AllMilitary.com

Good morning, and a good news morning it is! Once again, the finding was good and dgging was not too deep. The good news is there and ready to be reported. It’s a sad commentary that these stories are not being told in the MSM. Take a peek a few stories down… Violence in Iraq is down 80% since last year! 80%!! Have a blessed weekend!

Each of the stories below are excerpts. I normally have a hyperlink for the entire article, but I am not sure if I can do html here or not. So, in the meantime, if you would like the link to any of the stories below, please visit:

http://www.kneedeepinthehooah.com/2008/06/28/yes-virginia-there-is-good-news-in-iraq/

Sha’ab Residents Returned to Community
06.28.2008
By Sgt. Zach Mott
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office,
4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad

Excerpt

BAGHDAD – Upon fulfilling their obligation to the government of Iraq, 10 residents of Sha’ab, a northern Baghdad neighborhood in the Adhamiyah district, were released to their family members during a ceremony, June 27.

“The detainees are being released as part of their normal due process. They’ve served their time or they’ve been prosecuted and fulfilled whatever obligation they have,” said Capt. Kevin Kahre, an Evansville, Ind., native who serves as the commander of Company D, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

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‘Team Metallica’ Helps Rebuild Rusafa

Posted on 06.28.2008
By Capt. Jabbar Colbert
3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Excerpt

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Although, they are not who most people would call average war fighters, their mission is just as vital for survival. They conduct patrols, but their primary mission is not combat related.

“Team Metallica” is charged with assisting local governance to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens throughout the Rusafa security district of eastern Baghdad. The team consists of 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Soldiers specifically selected to handle reconstruction efforts. A civil affairs team, a tactical operations team and a security element encompasses Team Metallica that allows them to operate independently. READ MORE

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Ramadi Rebuilds As Region Recovers From Violence

Posted on 06.28.2008
By Lance Cpl. Casey Jones
Regimental Combat Team 1

Excerpt

RAMADI, Iraq – Ramadi was regarded by many to be one of the most violent cities in Iraq for much of the last five years. The thought of rebuilding the troubled city during that time was improbable, the risks were too high. Now, Ramadi is much safer and rebuilding the city is no longer just an impossible idea but an everyday reality in the recovering region.

The country is now transitioning from violence and fighting, to healing and freedom. The focus in Ramadi, and all of al-Anbar province, is no longer on warfare but on reconstructing the region’s damaged infrastructure.

“Ramadi is at the point now to where it’s secure enough to rebuild,” said Staff Sgt. Earl Lucas, a platoon sergeant with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1. READ MORE

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Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers, Iraqi National Police Confiscate Weapons Caches in Baghdad
Courtesy Story
Posted on 06.28.2008
Multi-National Division – Baghdad Public Affairs Office

Full Story with Permissions

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi national police seized weapons caches in Baghdad, June 26.

At approximately 6:30 a.m., Soldiers with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, seized a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad consisting of three 82 mm mortar rounds, two base plates, a rocket propelled grenade, a surface-to-air missile, a rocket head, blasting caps, three anti-tank mines and rocket propellant.

Police with the 2nd 4th Brigade, 1st national police division, confiscated munitions in two separate finds in the New Baghdad district of Baghdad at approximately 1:30 p.m. The items confiscated included a total of 23 AK-47’s, three SKS’s, a rifle, an RPK machine gun and two MP-5 magazines.
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Soldiers Aid Iraqi Security Forces With Safe, Secure Environment at Joint Security Stations

Story by Spc. David Hodge
Posted on 06.28.2008
1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad

Excerpt

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Like a police headquarters in a major U.S. city employs separate precincts throughout an area for a better grip on would-be public offenders, coalition and Iraqi security forces use the same idea in Iraq to facilitate operations in an urban environment.

In the Rashid district of southern Baghdad, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers launch operations from the joint security stations and combat outposts enabling them to work closely with the Iraqi national police, Iraqi army, Iraqi police and, a key factor in defeating the insurgency, the citizens of Iraq. READ MORE

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Infantry Soldiers Share Bond With Iraqi Brothers in Arms

Posted on 06.27.2008
By 1st Lt. Joseph Holliday
2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team

Excerpt

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi national policemen share the stresses and successes of providing security and stability in Iraq as they work side-by-side every day to protect the people of Baghdad.

Soldiers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, work with national policemen in a number of capacities. READ MORE

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Largest Public Works Substation Opens in Baghdad

Courtesy Story
Posted on 06.27.2008
By American Forces Press Services

Excerpt

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces, civic leaders, local townspeople and coalition forces gathered in the Ameriyah community in Baghdad’s Mansour district June 25 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to acknowledge the opening of the biggest public works substation in the Iraqi capital.

Public works substations provide essential services to local communities, such as trash pickup, street cleaning and other services necessary for proper community maintenance. The opening of the Ameriyah substation marks an important milestone for residents of this area, who have not had these services in more than two years. READ MORE

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Operation Restore Peace VII Continues to Reconcile Former Fighters in Hawijah, Iraq

Posted on 06.27.2008
By Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Excerpt

HAWIJAH, Iraq – The government of Iraq and coalition force Soldiers continue to reconcile former fighters as the Operation Restore Peace program in the Hawijah District of the Kirkuk province held its seventh meeting, June 1.

“The government of Iraq is giving you an opportunity to reconcile. Take it,” Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division said to those attending. “If you aren’t here to reconcile – I’ll see you again, on the battlefield.” READ MORE

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Attacks in Iraq down 80 percent from last year

by John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Excerpt
WASHINGTON (June 25, 2008) — The number of weekly attacks in Iraq has dropped from about 1,200 a week in June 2007 to about 200 a week now, the commander of the tactical unit responsible for command and control of operations in Iraq said June 23.

Mirroring this reduction in violence has been a 70 percent decrease in roadside-bomb attacks and an 85 percent spike in the number of weapons caches Coalition forces have found over the past year, Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, told reporters via satellite from Baghdad at a Pentagon news conference.

“I attribute most of these hard-fought gains in security to a few key factors: our Coalition forces aggressively pursuing the enemy, the improving capability of the Iraqi Security Forces, and the Iraqi people participating in the rebuilding process of Iraq,” he said. READ MORE

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U.S. Airmen Train Iraqi Maintainers

Thursday, 26 June 2008
By Air Force Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel
Special to American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE — While Iraqi Air Force pilots continue flying sorties to aid stability in their nation, Iraqi maintainers on the ground here have achieved important benchmarks to keep their fleet in the air. Airmen with the Iraqi Air Force’s 3rd Squadron took over a wide variety of maintenance duties on the unit’s Cessna 208 Caravan fleet that’s used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, a task formerly performed by U.S. contractors.

“The 3rd Squadron was recently asked to transition from contracted maintenance to full Iraqi support,” said Air Force Capt. Gordon Beran, 870th Expeditionary Air Advisory Squadron combat aviation advisor. “Having the ability to take over maintenance for their new fleet is very important. It brings them one step closer to a fully autonomous air force.”

The all-Iraqi crews perform Level 1 maintenance tasks such as aircraft launch and recovery, pre-flight maintenance, ground handling and aircraft servicing.

This was no simple undertaking for the Iraqi maintainers, who had no experience with Western-style aircraft and whose English-speaking abilities are limited. READ MORE

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Faux Scenarios, Efficient Techniques to Assist Tal Afar Police

Wednesday, 25 June 2008
By Pfc. Adam Carl Blazak
11th Public Affairs Detachment

Excerpt

TAL AFAR — In late May, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near the palace grounds in Tal Afar in Northern Iraq. A handful of local civilians died and scores more were injured from the blast. Chaos ran rampant over the scene as Iraqi police attempted to cordon the area over the wailing sirens of police cars and fire engines and the screams of mourning relatives. That was a month ago. Now, Iraqi police from around Tal Afar have been converging on Forward Operating Base Sykes to learn better cordoning techniques during an emergency.

“For many of the IP’s, this is their first formal training,” said 1st Lt. Michelle Weinbaum, the executive officer for 116th Military Police Company, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, referring to the second round of IP’s who were finishing their last day of training, June 24.

Starting just a couple weeks ago, the training was still in its infancy stage, yet the MP’s understand its importance. READ MORE

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Corpsmen teach medical skills to Iraqis

by Cpl. Tyler Barstow
1st Marine Logistics Group

Excerpt CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (June 27, 2008) – Navy doctors and corpsmen at Camp Taqaddum are partnering with Iraqis to show them their medical know-how and teach them the uses of their new equipment.

Five Iraqi army medical officers from Camp Habbaniyah visited Camp Taqaddum Surgical, 1st Supply Battalion (Reinforced), 1st Marine Logistics Group, June 20 to discuss a partnership and tour the building.

A new hospital has been constructed at Camp Habbaniyah, but the facility needs a properly trained staff to operate in the new building with an understanding of the equipment they will use. READ MORE

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Iraqi, U.S Soldiers Light Up Neighborhood

Monday, 23 June 2008
By Sgt. Jerry Saslav
Multi-National Division - Baghdad

Excerpt

BAGHDAD — At first glance it doesn’t look like much: a construction site with a large wooden box strapped to a forklift, a crane, approximately 15 Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, and a small pile of equipment. Such was the humble beginning of a project designed to deter militant and extremist activity, improve public safety and security, and ease the burdens on the growing Iraqi infrastructure.

Street lights are being installed – solar-powered street lights to be precise.

“The 4th Infantry Division has been the driving force through this project. (They) came in and said, ‘We want to do something to help the people, the Iraqi Security Forces,’” said Capt. Adam Levitt, a native of El Paso, Texas, who is currently serving on a military transition team from 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, as the engineer advisor for the 6th Iraqi Army Division.

From day one, the project has come from the 4th Inf. Div. and MND-B, he said.

Levitt, along with Darryl Steadman, who is a civilian advisor, a translator and approximately ten IA soldiers, began to install the first four of 100 solar powered street lights June 19. READ MORE

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Iraqi-Based Industrial Zone Service Center Opens at Balad

Monday, 23 June 2008
By Staff Sgt. Les Newport
76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Excerpt

BALAD — Joint Base Balad marked the beginning of a new program to spur progress in Iraq in the provinces surrounding the installation. A ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard, Brig. Gen. Gregory E. Couch, commander of the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command and Sheik Shihab Ahmed Saleh Al-Tamimi commemorated the opening of the Iraqi-Based Industrial Zone (I-BIZ) Service Center, Basateen Al-Dejayl General Training and Contracting Company, ltd., at Joint Based Balad. The initiative is being spearheaded by the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Indiana Army National Guard.

“We are proud to call Iraqis our wonderful allies and we wish you the very, very best in your new venture,” said Umbarger.

Here is a local sheik very well respected in his community; able to create a business and work in conjunction with us as his allies, said Umbarger. “I think it’s a special step forward and it’s a real honor to be here today. I had an opportunity to speak to the sheik one-on-one. You can see that he is a person with a big heart; it’s a special day for him and likewise for me,” he said. READ MORE

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Tearing Down Old Barriers, Building New Relationships for Future

Monday, 23 June 2008
By Maj. Craig Heathscott
39th Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division - Baghdad

Excerpt

BAGHDAD — Time had little effect on the strands of razor-sharp concertina wire that spanned hundreds of meters and split Ali’s farmland except to dull its original purpose - security. Located on the outer wall of Camp Slayer on the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, the fence was originally constructed sometime during the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom more than five years ago. But until early June, it served no purpose but to divide. In the small community of Radwaniyah, west of Baghdad International airport, an Iraqi farmer simply wanted to be able to access his fields without the seemingly unnecessary long walk-a-rounds resulting from the wire. He had wanted to take the fence down himself; however, he was afraid the coalition forces overlooking his farm from the towers might shoot him.

“I happy to do work taking poles out of ground, but don’t want someone to shoot me because I was stealing,” said Ali, who speaks relatively good English. “I talked to captain (Cesaro) when he drove by and I asked him if I could move it. I thank him very much. Good man.”

Although a handshake was enough to seal the deal for the young Army captain, he provided Ali with a business card explaining he had permission to take the fence down and Coalition forces would assist in the effort. Ali now proudly keeps the card in his wallet and proudly boasts about the friend he has made in Capt. Vincent Cesaro, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. READ MORE

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