News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.
In their own words:
Yellowhammering Afghanistan: More new faces - Our numbers continue to grow at Camp Vulcan, with eight new members of our team now on board. Welcome to Cpt. Rogers, First Lt. Brown, Staff Sgt. Nettles, Staff Sgt. Gibson, Sgt. Price, Spec. Taylor, Spec. Thomas and Pvt. First Class Rose. They come from South Carolina, Florida and New York. A few of them will be leaving around the same time most of the rest of us will, while the rest will be here for several more months. That means the Law Dog police training and mentoring team in Ghazni will have some continuity when we complete the changeover to the new team in a few weeks. (READ MORE)
Army of Dude: Photo Story Monday - Be Right Back - "Dude, I gotta shit. Find me something to wipe with around here." Matt was direct and to the point. He was shitting all right, in a corner room of a makeshift hospital deep in the heart of Chibernot, the more rural and wooded neighborhood of Baqubah. Bill, the unremitting carrier of toilet paper, was on the other side of the building. He'd have to use whatever I could find him as he squat in the corner over the dust covered floor. Just a day earlier, we were making our way through the abandoned neighborhoods fulfilling our raison d’être: cache and insurgent locating. After turning up nil for the first few hours of sunlight, we entered a courtyard with two pick up trucks and a modest yard that fed into a grass field surrounding three sides of a house. (READ MORE)
Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure: The Odyssey Of The Four Day Pass: This Is Getting Ridiculous - We had planned to go on a dhow* cruise on day three, but later in the evening of day two it was canceled due to lack of participation. The day before, we had wanted to do the cruise, but it was booked, so we did the picnic. Now nobody wants to go on a cruise? Whatever. Day three was a down day, then. It was nice not to have to show up early, run around while being herded by a Sri Lankan or Nepalese, and just have a relaxing day. Day four was a repeat of the Doha tour. We had another hoot. (READ MORE)
Desert Dude: 18 February - Today I decided to start packing things up—down to minimum essentials…I got rid of a bunch of old uniforms, gave them to our terps…I think everything will fit in the two big bags I have…I might have to mail some things home, like all the DVDs I am keeping and my guitar…I also went out to the shop and laid out in the sun for a couple hours… the weather is really nice right now, it’s still a little chilly at night, and sunny during the day…I figured I might as well work on my tan before I get back to Hawaii so I don’t get burned crispy the first few days on the beach… (READ MORE)
News from the Front:
Iraq:
Coalition targets al-Qaeda in Iraq networks, six suspects detained - BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists today during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda operating in central and northern Iraq. During an operation in Baghdad, Coalition forces captured an alleged associate of the senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader responsible for providing operational direction to all of the networks in Baghdad, to include the cells responsible for suicide and car bombing attacks. The suspect reportedly facilitates transportation for senior terrorist leadership operating throughout the area. (READ MORE)
Rockets strike Victory Base Complex, West Rashid - BAGHDAD – Insurgents fired a series of rockets that struck areas of the Victory Base Complex and West Rashid in southwestern Baghdad at approximately 5:15 p.m. Feb. 18. Initial reports indicate the attack killed five Iraqi civilians and wounded at least 14. Two U.S. Soldiers were injured. Eight Iraqis, including six children, were taken to a Coalition force medical clinic for treatment. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Special Operations Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain suspected terrorist leader in Mosul - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Special Operations Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained a suspected terrorist leader during an operation in Mosul Feb. 17. According to intelligence reports, the suspect is responsible for improvised-explosive device attacks against Iraqi security forces in Mosul. The suspect is also believed to be responsible for distributing insurgent propaganda in the city (READ MORE)
Sons of Iraq members kill two terrorists - BAGHDAD – Members of Abna’a al-Iraq, or Sons of Iraq, killed two al-Qaeda in Iraq members who were transporting homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices in Adhamiyah Feb. 17. A minivan approached a checkpoint manned by SOI members at a high rate of speed at approximately 8 p.m. The SOI members took appropriate measures, and when the vehicle did not stop, SOI members fired at the vehicle. The driver jumped out of the vehicle and ran while under fire. The vehicle then blew up, killing two others inside. (READ MORE)
Al-Qaeda killing former Sunni allies - BAGHDAD — Captured documents show al-Qaeda (AQI) in Iraq is killing former allies thought to be disloyal. Following the tip of a local citizen, Coalition forces found an AQI torture and execution site in Samarra, Nov. 18. Coalition forces were engaged at the site by enemy forces, resulting in 10 AQI terrorists being killed. AQI had murdered Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition Force sympathizers, and ‘Sons of Iraq’ at this site as late as Nov. 10. (READ MORE)
Dwindling Insurgent Forces Target of Operation Marne Grand Slam - BAGHDAD — Coalition forces began pursuit of remaining insurgent elements near Salman Pak Feb. 15 with the kickoff of Operation Marne Grand Slam. The operation is designed to terminally disable the dwindling number of al-Qaeda in Iraq operatives remaining in the region southeast of Baghdad. The first phase of Grand Slam involves clearing a peninsula that stretches into the Tigris River, directly south of the city of Salman Pak. (READ MORE)
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