War On Terror News

Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is here again.  Its history stretches back nearly as far as does Arlington National Cemetery.  It is intertwined in the history of this site as well.  It is a somber occasion for me, as I believe it should be observed by others.

Memorial Day began as Remembrance Day, a day when Confederate Widows silently went out to honor their Soldiers in their final resting place.  It was later adopted by the Yankee Widows and the Nation, as the right thing to do for those that had given their lives in the defense of their Nation, in the defense of Freedom, those who had fought with Honor in horrific circumstances.

I will spend my Memorial Day with the living, with my Brothers in Arms who survived the battle.  My mind will turn to those that did not, though I may or may not mention them.  My Brothers will likely remember those that fought alongside them, though they too may not tell their tales.  Each of us remembers in our own way and spoken words will not do justice to the thoughts we have.

Remembering Fallen Warriors on Memorial Day

America's veterans reflect on lost comrades, time on the front lines

VOA  Adam Phillips | New York 28 May 2010

Monday, May 31 is Memorial Day in the United States, a time when Americans traditionally take time to honor those who have died in the nation's wars.

While Memorial Day is often celebrated with flag-waving and patriotic ceremonies and parades, it can also be a highly personal observance: a time to grieve for comrades-in-arms and others who have lost their lives in military service.

Courtesy: Sgt. Carde
Sgt. Carde, who was wounded in Iraq, keeps a picture of his fallen comrade in his living room.

Remembering the fallen

It is noon outside the Veteran's Administration hospital in Midtown Manhattan, and the usual lunchtime crowd is here: health care workers in loose green scrubs, family members with bouquets and Mylar balloons on the way to visit patients, and veterans, like Bill Joseph.

He takes a bite of a hot dog, adjusts his Veteran of Foreign Wars cap, and recalls his experience in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War more than three decades ago.

Guard Officers Run 550 Miles for Resiliency

National Guard Bureau

Story by Master Sgt. Mike Smith

05.28.2010  ARLINGTON, Va. - What does it take to get service members to take charge of their mental and physical health?

After running along 550 miles of roads, bike paths and rail trails from Maine to the nation's capital, two Army National Guard officers took their final steps of a 21-day journey here at Arlington National Cemetery today to get that point across.

Army Col. Jack Mosher and Maj. Jay Brock started the ultra-run in Kittery, Maine, May 8. They headed south and stopped along the way at veteran's medical centers and historic sites to inspire resiliency and wellness in the nation's service members, veterans and their families.

Bad weather and sore muscles did not stop them.

Successfully Defeating IED's in Afghanistan

510th Route Clearance Company Successfully Defeating IED's in Afghanistan

20th Engineer Battalion (TASK FORCE LUMBERJACK)

Story by 2nd Lt. Randy Wintermantel

05.28.2010  KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Every week in Kandahar and Helmand Provinces Route clearance patrols of the 20th Engineer Battalion, Task Force LUMBERJACK, are clearing thousands of miles from the threat of potential explosives.

The LUMBERJACKS are continually becoming more effective against the Taliban's greatest threat to NATO forces- the Improvised Explosive Device. In the past ten days the 510th Clearance Company, one of four companies in the 20th Engineer Battalion, has achieved a 91% success rate. They have found and cleared eleven IED's or other explosives. Their success is a reflection of the Battalion's dedication and devotion to their mission in Afghanistan.

Incidentally, this month signifies the

Washington Artillery Accepts New Mission Mid-deployment

256 Brigade Combat Team LA Army National Guard

Story by 1st Lt. Angela Fry

05.28.2010  CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – The Louisiana National Guard's 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery Regiment has accepted a new mission in their current deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

New Orleans' renowned "Washington Artillery," currently deployed with the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), was originally tasked with providing convoy security out of Contingency Operating Base Adder for supply routes throughout Iraq.

"Our current mission is to

Marines Survey Garmsir for New Vocational School

Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs

Story by Lance Cpl. Jeremy Fasci

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Afghanistan – Civil-military operations officers from the I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD) and 1st Marine Division (FWD) staff visited the Garmsir District Center, May 25, to survey a possible site for the construction of an agricultural vocational school in support of the ongoing effort to educate the local populace.

The buildings surveyed for the possible project are being used as one of the many seed distribution centers in the Helmand province. Prior to the Taliban control of the region, the location was a vocational high school.

The new school will allow the people of southern Helmand province to have a vocational school to send their children for secondary education opportunities.

Soldier Volunteers to Create Professional Gym

366th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Story by Spc. Daniel Schneider

05.27.2010  BAGHDAD – There have been many improvements to the Iron Gym at Camp Liberty, since 1st Armored Division took responsibility of it from 1st Cavalry Div. back in January, but the effort of the guys behind the scenes day-to-day goes unseen.

Being a gym staff member is not a military occupational specialty that Soldiers can train in; instead a gym's staff is made up of Soldiers from many different specialties brought together and meshed into a cohesive team.

One such individual who became a regular part of the Iron Gym's staff is Spc. Keith Moya, a fuel transportation technician assigned to Company B, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Armd. Div.

Three months ago, he volunteered to join the gym staff, back when the Iron Gym wasn't at a professional standard. Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Smith, the Iron Gym's non-commissioned officer in charge, and a few volunteers, including Moya, set their minds to creating a place Soldiers could be proud to work out in.

"At first, we worked on cleaning the place up," said Moya. "We got assistance from DSTB with extra personnel to help us clean and mop the place out."

After cleaning, the gym staff situated the exercise equipment to test out new methods to make the gym feel more like a professional gym.

"We tried many different combinations before we finally got it right," said Moya. "Now the exercise routines flow better for people's workout regimen."

Soldiers Work Hand-in-hand With Local Children

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

05.28.2010  Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion work hand-in-hand with students from Umolblad High School, in Umolblad Afghanistan, to put tents together to use as additional classroom space.

Shortly after the Soldiers unloaded the tents, Afghan students were right by their side rolling them out ready to assist however possible.

"This is a very hospitable country," said 2nd Lt. Joel Silver HHC, 1st BSTP Platoon leader. "We did expect a little help, but the amount we received was unbelievable.

With the help of the Afghan children, the Soldiers spent a little more than three hours putting up seven tents. As soon as they finished a tent, younger students would

Service Dogs Help War Wounded

New film highlights unique relationship, PTSD, mental illness

VOA David Byrd | Washington, DC 18 May 2010

The U.S. military uses dogs to help troops on sentry duty and bomb-sniffing patrols. But dogs are also proving their worth off the field of battle by helping wounded soldiers recover.

A new documentary focuses on one of these service dogs and the many lives he has touched.

Emmy-award winning actress Glenn Close produced the piece. She's best known for her many roles in film and on television - from the obsessive lover in "Fatal Attraction," to her latest role as high stake litigator Patty Hewes in the FX television series "Damages."

But now Close has taken on the new role of activist. She's focused on removing the stigma of mental illness. The 22-minute documentary, "Pax," is part of her efforts. 

VOA - D. Byrd

Bill Campbell, an Iraq war veteran, says Pax helps him cope with symptoms of PTSD.

Making a difference

Bill Campbell, an Iraq war veteran with a 100 percent disability due to concussive brain injury, received a beautiful yellow Labrador called Pax.

US Report Outlines Fates of Guantanamo Bay Prisoners

VOA News 29 May 2010

A U.S. government report says most of the people held at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba when President Barack Obama took office were low level fighters, not terrorist leaders or operatives involved in plots against the U.S.

The Washington Post's website on Friday published the report, which was ordered by Mr. Obama as a step toward closing the Guantanamo prison.  The task force evaluated the 240 detainees held at the base in 2009.  

The report recommends

Iraq MRT Yard Saves Army Millions

13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Story by Sgt. Chad Menegay

05.28.2010  VICTORY BASE COMPLEX, Iraq —One challenge the U.S. military faces in its upcoming responsible drawdown in Iraq is the removal and redistribution of material it has amassed during seven years of combat operations.

The leadership with the 812th Quartermaster Company, 373rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), believes its material redistribution team has helped overcome that challenge with historic results.

Sgt. 1st Class Ralph Salas, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the 812th's MRT yard, estimates that his MRT has processed $90 million in military material and saved taxpayers $40 million since September 2009.

The MRT concept is less than two-years-old. Its function is to

Report: US Preparing for Retaliatory Strike if Terror Attack Traced to Pakistan

VOA News 29 May 2010

Police in Pakistan say Taliban attackers carried out Friday's bloody attack on two mosques in Lahore belonging to the Ahmadi religious minority.

Police said Saturday that the attackers were Pakistani Taliban fighters who trained in the North Waziristan tribal region.

Afghan and International Troops Find, Destroy IED Factories

ISAF Joint Command

05.28.2010  KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and international partners discovered and destroyed two improvised explosive device factories in Kandahar province recently.

An Afghan-international security force found insurgents, weapons, and IEDs, during a multi-day clearing operation in the Panjwa'i
district, this week.

A large combined force searched several compounds, buildings and open fields for insurgents and their weapons after intelligence information verified militant activity in an area south of the village of Kudeza'i.

During the two-day operation, the security force found an

RIP Cpl Jacob C. Leicht

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

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

Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht, 24, of College Station, Texas, died May 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

"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)

Army Reserve MRT Team Helps Soldiers, Families Get Ahead

81st Regional Support Command

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell

05.26.2010  FORT JACKSON, S.C. – Teaching Army Reserve Soldiers how to get ahead of their problems and lead a healthy lifestyle on and off duty--this has been the theme for the 81st Regional Support Command since March when it began the unit's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program.

Determined as a top priority for Maj. Gen. Bill Gerety, the 81st RSC commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Blanco, the senior enlisted "Wildcat" Soldier, recent battle assemblies and annual training time have been devoted to ensuring that Soldiers have the right tools and information to implement positive changes in their lives.

"Our number one goal is to ensure that our team walks away with a virtual toolbox full of items they can use to succeed in life," Blanco said. "The commander and I want to ensure that we take care of our Soldiers and their families."

Blanco said he believes in taking a proactive approach, using evidence-based training to strengthen individuals' bodies as well as their minds.

'Ready First' NCOs Lead From the Front While in Iraq

1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

Story by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

05.28.2010  KIRKUK, Iraq -- Two noncommissioned officers of 1st "Ready First" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas, were recently recognized for their professionalism, general military knowledge and leadership while deployed to Forward Operating Base Warrior, in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Sfc. Chestine Sanders, a Pine Bluff, Ark., native and platoon sergeant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-1 Special Troops Battalion, 1-1 AD, was inducted into the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, March 26 and Staff Sgt. David Henderson, a Fayetteville, N.C., native and platoon sergeant for Headquarters Platoon, Charlie Company, 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1-1 AD was named United States Division – North's NCO of the 3rd quarter, April 26.

The two both attribute their success to their Soldiers and leadership.

It was like all of 1-1 STB came together to help me succeed, said Sanders.

"Soldiers would stop me when

Construction of Railway From Uzbekistan to Mazar-e-Sharif Begins

ISAF Joint Command

05.28.2010  KABUL, Afghanistan – Construction of the railway line between Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, and Termez, Uzbekistan, was officially launched in the Afghan border town of Hairatan, Tuesday.

The idea of building a railway connection from Termez to the capital of Balkh province was born when the Soviet army withdrew from Afghanistan 30 years ago. A single bridge over a border river is currently the only passage between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

The $165 million project is co-financed by Japan and the United States and is one of the biggest construction projects in Afghan history.

Iraqis Arrest Terrorism Suspects

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

05.28.2010  WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces arrested four terrorism suspects May 28 during three combined operations conducted with U.S. advisers.

In northwestern Baghdad, Iraqi forces arrested a suspected criminal associate during an operation seeking a Promised Day Brigade terrorist group leader who allegedly is involved in sniper, indirect-fire and roadside-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

TF No Mercy Assists Villagers and Coalition

101st Combat Aviation Brigade

Story by Spc. Tracy Weeden

05.28.2010  FORWARD OPERATING BASE TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan – Task Force No Mercy provided air support to Australian coalition partners in the detainment of four suspected insurgents, including one high-level insurgent leader, in Gizab, May 1.

The coalition also recovered weapons and a large amount, 100,000 Pakistan rupees ($5,000), along with the detainment of the suspected insurgent leader, said Capt. Tammy Price, TF No Mercy security officer.

The villagers in Gizab captured the insurgents and then called on the coalition forces for assistance, said Price. They did not want

U.S. Releases Uruzgan Investigation Findings

U.S. Forces Afghanistan

 

KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. Forces-Afghanistan released its findings today from the investigation into the Feb. 21 civilian casualty incident that killed up to 23 Afghans and injured 12 others in Uruzgan province.

The extensive investigation report submitted to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Commander NATO ISAF/U.S. Forces-Afghanistan cites several shortcomings in training, communication and decision-making, and offered numerous recommendations.

McChrystal has directed that certain actions be pursued immediately.

Former Iraqi PM Allawi Calls on UN to Intervene in Iraqi Stalemate

VOA  Edward Yeranian | Cairo 28 May 2010

The political party of former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is demanding that the U.N. intervene to keep his rivals from manipulating election results that could prevent him from forming the next government. The call coincides with a pledge by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden that the U.S. would pull out of Iraq "on schedule", if a government has been formed or not.

Mr. Allawi's al-Iraqiya bloc is calling on the U.N. to intervene in the country's months-old political stalemate and to prevent adversaries from "manipulating" results of the March 7 parliamentary election.

That plea follows a decision Thursday by

Turkish Ships Join International Aid Flotilla to Gaza Strip

VOA  Susan Yackee | Washington 28 May 2010

Turkish ships, carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians, are joining the eight-ship flotilla bound for Gaza despite Israeli warnings of preventing the international ship convoy to enter the Gaza border.

One of the many humanitarian workers on board three Turkish ships is Zehra Ozturk. Hulya Polat of the VOA Turkish Service spoke with Ms. Ozturk Friday about where the ships are and how they feel about their mission to Gaza.

NPT Conference Ends With Consensus on Final Document

VOA  Margaret Besheer | United Nations 28 May 2010

The 189 states parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty overcame differences and agreed to a final outcome document Friday, capping off a month-long review conference. The document lays out steps toward the long-term goal of nuclear disarmament, but does not set any deadlines or benchmarks for that goal.  

The 28-page final document lays out action plans for all three of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty's (NPT) three pillars - non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

It calls on the five original nuclear weapons states - the

Old Guard Soldiers Put 'Flags In' at Arlington Cemetery

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

Story by Ian Graham

05.27.2010  WASHINGTON- More than 1,500 service members from the "Old Guard" and other ceremonial units gathered at Arlington National Cemetery May 27 for a sacred ritual marking the start of the Memorial Day weekend observance.

The men and women, representing all the services and Coast Guard, carried rucksacks full of small American flags, performing the time-honored Flags In event of marking the cemetery's more than 350,000 white headstones with the stars and stripes.

Iran Sees 'Positive' Reaction to Nuclear Fuel Plan

VOA News 28 May 2010

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says he believes major powers are "positively" considering Iran's nuclear fuel plan, negotiated with help from Turkey and Brazil.

The foreign minister spoke Friday at an economic forum in Bulgaria, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Brazil's efforts to resolve the nuclear standoff with Tehran.

1-3 ACR Soldier Realizes Dream of Being a Combat Medic

16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Story by Sgt. Jes Smith

05.27.2010  FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- "Since I was a child, I've wanted to be a medic," said Spc. Jody R. Rairigh. "How often do you get to meet someone who gets to realize their childhood dream?"

Rairigh is a health care specialist with the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, aid station, Fort Hood, Texas, also known as the Tiger Aid Station.

She realized part of her dream of becoming a medic when she graduated from the basic health care specialist course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, three years ago, but Rairigh knew that her ultimate goal was to be part of a combat unit.

Medvedev Sends US-Russian Arms Deal to Parliament

VOA News 28 May 2010

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has sent a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States to parliament for ratification.

Mr. Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama signed the treaty last month in the Czech capital, Prague.

NCAA Football Coaches Visit Eisenhower

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Amy Kirk

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, At Sea - Four Division I football coaches visited Sailors aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of the Moral Entertainment and USO-sponsored 2010 Coaches Tour.

 

University of Oregon's Chip Kelly, the U.S. Military Academy head coach Rich Ellerson, Tim Murphy of Harvard and University of Illinois' Ron Zook toured the ship and greeted Sailors, taking time to sign autographs and pose for pictures. "It took about 10 seconds for me to decide to be a part of the tour," said Murphy, who has two recent graduates heading to Afghanistan soon. "I had great respect for the men and women in uniform before, but seeing you folks in action is impressive. Few people could do what you do everyday. We owe you all a debt that will be difficult to repay."

NATO Prepares to Test President Obama's 'Surge' Strategy in Afghanistan

VOA  Ravi Khanna 28 May 2010

Thousands of U.S. troops are heading into southern Afghanistan in June to launch an offensive in Kandahar province that President Obama has ordered to help end the Taliban insurgency. U.S. and coalition troops are already advancing in and around the city of Kandahar, where the Taliban are terrorizing the population with car bombings and other attacks.

A car bomb explodes (Wednesday) outside a small NATO military base in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar city, wounding two Afghans and destroying several cars.

RIP Corporal Stephen Paul Curley

Corporal Stephen Paul Curley from 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin, died as a result of an explosion on Wednesday 26 May 2010.

• Corporal Stephen Curley, 40 Commando Royal Marines, aged 26 from Exeter

"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

Mullen Urges Grads to Live Lives of Service, Leadership

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

Story by Donna Miles

05.27.2010  ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returned to his two sons' high school alma mater here today to encourage this year's graduating class to take risks, push the envelope and be willing to fail in the quest for ever-higher goals.

Speaking at the St. Mary's High School graduation ceremony, Mullen also called on the 126 graduates to seek ways to serve in whatever ways they choose, and to become leaders in charting new courses for the future. He also encouraged the graduates to use any uncertainties they may feel facing the future as a springboard to what's ahead.

"Embrace that uncertainty, and embrace it in a way

Biomedical Repair Specialists Talk Shop in Qatar

Area Support Group Qatar Public Affairs Office

Story by Dustin Senger

05.27.2010  CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center Southwest Asia maintenance division discussed training and career opportunities May 27 at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, during a national biomedical appreciation week sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

USAMMC-SWA provides medical logistics support and equipment maintenance for Central Command combat-support hospitals and clinics in Southwest Asia. Troops perform technical inspections and preventive maintenance checks and services on laboratory, veterinary, dentistry and patient-movement items.

"We're basically mechanics who don't get dirty," says Army Spc. Devon Woodard of Augusta, Ga., one of 25 biomedical equipment technicians serving at USAMMC-SWA. He volunteered for orders to the Middle East while assigned to the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.

Brit Paras Message to Taliban

H/T to Lynnis

C-27A Advisor Squadron Now 100 Percent Manned

C-27A Advisor Squadron Now 100 Percent Manned

U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

Story by Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson

05.25.2010  KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Afghanistan – A year of success stories continues for Airmen of the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, who are advising Afghanistan national army air corps Soldiers on the use of the C-27A Spartan, with the addition of three new aircraft, six pilots and two loadmaster advisors.

"We are now fully manned and will be able to continue toward our goal of building a professional air force for Afghanistan," said Senior Master Sgt. Mike Crews, 538th AEAS superintendant, deployed from the 1st Operations Support Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla. "Our team has already overcome

Iraq 3rd Division's Defining Battle Goes to Sea

3rd Division's Defining Battle Goes to Sea: Army Tugboat, Champagne-Marne Gets Facelift

Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Story by Spc. Michael Adams

05.27.2010  CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – In the summer of 1918, the 3rd Division was fighting in northern France, in a battle that would become a turning point for World War I and the division's reputation.

In the French Province of Champagne, along the banks of the Marne River, American forces were fighting off a strong German attack that may have given the German's key strategic strongholds against the Allies.

While other units were retreating all around the newly organized division, 3rd Division maintained its position along the Marne River, against some of the heaviest fighting seen during the war.

The division stood fast, dashing Germany's

Capella Strike: MAG-14 Marines Prep Harriers to Train Aboard Ship

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

Story by Pfc. Tyler J. Bolken

05.27.2010  ABOARD THE HMS ARK ROYAL, Atlantic Ocean - More than 150 Marines and Sailors of Marine Aircraft Group 14 are spending nights aboard HMS Ark Royal, the British Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier.

The Marines and Sailors began their evolution May 28 to participate in Capella Strike, a multinational training exercise with British counterparts.

The workday aboard HMS Ark Royal begins when a Royal Navy sailor pipes a boatswain's call, a whistle used by the Royal Navy for signaling passing orders. A poster aboard says the method can be traced back to 1248 A.D.

Militants Launch Bloody Attack on Minority Sect in Pakistan

VOA  Ayaz Gul | Islamabad 28 May 2010

Suspected Islamic militants launched a coordinated attack on worshipers from a minority sect on Friday in Pakistan, killing more than 70 and wounding scores of others.

The attack in Lahore targeted two major mosques of the minority Ahmadi community.

Witnesses say hundreds of worshipers were offering Friday prayers when gunmen armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades entered the buildings. Two eyewitnesses who were among the worshipers spoke to reporters outside one of the mosques.

Face of Defense: Soldier Relates to Iraqis' Hopes

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
By Army Sgt. Neil W. McCabe

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - The struggles of the Iraqi people to build a functioning democracy have been compared to the efforts of the American people during the Revolutionary War.

This connection is especially strong for Army Spc. Scott D. Warren, a military police soldier serving here, who said he is a direct descendant of Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Warren, hero in America's war for independence.

AFG Charikar Goes Green

86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (MTN)

Story by Sgt. John Young

05.27.2010  PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Shah Mirza Amiri, the Director of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock, and members of Kentucky Agribusiness Development team, opened two new greenhouses in Charikar, Afghanistan, May 26.

Local elders from Charikar, along with members of the Brotharon Tawfiq Construction company, and many local citizens turned out to see their new buildings.

The greenhouse project took very little time from planning to completion and they look forward to setting up more greenhouses in the near future.

"It took less then two weeks to set these up," said the ADT chief and U.S. Army Lt. Col Toby Peterson. "We plan on putting up more of these in different places."

They plan on using the new greenhouses as a training platform for many different aspects of agribusiness developments in the future.

"This is just the beginning phases of this project," said Peterson, a Lexington, Ky. resident. "We plan on

Iraqis Arrest 5 Terrorism Suspects

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

05.27.2010  WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces arrested five terrorism suspects, May 27, in combined operations with U.S. forces advisors in Iraq, military officials reported.

In northern Baghdad, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched a building for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly is in charge of distributing propaganda materials throughout Iraq for the terror organization. Information and evidence gathered at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest two suspected criminal associates of the wanted man.

In an operation northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda distributor and a suspected criminal associate.

Iraqi forces searching in eastern Mosul with U.S. advisors for a man suspected of being a media producer for al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda arrested a suspected criminal associate of the wanted man.