From the Front

News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.

In their own words:
Northern Disclosure: Hoorah for Harry - When I was in basic training I had a Drill Sergeant that to me was a military diety. Drill Sergeant Chaney was a physical specimen and clearly more knowledgable than the others. It was no surprise that he was one of the Army's best and an Elite Soldier. He taught me something about leadership that stuck with me since that time and it was through example and not rhetoric that I learned that someone leading from the front and example offers alot more than some brain or ego in the rear. Since this Conflict has happened there have been alot of armchair generals and monday quarterbacks. Many of these are in the public eye and some holding or trying to hold public offices. (READ MORE)

Sergeant Grumpy: A largely successful Arba'een - Yesterday completed an important holiday period for the Shia's of Iraq. (Well for the Shia's of the world I guess, but the holiday's impact is all here in Iraq). Arba'een (literally Arabic for the number 40) is the 40th day after Ashura and commemorates the suffering of wives and children of Husayn ibn Ali, who was murdered on Ashura in the Battle of Karbala. His wives and children were then marched across the desert to Syria by the Sunni Caliphate army and many of them perished. The Shia in my observation* are obsessed with suffering and, as might be said in America, immerse themselves in a culture of being the victim. (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Preparing for spring - I can remember when prepping for spring meant doing some spring cleaning around the house, planting some flowers or herbs in the garden and cleaning the grill to get ready for the barbecue season. Here in Afghanistan, we prepare for spring a bit differently. The cleaning we are worried about involves cleaning up an area of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. The planting that concerns us are IEDs being planted on our main routes of travel. Cooking up something special for the bad guys is what makes us happy here. (READ MORE)

Iraq: The Purgatorium: Insomnia - We're phantoms here. No past, no background, just like I hoped. Almost. The girl who pointed out the tranny called me out on being military. So did an old man in the first bar. I guess there's no hiding it. All there's left to do is try to leave a good impression, I guess. The realization that this is all temporary, it haunts me once in a while. I want to hold on to this as long as I can. We've got a clean slate, even if its a different color than everyone else's proverbial slate. We're finding something out, but we don't know what. This isn't just R&R from Iraq, its R&R from my entire life. Just picking up and leaving for somewhere where I don't know anyone, I've probably needed this for years. Random thoughts occur to us while we lay in our beds in the dark. (READ MORE)

Iraq: The Purgatorium: The Adventure Continues - My homedude woke me up at some mid-morning hour to inform me that we had to leave, that we didn't have this hotel booked anymore. I thought we still had another day. I crawled out of bed in a still-half-drunk buzz and attempted to pull myself together. We threw our shit in our backpacks and walked out, slightly bummed. It was a damn good hotel, and fucking CHEAP as it gets. If you're military and kicking it in Tokyo, check out The New Sanno Hotel. The ultimate hookup. Walking down the clean streets of Tokyo, trash cans rarely ever seen, litter just as rare, concrete and asphalt and greener than green trees, crazy signs with English and chicken-scratch Kanji writing. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Obama's Incoherence - What did Barack Obama mean Tuesday when he told Tim Russert that if, following his promised withdrawal of U.S. forces, "al-Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad"? Surely Obama is aware that much of the military activity in Iraq for some time has been devoted-- successfully -- to pushing AQI out of those areas (Anbar, for example) where it had previously established itself. Isn’t he? If he does know that, and if he concedes that a future AQI “base” in Iraq would be a cause for his ordering some sort of military action – either some missile lobbing in Bill Clinton’s feckless style, or a reintroduction of troops -- then why is he promising to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq as fast as he can? (READ MORE)

LT Nixon: Bush Sends a Zinger at the Senate - The Prez. Despite the fact that I'd jump off a cliff if the guy ordered me to, I'm not in the business of heaping praise upon Bush. After all his administration did give us a skyrocketing deficit, an overused-understaffed military, and a distrust for conservative values that will take years to repair. But I did like what he had to say at today's White House press conference about the Senate bickering over Iraq (via Bloomberg): “Congressional leaders are still sounding the same old call for withdrawal. I guess you could say that when it comes to pushing for withdrawal, their strategy is to stay the course.” (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Paratroopers Fighting in Afghanistan Need to Hear from You! - This last summer, many of you helped to send over 30,000 emails of support to Marines in Iraq. Now, as if the Taliban and Al Qaeda, bad weather, and lack of support here at home weren’t bad enough, the New York Times has published a one-sided view of the paratroopers tour in Afghanistan. Conditions and morale are tough right now for paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Yes, they are having a tough time, but they are also succeeding in many ways. (READ MORE)

Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: RCT-1’s PSD, Sentinels to Commanding Officer - CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Feb. 28, 2008) – Some of the most battle-hardened, seasoned veterans of war can be found in a personnel security detachment; Marines who have deployed several times, fought in numerous battles and even some who have been wounded in action. Experience and the knowledge of combat are essential when it comes to protecting the commanding officer and VIPs. The sentinels of Regimental Combat Team 1’s PSD are Marines who have proven to be of this caliber on the battlefield. (READ MORE)

Army of Dude: You're Visitor 100,000! Click here to claim your prize. - Sometime in the last few days, my hit counter surpassed 100,000 visit to this blog. Like your dad in the family station wagon counting the odometer, I'm very excited to be at this historic number. I created the blog in April 2006 but I only added a counter in September of last year, days before I came home from Iraq. Blue Man was the first person to link to me before my quote and URL appeared in the LA Times and Associated Press stories, making him fan #1. My parents have always been the most supportive readers from the start, along with my wonderful girlfriend Lauren. I'm often asked why I started the blog in the first place. If you go back to the very beginning, you'll see writing that's rough around the edges with heavy doses of sarcasm. (READ MORE)

Paul McLeary: Power Surge - The press often takes heat—not unfairly—for only reporting the “bad news” out of Iraq and Afghanistan. But sometimes the bad news just so happens to be the most important news of the day. Check out this morning’s front-page Washington Post piece about problems in the Awakening movement in Iraq—a mostly Sunni security effort that has put 80,000 Iraqi men on the American payroll, and which has cost the American taxpayer about $123 million so far, according to the Multinational Force-Iraq command. The program has undoubtedly produced results. Violence in the country is way down now that Iraqis have stepped up to staff checkpoints in their own areas, and some of the same guys who were planting IEDs a year ago are now turning in caches of weapons and explosives. (READ MORE)

That Krazy Korean: Knick knack transportation - I’m being moved from my desk to make way for a new inbound person into our section. Unfortunately this isn’t my replacement, but one that will be working on the team to take over Tad’s position. So, in order to consolidate areas of responsibility, they are moving me out of the section to a desk around the corner and out of sight to make room for him. It’s probably a good thing according to that whole cliché “out of sight, out of mind”, but it still sucks to move for the fourth time and this close to the end of my mission. (READ MORE)

Desert Dude: 29 February - Today I went over to the shop and laid out for a while, and studied some…the guys brought over a couple trucks to work on—minor things like doors sticking and turret handles broken…we started cleaning things and organizing tools and parts and shop equipment and now the shop looks great…we pulled in a few more trucks and gave them a good once over to make sure everything is good to go for the new guys coming in…there are already two new guys here that came in early to get started and be on the ground to help the rest of their crew get situated when they get in... (READ MORE)



News from the Front:
Iraq:
Bill Roggio: Egyptian al Qaeda leader reported killed in South Waziristan airstrike - Pakistani and US intelligence are attempting to sort out the names of the al Qaeda and Taliban operatives killed in yesterday's airstrike in Azam Warzak, South Waziristan. Initial reports indicated Arabs and fighters from Central Asia were killed in the operation. One report indicates an "al Qaeda fugitive from Egypt" was among those killed, sparking rumors that Ayman al Zawahiri was the target of the strike. (READ MORE)

Oklahoma National Guard unit assumes base security at Bucca - CAMP BUCCA, Iraq — The 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry from Stillwater, Okla., assumed command of base security at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq during a transfer of authority ceremony Monday. The Oklahoma National Guard unit will be performing external patrols in the area of operations and maintaining security at the forward operating base, which houses the largest Theater Internment Facility in Iraq. (READ MORE)

Paratroopers capture senior Special Groups leader - BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers captured a suspected senior leader of a criminal Special Groups network during an operation in Baghdad’s Beida neighborhood Feb. 27. After receiving actionable intelligence on his whereabouts, paratroopers with the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, detained the suspect. (READ MORE)

Coalition disrupts al-Qaeda in Iraq network; five terrorists killed, 22 suspects detained - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 22 suspects Thursday and today during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda networks operating in central and northern Iraq. During an operation east of Khan Bani Sad this morning, Coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq facilitator associated with a member of the Baqouba improvised explosive device and suicide bombing network. As the ground force arrived in the area, they called for occupants of the target building to come out. (READ MORE)

MND-B Soldiers, ISF, local residents discover multiple caches - BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, Iraqi Security forces and local Iraqis discovered multiple weapon and ammunition caches Feb. 27 northwest of Baghdad. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered a 68mm mortar round, a French-made rocket and a 68mm mortar tube during a combat patrol at approximately 10:30 a.m. (READ MORE)

Sayifiyah Sheiks Meet with National Police Commander, Discuss Security - FOB KALSU — Coalition forces organized a meeting here Feb. 26, where leaders of Sayifiyah and an Iraqi National Police (NP) battalion commander discussed the Iraqi security force presence in the region. “You have worked wonderfully with Coalition forces,” said Col. James Adams, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division deputy commander, addressing the 13 Sayifiyah sheiks. “We’re just adding one more member to the team and that member is the Iraqi security forces (ISF).” (READ MORE)

Marines Patrol Saqlawiyah Day and Night, Keep Streets Safe - SAQLAWIYAH — Thanks to the Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, the streets of Saqlawiyah continue to be a safer place to live. “With us always patrolling and keeping an eye on the area, the Iraqis seem to feel more comfortable and are out of their homes more,” said Cpl. Kyle W. Peterson, a squad leader with Co. E. “They’ve said that they feel safer with us around.” (READ MORE)

Iraqi Police Find Hundreds of Munitions in Weapons Cache - OB KALSU — Iraqi Police (IP) manning a checkpoint near Jurf as Sakhr discovered a large weapons cache containing more than 500 munitions, Feb. 22. The cache contained (240) 60 mm mortars, (189) 100 mm mortars, 107 fuses, three 82 mm rockets and two 88 mm mortars. The IP spotted three masked individuals digging approximately 250 meters from the checkpoint. The policemen yelled at the men and moved toward the location. By the time they arrived at the site, the individuals had fled. Further investigation yielded the discovery of three cache sites. (READ MORE)

Iraqi Air Force Pilots Get Airborne in ‘King Air’ for First Time - KIRKUK — The Iraqi Air Force’s 3rd Squadron took another step on the path to establishing a fully functioning airpower capability here as Iraqi pilots recently took the controls of a King Air 350 for the first time. The King Air is the most advanced aircraft in Iraq’s arsenal and enhances the abilities of their Air Force tremendously. “This flight signifies another beginning for the Iraqi Air Force,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Chris Spangenberg, an instructor pilot with the 870th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron. “The King Air gives them a 21st century capability that can be integrated into the overall mission with ground forces. This first flight will open a whole new chapter in this quickly accelerating Air Force.” (READ MORE)


Afghanistan:
Soldiers teach Afghan police first aid - FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, Afghanistan – Two combat medics have devoted their time to teaching Afghan police officers one of the most important Soldier skills…first aid. Every other week, Sgt. 1st Class Maurice Wells, Joint Forces Headquarters, Arizona Army National Guard, and Spc. Richard L. Bacher, 1st Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, teach a first aid class to about 20 Afghan National Police officers from Logar Province. (READ MORE)

Afghan police graduate winter training class - FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, Afghanistan – A ceremony was held here Feb. 21 to celebrate the newest group of Afghan National Policemen to graduate from a winter training program. The 18 ANP officers, who came from various districts of the Logar Province, are the third group to graduate from the class since its inception in January. (READ MORE)