The United Through Reading program on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, offered by the United Service Organizations here, helps service members at JBB create a video recording of themselves reading a book and send the video and book home to their family.

The program is available at the USO from 10 a.m. to midnight every day. A mobile program is also available at the Catfish Air Terminal Mondays from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and at the Air Force Theater Hospital Fridays from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Iraq Catchpenny Supports Military With Concert

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Story by Sgt. Ryan Twist

09.26.2009  JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – For a moment, service members put their jobs on hold and enjoyed a free Catchpenny rock concert Sept. 23 at Morale, Welfare and Recreation east on Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Catchpenny was the 2009 Armed Forces Entertainer of the Year – the highest honor associated with touring for Armed Forces Entertainment.

"My hope is always that people have fun for a couple (of) hours and I don't know if we're going to change their week, but if we can change their day, that is pretty good," said Christian Schauf, Catchpenny's lead singer. "We have always wanted to make an impact with our music and do something positive with it."

Christian Schauf, a Minneapolis native, said he can see a difference in the service members after the band's concerts.

"You see the looks on their faces, and for that minute