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Your weekly dose of good news from the front lines.
An Act of Defiance

Posted on 09.04.2008 at 08:10AM
By 1st Lieutenant Andrew W. Duncan
Regimental Combat Team 1

Excerpt

KARMAH, Iraq – In an act of defiance toward al-Qaida in Iraq, Karmah sheikhs and Marines with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, recently held their first meeting since a suicide vest attack killed 20 local leaders and key tribal figures and three Marines, June 26, 2008.

Lt. Col. Andrew R. Milburn, commanding officer, Task Force 1/3, and key staff of the battalion attended the meeting, Aug. 20, 2008, to offer assistance to the Iraqis and build on the accomplishments of the unit they replaced.

Task Force 1/3 replaced Task Force 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, in late July, beginning a seven-month deployment to the greater Karmah area.

The meeting was a gesture of unity between the Iraqi government and coalition forces, and a sign of defiance against those who still oppose the government of Iraq.

Approximately 50 people were expected to attend the event at the Iraqi army base, but the presence of over 200 forced them to change the venue of the meeting to tents.

“The meeting involved passionate and sometimes heated discussions of security issues in the wake of the attack which had killed close relatives of many in the room,” said Milburn. Read More
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Iraqi Business Owners Network, Make Plans at Trade Show
Friday, 05 September 2008

Excerpt

FOB RUSTAMIYAH — In another indication of a return to normalcy in eastern Baghdad, more than 90 organizations gathered Aug. 29 and 30 at the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital’s Rusafa district for the 9 Nissan District Business Trade Show.

Participants included non-government organizations and more than 80 businesses that set up booths to display their products and services and to network with other local business owners.

Exhibitors represented businesses in retail sales, construction and durable and industrial goods. In addition to the exhibits, members of the district council, community leaders and the Baghdad 2 embedded provincial reconstruction team conducted a meeting during the event’s second day.

The trade show is the third of its kind conducted in the 10th Mountain Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team operational environment in Multi-National Division - Baghdad. The other two economic events benefited businesses in eastern Baghdad’s Rusafa and Karadah districts.

The PRT and the Patriot Brigade supported the trade show to sponsor the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which put together the event, Conrad Tribble, Baghdad-2 embedded PRT team chief, said. The trade show is a way for businesses to come together in a forum not normally available to them, the Los Angeles native explained.Read More
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Father, Daughter Reunite at Delta

Posted on 09.06.2008 at 04:19AM
By Spc. Allison Churchill
41st Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office

Excerpt

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – Pfc. Jessica Rush had a surprise waiting for her when she returned from morning physical training Sept. 2, 2008.

“I came around the T-wall, and there he was,” said Rush, a medic in Company C, 589th Brigade Support Company, 41st Fires Brigade, when she saw her dad, Sgt. 1st Class Warren Hill, standing before her.

Hill is a terrain management non-commissioned officer-in-charge for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 217th Brigade Support Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery Brigade, Arkansas National Guard, currently deployed to Tallil.

The father and daughter, both from Marshall, Ark., were planning to see each other during their deployments to Iraq, but he hadn’t given her an exact date when he could visit. When his platoon sergeant said there was a convoy on its way to Forward Operating Base Delta, Hill jumped at the chance. Read More
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Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition Forces Meet to Discuss Security Issues

Posted on 09.06.2008 at 04:11AM
By Pfc. Evan Loyd
2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Public Affairs Office

Excerpt

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Leaders from the Iraqi army, national police and Iraqi police met with coalition forces leaders at Forward Operating Base Hammer Aug. 28, 2008.

Maj. Gen. Jassem Nazal Qassim, commanding general of the 9th IA Division, General Abdullah, commander of the 35th Brigade, 9th IA Div., Brig. Gen. Emad, 1st Battalion, 3rd National Police Brigade commander, and other ISF leaders attended the conference, which focused on the security measures and strategy they plan to enact during the upcoming month.

In 2007, attacks by anti-Iraqi forces against Iraqi security forces and coalition forces in the Mada’in Qada averaged two and a half per day; in 2008, attacks are fewer than one per day.

The presence of CF in the Mada’in, the increasing professionalism of the ISF and the contributions of the Sons of Iraq all contribute to the reduction in violence. Read More

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Iraqi Army Goes Back to the Basics

Posted on 09.06.2008 at 03:33AM
By Sgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Public Affairs Office

Excerpt

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – Approximately 20 Iraqi army soldiers looked like a well-oiled machine, as the trainer-candidates formed up in five-man stack teams at Camp Dhi-Qar’s basic training site Aug. 25, 2008.

The IA Soldiers glided through a make-shift neighborhood, built by the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, coalition army advisory training team searching house-to-house for suspected criminals.

“I feel I take many benefits from the training to help my country,” said Cpl. Fakher Hamadani, one of the new Iraqi trainer candidates. “I want to protect our country, our people and destroy the terrorists.”

As the Iraqis approached their objectives, many of the future trainers displayed the tactics and techniques that were taught to them by MNSTC-I, CAATT Soldiers during the 30-day basic instructor training course. Read More
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Ironhorse Soldiers ‘on Top of the World’ After Becoming U.S. Citizens

Posted on 09.05.2008 at 02:38PM
By Staff Sgt. Scott Wolfe
Multi-National Division - Baghdad

Excerpt

BAGHDAD – The central rotunda of the Al Faw Palace was filled with two types of people on, Sept. 1, 2008. Those on the outside of the pillars were a frenzy of movement and flashing cameras. The people in the center, seated in neat rows, were a contrast of stillness. They looked, by varying degrees, to be calm, nervous and happy – and often all three at once. Some chatted quietly with the person next to them, while others seemed more introspective, their gaze drawn inward, perhaps thinking about what steps had led them to this moment.

Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the commanding general of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, presided over a naturalization ceremony in which more than 190 Soldiers from across Iraq were sworn in as United States citizens, an event one 4th Infantry Division Soldier in particular said he had been waiting years for. Read More
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New Sewer System Opens in Kamaliyah

Courtesy Story
Posted on 09.05.2008 at 01:15PM

Excerpt

By the Multi-National Division – Baghdad Public Affairs Office
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – More than 130,000 residents of Kamaliyah have a more sanitary way to remove sewage from their homes and streets with the official opening of an extensive sewer system, Sept. 3, 2008.

Local leaders, Iraqi contractors, national police officers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, currently attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, combined their efforts to bring the sewer system to the people.

The project took about four years to complete and faced many problems along the way, said Maj. Robert Culberson, officer in charge of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers resident office on Forward Operating Base Loyalty.

“This is a major success,” he said, claiming that the sewer system will benefit more than 130,000 residents in Fedaliyah.

The system, which is capable of funneling 1.3 million gallons of waste a day, includes 14 pumping station and encompasses 100 kilometers of piping.

“This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for the people of Kamaliyah,” said Capt. Jonathan Bender, commander for Company D, 1st Bn., 66th Armor Regt. Read More
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Operation ‘Grease Monkey’ Nears Completion

Posted on 09.05.2008 at 09:59AM
By Spc. Allison Churchill
41st Fires Brigade

Excerpt

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – Iraqi army mechanics are nearing the end of their participation in Operation “Grease Monkey,” a joint operation to develop IA mechanics with help from Soldiers from the 41st Fires Brigade.

“We can do more joint missions when the vehicles are fixed,” said Pvt. Aeiad K. Jeari, chief mechanic, Headquarters, 32nd Iraqi Army Brigade. The project has strengthened the friendship between Iraqi and coalition forces, he said.

Operation “Grease Monkey” pools the resources of the Military Transition Teams and Company B, 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Fires Bde., with the 1st and 3rd Battalions and Headquarters unit of the 32nd IA Bde., to repair the Iraqis’ Humvees.

Although the Iraqi mechanics are doing nearly all of the installation work, the Co. B mechanics linger close-by, assisting when needed.

“We want to help the Iraqis help themselves,” said Capt. Angel Ortiz, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Co. B commander. He and his Soldiers walked the Iraqis through the repair process. Read More
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Iraqi Troops Demonstrate ‘Tremendous Progress,’ Colonel Says

Posted on 09.04.2008 at 04:56PM
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers serving in their country’s Salahuddin province demonstrate marked improvement compared to their performance two years ago, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said on Sept. 4, 2008.

“Overall, I am very pleased” with the Iraqi troops’ progress, Army Col. Scott McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.

McBride’s unit is based in Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad in Salahuddin province. The 4,000-member brigade is a component of Multi-National Division North, and it has been in Iraq for about a year.

Iraqi soldiers improved dramatically, McBride said, since his previous Iraq duty tour ended in September 2006. Four Iraqi brigades operate within his current area of operations, he said.

One Iraqi brigade that has been posted near the border with Diyala province over the past month has turned in distinguished service, the colonel said.

“They have been totally self-sustaining,” McBride said of the Iraqi unit, noting it supplies itself independently and will pull duty in support of operations in Diyala province for another month. Read More
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Soldier Trains Others to Move Past Fear

Posted on 09.04.2008 at 04:42PM
By Army Sgt. Whitney Houston
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

Excerpt

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Army Staff Sgt. Lonny Steele helps his fellow Soldiers succeed in one of the most difficult forms of warfare: close-combat fighting.

As the combatives instructor for the 25th Infantry Division’s 225th Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Steele trains Soldiers to overcome the many physical and psychological barriers associated with close combat.

“He helps Soldiers overcome what psychologists call the universal human phobia, which is doing violence upon another human – especially in hand-to-hand combat,” said Army Lt. Col. Mark Collins, of Phoenix, commander of 225th BSB. “If you look at the difficulty of killing in proximity to distance, the closer you get, the more difficult it becomes to do violence to another human being, and he helps bridge that psychology gap through his close-combat training.”

Steele, of Honolulu, Hawaii, said he gains a sense of pride and accomplishment by sharing his knowledge with fellow soldiers in his weekly combatives class.

“I like training the Soldiers,” he said. “A lot of them come here with the attitude that they don’t want to learn it, or that it’s boring. But by the end of the day, they are glad that they came – and they can’t wait to come back next week – and I like that I can give something back to the Soldiers.” Read More
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Coalition Captures Senior Terrorism Suspects in Iraq
American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2008 – Coalition troops captured more than a dozen suspected terrorists in Iraq today and yesterday, including at least three high-level al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, military officials said.

Of 14 people detained today, one is believed to a senior advisor of al-Qaida in Iraq operations in northern Mosul. Intelligence reports indicate he oversees all attacks there and provides advice for targeting, officials said.

Another wanted man detained today allegedly is involved in coordinating finances for al-Qaida in Iraq in Mosul, and is believed to take part in extortion schemes and kidnappings to raise money for terrorist operations. A third man detained is suspected of conspiring with senior leaders of the same terrorist group in Mosul.

Also today, coalition forces detained two men during an operation against leaders of a bomb network in Mosul. A 48-hour security sweep of Salamiyah, just south of Mosul, netted six suspected terrorists.

The coalition also targeted a bomb network that operates south of Mosul in the Tigris River Valley. Troops captured a suspect yesterday who told them where to find a wanted man from the network who is believed to be a liaison for senior al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists.

Intelligence reports indicate the wanted man was procuring bomb-making materials to distribute to cells in the area, officials said. Coalition forces found him today, hiding in a sheep pen, and called for him to surrender. Despite several warnings, including warning shots, the terrorist refused to comply. Coalition forces perceived a hostile threat and engaged the man, killing him, officials said.

In Baghdad today, coalition forces thwarted an attempt to re-establish al-Qaida in Iraq’s propaganda network after recent operations diminished its capability. Three suspected terrorists were detained, including a wanted man who allegedly has ties to terrorist operatives around the country. Read More
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Renovated Schools to Greet Sadr City Children

By Raymond McNulty
Special to American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Sept. 5, 2008 – When bells ring for a return to schools throughout Baghdad’s Sadr City district later this month, students at schools renovated by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers are in for a big surprise.

“The youth of Sadr City represent the future,” Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, the brigade commander, said. “They are the next chapter in the story of hope for a new Baghdad and Iraq.”

The intent of the project is to create safe, secure environments conducive to learning, Talley said.

The schools chosen for renovation were affected by illegal militia cells throughout the conflict with coalition forces and the Iraqi army for control of the district, Talley said. The Multinational Division Baghdad command group and the district and neighborhood advisory councils recommended the projects.

Academic repair and reconstruction projects typically concentrate on interior and exterior walls, doors and window trim, as well as the repair of floor and ceiling tiles, plumbing and electrical systems. Other critical upgrades include perimeter wall repair, grounds clearing, landscaping, and back-up power generation, officials said. Read More
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Iraqi Security Forces Continue Improving, Army Colonel Says

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – An Army colonel working with Iraqi security forces in the country’s southern provinces said yesterday their proficiency and dedication have been impressive.

“I am very impressed with the professionalism and the willingness of the Iraqi army to go out there and fight and go after the insurgents, smugglers or other special groups out there,” Army Col. Philip F. Battaglia, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, told bloggers during a teleconference about the brigade’s mission in Iraq since deploying there in mid-June.

Battaglia’s brigade, based out of Fort Hood, Texas, works with the 10th Iraqi Army Division and other Iraqi security forces in three southern provinces. The provinces — Muthanna, Dhi Qar, and Maysan — are under Iraqi control.

The brigade’s main focus, Battaglia said, is in Maysan, which is in the far east of Iraq, bordering Iran. It has a population of 800,000 and a land mass slightly larger than Dhi Qar, and the brigade is working with the Iraqi security forces to stop the smuggling of weapons and other munitions into Iraq, Battaglia added.

“Currently, I have two of my maneuver battalions that are operating with the Iraqi security forces, specifically the 38th Brigade of the 10th Iraqi Army, the Iraqi police and the 11th Department of Border Enforcement Brigade, which is deployed along the border,” Battaglia said.

The U.S. soldiers’ efforts focus on four key areas, the colonel said:

– Working as partners with and improving the professionalism of the 10th Iraqi Army Division, the Iraqi police and the Department of Border Enforcement;

– Defeating extremist networks;

– Setting the conditions to continue the building of good governance and economic capacity within the provincial governments; and

– Protecting and sustaining their forces. Read More
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A Few Articles Covering Good News in Afghanistan

Soldiers Deliver School Supplies to Afghan Villages

By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2008 – Task Force Gladiator, together with the Afghan National Police and a contracted construction and supply company, delivered 75 desks, 10 chalk boards and 150 sets of school supplies to the villages of Jurghati, Hasanzi and Shawo Katay in the Kohi Sofi district of Afghanistan’s Parwan province Aug. 26.

“All three villages had absolutely no school supplies, and the only one with any furniture was Hasanzi,” Coulter said. “The furniture at Hasanzi was old, rotten and falling apart.”

Coulter’s team sprung into action.

“The cost of supplies distributed is over $15,600, with the majority of money being spent on wood and metal for the desks,” Army Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Miller, CERP manager, said. Task Force Gladiator worked closely with the local contractor to ensure materials could be accessed and distributed quickly, he added.

Children of each village were given two sets of school supplies, including a backpack, paper, a coloring book, crayons and other basic classroom materials.

Task Force Gladiator plans to distribute farming tools and several water wells to residents in these villages, Coulter said. Read More
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Bermel radio sends information to villages
by Pfc. Christina Sinders
CJTF-101

Excerpt

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Sept. 2, 2008) — Clear voices stream over the radio. Prayers are read, music is played, announcements are broadcast and questions are answered.

This is the people’s radio, 92 FM.

The station was created to provide news, advice and education. Bermel radio broadcasts programs 13 hours a day to local villages throughout the district of Bermel in eastern Paktika province.

Located at Forward Operating Base Boris, the station provides more than 11 different types of programs that cover nearly every aspect of life for people in the local villages. Programs range from work and agriculture to health and education. There are also women-specific programs and religious-service programs.

Sarwar, a former agricultural professor at Khowst University, and Islamuddin, an adviser with more than 10 years of agricultural experience and training, run the station and host most of the broadcasts.

“We try to do as much as we can for the people here,” Sarwar said. “We even meet with them and teach them as much as we can about agriculture. It’s a big part of life for them and we want to make it better for them.”

Programs are broadcasted from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except on Fridays when the two radio jockeys take a two-hour break for religious prayer and rest. Read More
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Coalition Forces Kill, Capture Insurgents in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service

Excerpt

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than two dozen insurgents while disrupting terrorist cells along the southeastern and southwestern borders of Afghanistan during operations over the past days, military officials reported.

Coalition and Afghan forces killed six militants today after being ambushed while conducting a reconnaissance patrol in the Farrah province in southwest Afghanistan, coalition officials said.

The insurgents ambushed the patrol from an isolated compound with intense and accurate small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire, officials said. Coalition forces responded with ground fire and close air support, killing six militants, they said.

Although no Afghan or coalition casualties were reported, two civilians were killed in the attack and two were wounded, coalition officials said. The victims were immediately treated and medically evacuated to a nearby coalition medical facility, they said.

In addition to the weapons carried by the ambushing force, a weapons cache containing a rocket-propelled grenade, machine gun, AK-47 rifles and an assortment of ammunition was discovered at the site.

Also today, coalition forces killed several militants and detained five during an operation to disrupt an explosives network in Paktika province, along the Pakistan border, coalition officials said.

Coalition forces were searching a compound in the Bermel district targeting a militant known to coordinate and direct roadside bomb attacks against coalition Forces. The targeted militant is also known to be associated with Taliban commanders, both locally and abroad, who bring foreign fighters into Afghanistan, officials said. Several civilians, as well as military members, recently have been injured by these roadside bombs, they said.

As Coalition forces searched the compound, they received small-arms fire from militants inside the building. The force returned fire, killing several insurgents, they said.

A similar incident also happened today in Kapisa province, north of Kabul, when coalition forces came under fire while searching a compound in the Tag Ab district targeting a Taliban commander responsible for smuggling in foreign fighters, as well as conducting bomb attacks against coalition forces.

During the operation, militants fired on coalition forces, who responded with small-arms fire, killing several militants and detaining two. Read More
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